By Linda Fisher-Lewis
CNN Fit Nation Challenge participant

I have to say, after three months of training it is time for the rubber to meet the road. What does that mean?  There was a lot of excitement when I was chosen for the challenge. Then the opportunity to go to New York and meet the team, the trainers, and all the other great people involved with CNN Fit Nation. Returning home, a lot of excitement about the actual triathlon and what would happen over the upcoming months.

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/13/linda.lewis.jpg caption="Fit Nation Challenge participant Linda Fisher-Lewis and her trainer Richard Earle exercise together."]Now, three months later, the excitement is wearing off and the realities of training for a triathlon and living my day-to-day life with the challenge in mind are firmly setting in.  For me, with all the trials and tribulations of my life over the past five years, I guess I have lost the belief in myself. So as training becomes more and more difficult, believing I can really do this becomes less and less real.

The reality is, I work two jobs. I have deadlines and pressures as most everyone does. Then there is the family who is constantly making sacrifices as well as my friends. I don’t want to let them down, but sometimes the aching muscles, fatigue and need for sleep seems more important then training. I find myself having to dig deep as the adventure is becoming an uphill climb.

I had to sit down with myself this last weekend and really take a look at why I am doing this challenge.  Simply put, I am doing the challenge because I want my life back.  I realize now that one of the things I lost over the last few years was the ability to believe in myself and what I can accomplish. Well, I’m fighting to get that belief back and it starts today with month four of training. I know I can do this, I know I can win back my confidence and move forward.

Realizing we need to make decisions to change our lives is one thing. Moving forward to face the challenges of those decisions is something else.  Then we must navigate the pitfalls and roadblocks that follow.  For me, only then will I start believing in myself again.  It starts now... I think I can do it.

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