Jodanelle Triathlon 2008! Check!

Right before we started! I had to do some cropping--the lycra was soooo unforgiving!

Marisa and her station all set! Is this transition area intimidating or what?
James hanging out by the only shade, the ambulance, until they had to move it to help the hypothermic shaking man out of the water.

I have a billion thoughts to tell so --hold on to your blogging bum....

First off--I have no recollection of nerves like these ever....my wedding? the MTC? child birth? first day of teaching? Nothing compares to the start of a triathlon--or the 24 hours prior. Yes, for the whole day before, my body was teaming with...adrenaline?...is that was it was? And ohhh the mental chatter...."will I finish? will I drown? Will I fall off the bike and need lots of plastic surgery? Will I look the part or stick out like a phony?...will Benjamin still think I'm cool if I'm not first!"

Second--we (Marisa and Amber) spent the night before at the cabin which was wonderful--Thanks mom & dad. We picked up our race packets the night before and ran into a teacher I used to teach with at Monte Vista...Marty...(Amy...remember Marty Davis? She totally kicked my butt and she's close to retirement!) We did some pasta and marshmallow roasting and hit the hay but I didn't sleep much. Around 3:30am I awoke to regretfully reviewed the whole coarse in my mind and listen to the deep breathing cadences of my babies to lull me back to sleep....at around 5:30.

Third--Everyone came out to watch. James wrangled 4 kids for 4 hours--his own personal triathlon, or should I say, quadathlon. Thank You James..... My mom, dad, Tall Paul, Donna, Robyn, Dave, Ian, and Miles. The Johnsons, and Smiths! Thanks for your cheering!

Fourth-- The race. The swim was cool but I got kicked a bunch. That's incentive to swim faster next time. The bike was the best--and really it's all about the bike these days. I borrowed Bevan's road bike and it performed! There is a big hill coming out of Francis that I've gone done a couple of times before--but with caution because it's so steep. During the race, I just let gravity do the work--and hit 42MPH! What a thrill. I forgot to drink anything while riding and left the bike to run the 5K relying on the first mile water station. It was a loooooong first mile. It felt like running on marshmallows and I just kept thinking about water. The run was the toughest...but I finished, and I was not the last one, just 5 minutes short of my 2 hr goal! Kudos goes out to my Idaho coach and wardrobe assistant, Vanessa, and Marisa and Amber for all those killer bricks!

Fifth-- Post race, I was 'an hungered... and could not be full.' After 2 cookies, a bagel, a cream cheese packet (ran out of bagel and sucked the rest down), an apple, 5 water bottles, I was ready to have lunch.
I am still in awe that I did it and wasn't prepared for this consequence: "Well if I can do this ... I can____________ fill in the blank." My list is long of impossible feats: keeping the kitchen clean...never loose my temper again...finish every single craft/home improvement project I've started....climb the grand....
The race review in my head is intense too....Did I push myself as much as I could have? Why did I let those buff old (our age was on our calf) ladies pass me? I might just have to do it again to know.... but no promises.

Lastly, thanks for all the comments of good luck. I can now get back to my regularly scheduled life, events, and happenings that are worth more noting than they have been getting lately because of this dinosaur of a goal that is now past! I didn't drowned, no surgery is needed, I blended in with the rest of the rookies and Ben gave me a high five when he saw me on the run! I'll take it!

Done with the swim! Note to self: take off dorky cap asap next time.
Donna chased me down at the end of the bike to snap this one. Again some cropping to help me out. High Five from Ben....It may look like I'm walking but I was running....really.....

The finish! At last! Again some cropping, but you get the idea.