Success

Blogs really are a lot more work than they look. As I pulled a medicine ball to my head and stretched over the ab ball this morning, it hit me that I still had this thing laying around, and I had done a phenomenal job of neglecting it. And so I return, somewhat ashamed, to tell all about how the race went.

Cold-Exhilarating-Euphoric...Colhiloric if you will. Each section was amazingly unique, and a totally different experience than the one before.

I slapped the phone and it quit its obnoxious Latin beat, informing me that 4:45 had in fact rolled around, and I vaulted myself horizontally from my bed to the floor. I staggered to the coffee pot and dumped a small cup of magma hot coffee down the hatch. I popped a piece of bread in the toaster and stared in sleepy fascination as the coals began to glow, before remembering the time crunch, and hurtling myself to my mom's bedside to shake her up, mumble that we had to go, and leave so that she could get ready. I poured some more coffee over some iced, grabbed my toast with sugar free "preserves" (probably gelatin and flavoring for all I know...but it's worked in my stomach for everything else I've done) and we piled into my little Accord for the drive out to Naperville.

My mom still drives me to any race, as I occupy myself by breathing or singing loudly to quiet the panic I manage to work myself into. I have to laugh a little too...the panic is completely ridiculous-I am not really competing to win. I manage to get all worked up for the sake of getting worked up.

Naperville was excited and chaotic. We unpacked the bike, filled the tires and somberly made our way through the crowd , stripping on the way to be body marked and herded into the bike coral. I was number 57, which meant I was happily near the entrance.

Ten minutes later I found myself half naked and shivering with everyone else on the beach, about half-way back. The gun blew, and in five-second increments the pack thinned four people at a time. This was to by me first swim in anything other than a lane, and I was nervous. The man on the walkie-talkie gave us the go-ahead, so I punched my watch's start button and splashed into the water, diving skillfully face-first into the heels of the person in front of me.

The whole water leg was a mess. I spent most of it doggy paddling to recover from a kick to the goggles, or else trying to find my way out of the wrong side of the course.

I happily ran from the water (an embarrassing 9 minutes later...for 400 meters of water...) and caught my breath as I rolled on some socks and bike gear and ran my bike from the coral.

I felt awesome on my bike. My Trek was my rocket as I shot between bikes at what felt like a blazing 27 mph. I nearly scorched some bike queen sporting a "Jesus is my Healer" tank top and churning her mountain bike with the back-most portion of her heel. The bike ride was nothing but adrenaline. I had never been in any sort of bike race, and I have to admit I felt good cruising by full carbon TT bikes, pedaled by Time Trial helmet, bodysuit wearers.

Cruising back to my transition, I saw my parents and sister and gave them a happy peace sign, before dismounting and jogging to my spot. This transition was much faster, so I was out and running on wobbly legs in no time.

That run was possibly the greatest I have had in a long time. As my legs calmed themselves I realized how short the race really was. I had put so much worry and fret into that morning, that when the woods opened up and I came out in sunlight, I couldn't help but smile a little. I actually kept my smile through he finish.