Bucket List: Can I really be an iron woman in The Great Race?

I admit it. I am freaking out just a little bit.

I not only signed up for my first triathlon yesterday, but I signed up as an iron woman. Yes, that’s right. I’m doing The Great Race in Sacramento (was the Eppie's Great Race) and have just over 90 days to whip my body into shape.

For those of you who haven’t heard of The Great Race, it’s a triathlon that is running/biking/kayaking and this year it’s taking place on July 17 along the American River.

Here’s the thing. I’m not really worried about the running portion of the race. It’s only 6 miles which I already do in my weekly workout – so that part is a piece of cake. It’s the rest of it that will be a little challenging.

You see, I haven’t owned a bike since I was 10 and really haven’t miss it all that much. I also have never kayaked. Ever.

So now you understand why I’m starting to wonder if this was the best idea.

WHAT'S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Some people have asked why I don’t team up with someone, but that would defeat the purpose.

We all have our bucket list of stuff we want to do and doing a triathlon as an iron woman just happens to be on mine. I’ve already run 5k and 10k races. Those are off the list. It’s time to push myself to do something more.

I also haven’t been able to cross "do a triathlon" off my list in the past because I only kind of swim. I can float. I can back crawl. I can do a couple of laps across the pool at 24 hour fitness. But there is no way I could make it a mile without having to touch the ground, never mind a bunch of miles. This means – no triathlons.

The Great Race is made for poor swimmers like me because the water portion is in a kayak. Yay!

THE RACE ISN’T EVEN THE SCARY PART

Okay, so I have a lot of training to do over the next three months, but I’m not worried. Like I said, I have the running portion done – so check.

I’ll buy a road bike in the next couple of weeks and start working on that portion – check that one off too.

Kayaking? Well, they have to have lessons somewhere and I guess I can rent one the day of the race – not quite a "check", but I’ll worry about it in May.
The part of the race that has me petrified is how to get all these things (body, bike, kayak) to the race and in the correct areas before the race and then trying to figure out which one is mine after the hundreds of other racers have put theirs in the same area. What if I can’t find my kayak when I get that part of The Great Race? How do I get my bike back afterward? Do I have to walk all the way back? What if I get lost?

I now know why Lance Armstrong has a team of helpers. It would be so much easier just to run to the area and have someone hand my bike/kayak, pass me a water bottle and off I go.

I wonder if Lance would be willing to share?