#1698

I have that number written forwards on my upper arms, and backwards on my lower arms.  Forward because that’s where they wrote it for the tri and backwards because it rubbed off almost immediately.

On my calves is written “Team Cindy” and “Yes Yes Yes”.  In pink.  Gina and Susan and Meg all had the same.  I may have it permanently tattooed somewhere, because there is no way I would have attempted to do a triathlon if not for Cindy.

I most certainly surpassed my expectations for this event (not this race.  noone is competing – well, some were, but mostly it was a congenial, all-in-it-together atmosphere.  some dude giving the overview on Saturday kept referring to “the race” and Susan and I kept correcting him under our breaths “it’s an event.”).

First, I finished.  Yay!

Second, I did not stop or slow down once.  I swam all the way across the lake without pausing (though I did swim further than necessary because I could not see the orange buoy marking the exit and ended up somewhere in right field toward the end.  One of the kayakers lining the course finally got my attention and said “Um, you need to head over there, ma’am, or you’ll head into the rocks.”).  I dashed through the transition onto my bike, rode fairly well despite 20- to 30-mile-an-hour head winds.  On the uphills.  Gah.  One woman next to me on the final, brutal uphill said she felt like the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.  And as I started the run, I said to myself “your goal is to run the whole distance.  no walking.”  and I didn’t slow down at all except to grab a cup of water at the 2-mile-mark.  I even managed to sprint into the finish.

Third, I finished in about 2 hours, 3 minutes (approximately).  I had been shooting for, well, finishing, and if I did finish, doing it in a reasonable amount of time, like – before they closed the course.  So this time was startling.

I was feeling fantastic and strong and tremendous (the magic word given to my swim wave just before we entered the water) — until the 4th segment of the triathlon:  Getting the Bike Back on the Car.

What an ordeal!

1. Stand in line for the shuttle bus back to the remote parking lot (there is no parking at the event site)
2. Ride the shuttle.
3. Get into the car, drive back down toward the site – with several hundred other cars.
4. Despite information given to us during orientation that we could park in the “quick load” zone near the bikes, get diverted away from the site to parking 1.6 miles away.
5. Walk back in.
6. Get bikes, ride back to car.
7. Load bikes on car.
8. Drive to hotel.
9. Transfer Gina’s bike to her car.
10. Leave.

In all, it took us 2 hours to accomplish this rigamarole.  So, despite finishing at 9:50, we did not actually leave the hotel until 1:30.

I drove home, collapsed onto the bed for 2 hours, woke up and ate A LOT of lasagne and am now heading to bed so I can wake up at 5:30 to drive back to Milwaukee for a 9:00 meeting.

Shara made me a trophy.  It’s way more tremendous and awesome than the medal they handed me as I crossed the finish line.