Long before I turned 49 in March, I’d been thinking of my upcoming 50th birthday. The jokes about turning 50 are endless, but the ones that resonate the most with me are “when did all my former classmates get so old?” and “50-year-olds seemed a lot older when I was a kid.” I absolutely do not feel my age.

I’m not afraid of getting older. Each new decade has brought wisdom and understanding that the previous did not, and I only expect that to continue. I’ve already grown out my gray hair (thanks pandemic) and I’m sort of okay with the fact that parts of my body will never again look like they did when I was in my twenties. My husband is six years younger than I am, which definitely helps keep me feeling young. We often joke that we’re a couple of 12-year-olds who never grew up, perhaps because we never had kids. I write books for teens because I love exploring that time of self-discovery, when you think you know everything yet still have so much to learn.

Around my 48th birthday, I got the idea to compete in a triathlon before I turned 50. I talked to a couple friends who regularly compete in them, and we agreed we’d start training together. Then time slipped away, I lost my nerve, and I hoped they didn’t remember that conversation. Cut to the beginning of 2024, aka the beginning of the end of my first half of the century, and I got the bug again. But this time the friend I talked to about competing was in my weekly ice skating class (oh yeah, I did that for six months!) so there was no escaping my declaration to attempt a triathlon before my 50th birthday.

I convinced my husband to sign up with me and we started training the next day. We both work out daily so we were already at an advantage, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I swam laps — if ever — so I found a place to swim, mapped out a schedule in my bullet journal, and ran for the first time in years. As the weeks slipped by, I told people that my goals were to a) not drown, b) crush the bike, and c) walk if I have to. There were a few hiccups, including spraining my achilles and having a panic attack while swimming in the middle of a lake, but on Sunday, WE DID IT!

Based on my training, I figured it would take me just under two hours to complete the sprint distance: 750k (.5 mile) swim, 20k bike (12 miles), and 5k (3.1 miles) run.

But I finished in 1 hour and 39 minutes! And get this, I came in first in my age category, woman 45-49!

Everyone at the event was supportive and encouraging, and I would absolutely do this again. Before we left, my husband and I were already figuring out how we can shave off time the next time we compete. The biggest difference will come from switching to road bikes, since we were both among the handful of participants competing on mountain bikes. (The width of the tires impacts how fast or slow the bike goes.) I’m not sure if I’ll do another one this year, but I’m hooked.

Over the past few months, I’ve told people that competing in a triathlon was on my bucket list of things to do before I turn 50. Only problem is I don’t have anything else on that list! I feel like I’ve already done a lot of things in my life, and so far I’ve struggled to think of anything else to do. So here’s where I need your help: hit me up with your suggestions. If I’ve already done it, that just means it’s a good idea! At this rate I’ll need to do 1-2 things per week to finish, so I better get started.

And there’s nothing I like more than a challenge!