The Unlikely Triathlete

When I was in both the seventh and eighth grades, I was on the basketball C-team. I made the team for three reasons. One, I out hustled the rest. Two, I was a decent 3 point shooter. Three, only two people got cut that actually tried out.

It is a treasured memory. For all my awkwardness, I felt like it was something I was pretty good at. I spent countless hours practicing. I was selected by the coach to go scout games with the older kids. It was great.

Due to financial reasons, my basketball career ended abruptly and my work career began. Kirsten never knew me as a basketball player, but I swore to her that I could play. My chance to prove it to her came in my senior year with the highly anticipated senior/junior basketball game. As class president, I put myself on the starting team.

I was tripped in warm-up and fell. Not knowing I had fractured my elbow, I tried to play through the pain. Kirsten, not knowing that I had fractured my elbow, thought I was the worst player ever. I was embarassed. Although, I had the sling to prove it, Kirsten thinks I would have sucked anyway.

So, when I decided that I was going to enter a triathalon, she scoffed. She has some good reasons to doubt me. First, I swim like a brick. Second, I don't currently run anywhere. I would move to the third, but I just covered two thirds of the race.

Despite my athletic short comings, I will enter and finish a triathalon. I have to enter into training to mold this body into that of a triathelete. It may take me a while since apparently the triathalon season is almost over. I still plan to make it my goal to be ready by next year's races.

If I fail, I will say my arm still hurts.