Each year at this time, I pause and reflect on my life: my blessings, my challenges, things I need to change, things I want to do more (or less) of, etc. In December of 2009 I made a simple goal; it was, simply, “simplify”. So I de-cluttered my life, organizing things to become low-maintenance, and lay in wait, prepared for some yet-unknown adventure that I hoped life might bring my way. Never could I ever have imagined what happened next!

Because 2010 was indeed a peaceful simple year, I decided to end it by seeking adventure. So on December 9th, I submitted a 3 minute video as an iReporter on CNN, detailing why I should be among six viewers selected for the 2011 CNN FitNation Challenge, to train and complete the Nautica New York City Triathlon on August 7, 2011. Whether I found the adventure or the adventure found me no longer matters: On December 24 I received a call from the CNN Medical Unit producers (who I am now proud to call my friends), telling me that I had INDEED been selected as one of the 2011 “Six Pack”-novice athletes and regular people who would soon become larger-than-life healthy-living examples to the world, also becoming life-long friends with our relationships sealed with work, anxiety, sweat, travel, laughter, stumbles, victories, and unforgettable adventures.

There were so many thrills along the way: becoming friends and training-partners with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and many members of the CNN production team, and getting to know fabulous experts in fields of triathlon, nutrition, and psychology, all of whom had a single goal: to ensure OUR success in the NYC Triathlon. But one thing I had not anticipated and enjoyed the most was the opportunity to blog and chronicle our training experiences along the way, and have our blogs posted on CNN.com/FitNation for the whole world to see! Besides being excited to see my own by-line on the world’s largest news organization’s website, I thrived on the comments that people posted in response to all of our blogs. There was so much encouragement there, and many people said that *we* had inspired *them* to adopt healthier habits, and it was unbelievable to realize that we were truly being watched and having a positive influence in the world.

I started this blog while training, mostly to have one place to collect my various links and articles for my friends to see. Now I will keep it up, just as I am keeping up my training and healthy lifestyle. And yes, there’s a book in here somewhere. 🙂