Try it Thursday | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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Many of you who know me wouldn’t be surprised if I told you that every time I think of the word “try,” I think of the word, “tri.”

It’s because “tri” to me, is the epitome of “try.” Not to everyone, just to me.

After my very first one thank goodness there was beer

I feel that way because the first time I ever raced in a triathlon it was so very far outside my comfort zone, no where even remotely close to where I had ever been before. I had only just run my first 5k the previous summer — I literally started from the couch. So even running was new to me. I had trained, but barely even ridden my actual bike I was going to race on (I used spin class for most of my training), I mean, this was so different from a 5k or any running race really, there was so much gear involved and not only that, I was just plain scared!

These people weren’t runners, they were, other people! Who know what they’re doing!

Before that, my family told me when I had even just begun thinking about doing one that I would be crazy for even trying. (Or crazy for tri-ing.) Real supportive, right? But I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So whatever with them.

Well thank God I didn’t listen to any of my naysayers, because it’s 2 years later and I AM IN LOVE! I am having the best time of my life tri-ing and trying and pushing further and meeting new people, this whole new world has opened up to me, the challenges and fears I’ve faced, it has been an unbelievable journey! And it all started from the couch!

(Could you imagine if I had listened to them????)

So I am all about trying new things now. I’m all about telling people who tell me I can’t do something to screw off (nicely.) I’m all about pushing my own boundaries even if it scares the daylights out of me. That’s why I love “Try it Thursdays.”

Now, since it’s new, it won’t always be about exercise, we’ll try foods and new habits and whatnots, but because my “Tri” and “Try” are interchangeable and I’m up first for this new installation, I just can’t help myself. (So indulge me, mkay?)

I have yet to do a series post on “How to Tri,” (you can look forward to that in the near future) but for now, as part of our new”Try it Thursday,” I’m issuing a challenge for you to “Tri it Thursday.”

Since a triathlon is made up of a swim, bike and run, my challenge for you is to pick one that you’ve not done before and go do it.

If you don’t have a bike, take a spin class. If you have a bike that needs to get dusted off, GO DUST IT OFF! Then ride it.

I’m the one in the orange. Just kidding, I’m the shorter one.

For me, swimming was the big thing I’d never done (I swam only to not drown, really). So if you’re like me, go swim!

If you haven’t done any swimming, ever, go grab a pair of goggles and a swim cap and hop into the pool! Even if it’s cold by you! I mean, you really ought to think about swimming for cross-training anyway, it’s such good cardio and great on the joints! Plus lots of the local YMCAs have indoor pools and they’ll give you a free guest pass to try it out. Whatever hangups you have about doing it (bathing suit, fear of goggles and/or latex, swimming itself) forget them and just go hop in the pool.

And of course, there’s running! No gear involved at all except for shoes!

Now, if you’ve done all three at some point or other, I then challenge you to a brick. A brick is two of the three in the same workout session. You can swim, then run out of the pool and run for a mile or 5-10 minutes. Or sit on a spin bike for 30 minutes then go hop on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes. Or swim and then hop on the spin bike.

Whatever it is that you do, try to do it for 35-40 minutes. The first workout for 30 minutes, the next one for 5-10.

If you’ve done all of these things and a brick, I challenge you to do one of these things longer or faster than you ever have for any amount of time. Or hell, try a mock tri. Go swim for 10 minutes, run out, hop on a spin bike for 10 minutes and then go run for 10 minutes!

Easy peasy right?

Because someone told me I couldn’t, I’ve become the poster child for telling people they can. YOU can. It’s true. The only limitations we truly have are the ones we give ourselves.

I have seen every single age and size, and with varying number of limbs racing. I have seen people pulling other people with disabilities along with them in the race. I have seen it all.

If you choose to do this, comment below what you will do and then, when you’re finished, tweet about it to @shrinkingjeans and link to this post!

Go forth and TRI something! I can’t wait to hear about it!  Oh and HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!

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