So yesterday we were challenged, out of the blue, to do the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. Without putting a ton of thought into it, we accepted the challenge. Now: Here are the main obstacles.

1) The event is Saturday. So, you know, that's not a TON of time to prepare.

2) Swimming is not exactly our strong suit. Until Tuesday night, roughly five hours after accepting the challenge, we had never actually really attempted to swim laps or any type of distance. Swimming is, however, exactly one-third of completing a triathlon. And it is the first part. Fail at that, and, well, the whole thing is pretty much shot.

Luckily, we have a few things going for us. Namely:

1) Brazen confidence that stops (hopefully) just short of stupidity, combined with a love of things unknown.

2) The cardio fitness that comes from marathon training.

3) The shortest possible course. We're doing the sprint course, which is a 1/4 mile swim, 15 mile bike ride and 5K run. And yes, it is that shortest distance -- the swim -- that has us the most nervous. We swam slightly more than 1/4 of a mile last night, but that was in a pool, with wonderful places to place our feet and stop to rest. The 1/4 mile on Saturday will be in Lake Nokomis.

As such, if there are any seasoned triathletes and/or swimmers reading this, we welcome any and all suggestions. We've already heard a bunch of good things, but every little bit helps as we attempt to transfer, at least temporarily, into a merman.