A is for beautiful: last weekend I became a triathlete

I could not be more proud of myself. I certainly didn't break any records. I most definitely didn't finish in the top half of the competitors. In fact, only about ten people were slower than me in the biking part. But I did finish. And without much training and preparation prior to the event, that was my only goal.

It was a lot of fun. I will definitely do it again.

My place overall was 426 out of 587. I placed # in the swim, # in the bike, and # in the run. The whole time I wasn't in a big hurry, I just kept thinking that I wanted to finish. I had to walk up several hills with my bike because I couldn't make it up them. My bike seat was too low and I didn't know how to raise it. Jonathan told me it was before I went to the race but I didn't listen. He was right.

It also would have helped if I understood how to change the gears on my bike. Heh. Oh well.

Surprisingly, I was only minorly sore the next day. Mostly it was just my arms that hurt.
One of the best parts about the whole thing was seeing my friends and family as I traveled by them on my way out of the pool, on my bike the first time around and then again on the second loop, and finally at the end of the run down by the finish line. I kept thinking about how Julianna might want to do the whole thing with me one day. I would see a bottlecap on the ground as I pedaled by and I would think of her and the bottlecap table she wants to create. I could see Josh as he finally recognized me coming by and smile at him.

It was a women's only race and everyone so was encouraging. No matter where I went there were people cheering me on, either by number or by name. We had to get body marked which was kind of neat in and of itself. Our names were on one arm and our numbers were on the other arm plus both legs. Then they put each woman's age on the back of her right leg. At first I thought that would be embarrassing for some people and I didn't like that they did that but then as I completed each event and started noticing how old some of the people were that were racing I became more and more amazed. If a woman in her seventies can do triathlons then surely I can.

I found a nice lady to run the second mile with. We jogged the whole way talking all along. She was twice my age and a total inspiration. Her daughter and granddaughter were competing for the first time as well. There was another woman I saw that had an artificial leg. Completely inspiring, I tell ya.

I would highly recommend the Ramblin' Rose for any woman living in North Carolina. I have participated in numerous races around our city and this was by far one of the best that I have ever completed. All sorts of people participate and not everyone there would have considered themselves an athlete before it started. I'll guarantee that they did after they finished and that feeling of accomplishment is one that is hard to match.

And eating pink lemonade cake square from Dewey's bakery after it was all said and done.