GROWING UP, I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ATHLETE OR A CHEERLEADER, EXCEPT FOR ONE SMALL FACT. I HAD NO ATHLETIC BONE IN MY BODY. NOT ONE. ALWAYS PICKED LAST FOR THE TEAM, I WAS DETERMINED TO PROVE MY CRITICS WRONG.
I STARTED SMALL BY GOING TO THE GYM, THEN GRADUATED TO TEACHING AEROBICS. THAT WASN'T ENOUGH. I STARTED RUNNING, ALL DISTANCES UP TO AND INCLUDING AN ULTRA-MARATHON. I MADE A WHOLE NEW SET OF FRIENDS, YET STILL FELT INFERIOR. I HAD NO SELF-CONFIDENCE.
THEN I STARTED DOING TRIATHLONS. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY AT FIRST SINCE I COULD BARELY SWIM, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP ME. AFTER DOING MY FIRST TRIATHLON, I QUICKLY BECAME ADDICTED. I DID SEVERAL SPRINTS, THEN JUMPED UP TO THE HALF-TRIATHLON DISTANCE.
TRAINING BECAME A MEANS OF BRINGING BACK MY SELF-CONFIDENCE, WHICH WAS DESTROYED IN MY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS.
TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER FELT INCOMPETENT, OR AFRAID TO TAKE ON A NEW CHALLENGE, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. IT IS ABOUT OVERCOMING FEARS AND SELF-DOUBT TO PROVE TO YOURSELF THAT, YES! YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS ABOUT HOW A PERSON WHO COULDN'T SWIM MORE THAN TEN FEET WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE ONE OF THE MOST GRUELING RACES ON EARTH: THE FULL-DISTANCE TRIATHLON.