The REAL Women's Duathlon is five weeks away.
After much encouragement from my workmates, fitness-class buddies and the voice in my head that really wants me to be fit and healthy, I decided to go for it.
I liked the idea that it was a REAL women's duathlon - I'm a real woman.
Later discovered it stands for: Regular Exercise, Active Lives.
Last week I took the plunge and paid my $55 registration fee online.
The SPARC REAL Women's Duathlon Series website promises: "If you can walk around a shopping mall for a few hours, we believe you can do the REAL Duathlon!"
I can shop for hours so I hope I can do the duathlon.
I am by no means a fitness freak.
I've been attending Tanya Campbell's fitness classes twice a week at Frankton for about nine months - minus more than a few missed classes - and that's about it.
I don't walk much and I definitely don't run or cycle.
But now I am facing 3.5km walk/run, 10km bike, 1.5km walk/run in five weeks' time.
And now that I've started this column, there's no backing out.
I've decided to be a jogger (if I have to stop and walk for a bit I will), so I have started the six-week express training programme, which is also on the event website: "A plan to get you to the finish line if you've realised duathlon day is nigh and you haven't started training."
The programme doesn't seem too bad on first reading.
It involves training three times a week, but sessions get longer as the weeks go by.
This week I've completed all the tasks: two 15-minute jogs and one of 20 minutes.
I actually jogged for longer than 15 minutes on my first run but each time I ended up with a stitch.
I'm told I have to breath in through my nose out through my mouth to prevent stitch, but it's hard when your lungs are totally out of puff.
I've learned some valuable lessons in the first week of my new jogging career.
1. The importance of a sports bra.
2. To stop worrying what I look like.
I'm pretty sure I don't look very attractive jogging along Frankton Rd red faced and sweaty - but after feeling paranoid the first few times, now I don't care.
This week I have to bring cycling into my training programme.
So I've managed to score a bike for $90.
I just have to get the tyres pumped up.
I'm going to take the training programme one step at a time and hope I get over the finish line on the day. If there are any other REAL women out there, feel free to email me some tips, encouragement or past experiences.
