Excuses, Excuses...

So I have found the perfect excuse to not get back into training for triathlons this year. I've been searching for one for some time now.

A pretty convenient pretext to stop training (though not long lasting) were my misaligned hips. Yep. Turns out my left hip was forward and down, and my right hip was backwards and up. This, apparently, completely messes up your back, hips and legs. And my non-existant core strength didn't help matters. I have experienced psiatic pain off and on for years, But a few months ago it became almost debilitating.

Good news, though. A few visits to my friendly physical therapist, and a few weeks of annoyingly boring and difficult exercises, and I am right as rain. Hips are apparently back in place. Psiatic pain is gone. Darn.....that excuse won't work.

But, now I've got a real winner.

Shark attacks.

Have you notice that two guys have DIED in the last week or so from shark attacks? And one guy WAS TRIATHLON TRAINING! The other guy was just surfing, but still. Another surfer got attacked, but hasn't died - yet.

I've always been afraid of sharks. And my parents didn't even let me see JAWS until I it came out on video. Just the thought of it.....uuuuggghhhh (cringing and shaking).

When I swam in the ocean for my triathlons, I had to do some serious mind managment.

"Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Watch out for that foot! Don't think about it. Ow! Get out of my face you somethingorother. Don't think about it. My face is cold! Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Where IS that buoy? Don't think about it. If I can just keep up with her.....Don't think about it."

Plus, I kept thinking, "What are the odds?" I figured they were in my favor. I mean, how many triathletes do you hear about getting attacked by sharks?...........but all that's changed now.

Actually, only one triathlon is in the open ocean. The others have been in harbors or lakes. But even in Aquatic Park in SF a lady got bitten by a sea lion. Yeeesh. And it kept herding her. He wanted her out of his territory.

So that's it. There is NO WAY I'm doing an open ocean swim this year.

Maybe next year.

Maybe.

Pretty good excuse, huh?