..and tri again....

Once I got on my bike, things were great. I cruised along a little faster than my pace speed and thought I was doing pretty well. That is.......
I thought I was doing well until the ten year old on a pink bike with streamers flew past me. Nothing is as disheartening as eating the dust of a little kid who is just tooling along chatting to her 9 year old friend. (They had matching helmets too… ) So I come up to the bike dismount, stop my bike, and **flash!** Ben takes a picture of me in this inglorious position instead of a speedy action shot. Oh well. He cheers me on as I run my bike in, drop it off, and change my helmet for my running cap. (My tips sheet actually reminds you that you don’t need your helmet for the run!) On the run I start out doing pretty well, but at about half a mile in, my lungs remind me that I am soooo not in shape. My legs are cheering “Go! Go!” So most of my race involves wars between the two areas. I’ll feel like I’m dying so I slow to a walk, but within seconds my legs start slowly jogging again without asking by brain for permission.. Torture!

The best point in the run was when I saw the aid station. As I ran up and took a Gatorade, I told the guy “OOOh! Just what I need! An excuse to walk!!” Once I finished the drink, (it had to have been a serving size.. It was that tiny) I started my trudge again. Soon, I was coming up to the finish line and I heard someone behind me yelling.. "Come on!!! Pore it on baby!” So I did. I found a last little bit of reserve and sprinted to the end, giving high – 5s along the way. It’s only later that I realized it was two ladies finishing together behind me who were encouraging each other. Any way, I finished. The fam (excluding John who had to go prep a turkey) and I went out to breakfast, and I had a great hot chocolate and a big old fattening waffle. The rest of my day was full of sleeping and eating. MMM was it good.