Reality bites.

She burns and chafes, too.

My cold reality check came about 30 seconds into this afternoon’s planned tour of the cycling course of the 2011 Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Cup.

I knew ahead of time that it was going to be a police-escorted practice run.

But I didn’t realize, until the last minute, that the test run was for the race’s elite triathletes.

Gulp.

What about roly-poly media types signed up for the cycling leg of the sprint category?

Ah, no, sorry.

With a half-hearted shrug of my shoulders, I joined the elite pack — consisting of several dozen triathletes in tip-top shape who do this sort of thing for a living.

Needless to say, the elite triathletes — and the cop escorts and the accompanying pickup truck (on hand for any mechanical failures) — left this desk-bound wannabe spinning my wheels at the base of the almighty Emily Murphy hill.

Maybe it was the throat infection and chest cold I’ve been battling for the past three weeks.

Maybe it was the fatigue from last night’s squat and cardio workout.

Maybe it was the spare tire around my midsection.

Maybe it was my fallen crest and windless sails.

But Emily Murphy hill — the rude introduction to the cycling course at the 2011 Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Cup — gave me plenty of trouble today.

And after a miserable training session, exacerbated by unrelenting rain and cool temps (at least there weren’t as many mosquitoes today), I feel I’m in over my head.

It’s a horrible feeling.

I feel like I’m about to write a math exam without having done any studying.

Anybody else ever have that nightmare? (It’s a common one for me, only I’m usually not wearing any clothes.)

But I digress.

I mean, sure I’ve done some training in the past six weeks, but it’s hardly been adequate.

This is a tough sport.

What was I thinking when I agreed to participate? What was I smoking?

C’mon, I’m a journalist chained to a desk for eight hours a day.

Sigh.

Philadelphia’s Joe Maloy, one of the elite triathletes I bantered with prior to my ill-fated test run, advised me to “have fun.”

Various co-workers have echoed those sentiments today while wishing me “good luck.”

I dunno, but methinks “fun” will be easier said than done this Sunday morning at Hawrelak Park.

I’ll try.

And I guess “try” is the operative word. Indeed, that’s what this is all about for me: Trying something I’ve never done before.

Self-help gurus call it “stepping outside of your comfort zone.”

Uh, yeah, I felt waaaaay out of my comfort zone earlier today as I huffed and puffed my way up Emily Murphy Hill, sending my heart rate soaring into the high 150s.

OK, so it’s a wake-up call. I’m still not where I want to be physically. But I’m working at it.

I’m trying.

And if Sunday doesn’t kill me, it’ll make me stronger.

Follow me:

Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com/author/cary-castagna

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keeping-Fit-with-Cary-Castagna/106367266730

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/CaryIsKeepingFit#g/u

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SUNcarycastagna

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cary-castagna/29/b