What's the worse thing that can happen?

A couple of months ago I had a funny but sort of lovely dream, a bit of a weird one for me as I was running!! It was effortless, here I was just running and feeling just so free. LOL I soon remembered this dream with a sheepish grin a few days later when hearing the phone ringing while I was crossing the yard to go to the office. I had to run for it - and my run was sort of a hop, skip and a jump, getting to the phone just as whoever hung up!!!

This dream brings me to today - have you read Helena's post about fear? (Must find out the best way to do links on blogspot - here goes) http://leenienz.blogspot.com/ The the person who was petrified about the Tri was me!! It started when a few of us women gathered in the spa after an aqua class one night and got talking about the Tri. The jokes were flying a bit and I said how I would be no good as I haven't been on a bike for years, can't swim etc and one of my aqua friends said how you could go in the water with an aqua belt - we all thought together - yep we could do that!! So the talking went on and after a 10 minute or so session in the spa we decided we would look at attempting the Tri. I was on a high, a BIG ONE, came home and told MM - he backed me totally although looking quite bloody shocked. He was probably thinking - is this my couch potato??

Our hyped dream in the spa didn't eventuate. One of the group did take part in the Tri as a member of a group and did the swimming, and well done - I was thrilled for her, but the rest of us just sort of put it on the back bench. For a few weeks though while I was wondering would the rest want to do it the doubts and fears were hitting me fast and furiously. I was sort of relieved they got busy/forgot/opted out as I was at this stage petrified. In preparation I had tried swimming lessons and was finding it hard going with little improvement. Huge amounts of chlorinated water drunk though!

Then reading about Helena's and Sue's efforts I was blown away - I could only imagine how great they felt, what an achievement!!! I re-lived it through the pair of them! I kept going over their posts. I emailed Helena to congratulate her and said about what had happened to me - and needless to say her post (and email) has got me thinking!

Fears - yep they're there and I've have been thinking (hard) about what I'm actually afraid of and it's quite a bit but Helena put these fears into perspective:
(I don't want to make excuses for myself - I'm just trying to get to grips with what is bothering me!!!)

- Injury - that is the main one, the last injury I had was a couple of years ago when in my early days of WW how they told you to aim for 10% more exercise - so one day I did, just walked a little further and tripped, bloody hell I though that's sore but as we are in the country I had to pick myself up and walk home - we were going away that night so out came the ice and I went away for a weekend and rested it up - I could still walk (sort of) although on Monday I thought a trip to the doctor may not be a bad idea - she sent me off for an x-ray and it was fractured!! 10% extra exercise that day laid me up for a few weeks.
That's sort of typical of me - other people would fracture their ankle doing something like skydiving - I do mine walking!
I also have had another broken ankle years ago (walking again) and more recently a very badly torn calf muscle - (getting of a boat onto a bank) O.K. I'm not agile, in fact I have this sort of reputation that I'm clumsy - which is why my running dream was sort of nice as I've never run like that in my life!

The other fears in my mind aren't quite so bad as my first but here they go
Making a complete idiot of myself
Age - Why would someone in my age group after years of doing nothing all of a sudden attempt a Tri - would people laugh??
The bike (one attempt on a friend's recently saw me nearly take out her fence - she yelled at me as I weaved from side to side - hey we kind of like that fence!) Lots of giggles but not really Tri biking here!
Stamina - was I dreaming - could I finish it - which really is a failure fear

The swim
Aqua belts?? Guess what!! I emailed the site today and the reply was!
You can use them as a swimming aid if you are not a confident swimmer however be aware of people around you if the event that you are doing inheld in a pool.
That to me is the first part done!!

I have a few months ahead of me to make a decision and do some serious thinking. The fears are sort of easing or being worked through - and at this stage there are no promises to myself or anyone but the next couple of months will see me.....

Get into riding a bike - even just around our driveway to start with (a long one with no fences)

See what my dog paddling is like, I can sort of do a breast stroke/dog paddle effort - breast stroke and breathing is where I muck up - last resort if I go ahead is an aqua belt.

Run, well if I can't I can, hop, skip and jump (or walk and dream I'm running)

I'm going to talk to a friend I've met through aqua / WW who was disappointed that it didn't happen for her this year and see if she is serious about a challenge. Better with a fellow supporter.

Set myself more exercise challenges this year, Helena gave me the idea of fun walks in preparation.

Look at the course - just get my mind around it all.

Get out of my comfort zone!! A biggie!!

Still no promises until I see how the next few months go and do some seriously thinking but I'm starting to feel those fears are able to be dealt with.

Last but not least - we have a saying at home here when faced with a challenge/worry etc - and that is - "What's the worse thing that can happen" so when worried think about what the worse thing that can happen is - and then think - well then what?

mmmm - what would be the worse thing that could happen - OMG the mind boggles a bit!!!

Catch you later!