A Tri for the Books

Where do I begin with this Triathlon?

OH.MY.GOOD.NESS

Well, I guess we could start with the fact that we had to turn around after leaving because I forgot....my running shoes.
Those would have been missed.

I topped off my tires before leaving, thinking it was the
"be prepared" way to go.

(however, in the future I'll take better consideration of the pressure difference between Prescott and Anthem in the kind of heat we experienced state-wide that day.)

Upon resting my bike in transition, and squatting down to place my gear underneath it, I heard the following fateful sound:
"Pfffft.....tssssssssssssssssssssss"
Yeah. Not good.

The heat was blowing tires all over the transition area, so at least
I was in good company.
I replaced the tube, and filled it up, tightened the cap only to hear the same sound I had heard only 5 minutes earlier.

Two tubes blown in 10 minutes.

I wasn't starting off well.

After 45 minutes...
some duct tape,
a generous tube donation,
and a few tears and prayer,
my bike seemed ready for a race. I had about 3 minutes to use the lil' girls room before I headed to the start line, where I secretly wondered if anyone would notice if I climbed up one of the trees and watched.

There is some discrepancy as to the accurate temperature. The race results page said it was 100° (yeah, uh....no!), the thermostat in the Suburban said 110° and the announcer said it was 112°. Regardless, you get the drift - it felt like I would melt into the black asphalt upon which I attempted to run.

This will be the third time now that I remember uttering the words "WHO thought this was a good idea?" while running. It was insanely hot, and only the cold water Abby threw me from the car, and the thought of my sponsors and sweet Stephanie and her family were enough to keep me going.

Thrilled
just only begins to describe my feelings about finding both of my tires full at the first transition. The warm breeze on my face and body was actually a great relief after such an arduous run. I finished the first lap in record time, only to learn that this year there are THREE laps required instead of two. Again, the thought of finding a storm drain to fall into found its way into my thinking.

Doug and the red-faced children with their arms flailing and screaming "Go Mom!" from the Suburban windows passed me several times giving me a sweet mental boost. When that wasn't enough, the last time they passed by, we slowed together while I pleaded for liquid that wasn't boiled to perfection. I was more than finished with the hot-cider version of my camelbak elixir at this point. Never in my life has anything coated my lips and mouth with such euphoria as that cold bottle of Vitamin water did at that time, for me. It was those 24 ounces that allowed me to finish my last lap.

Adrenaline and the thought that all I had left was the icy water (well, no - but it might as well have been after everything preceeding it) kicked in and I whipped out the last few turns before attempting to locate my feet (numb, as usual) and ran to the pool.
Ahhhhhh...... And, I only got kicked in the face twice, as opposed to last year's sardine-like madness. Both of my calves cramped up the last 100m, and I found myself doing a flex-foot infantile-like kick, but made it, and hobbled back toward my bike to find my loving family seemingly as exhausted as I was,
all smiles.

I had many sweet thoughts about my cause this time, and couldn't escape the thought of why I was doing this to myself.
For her.

All along, I also often contemplated the lesson I was to teach in Relief Society the next day, and found myself making many an analogy of how our life-journey can be related to a race similar to this one.

Watch for my book,
"How the Anthem Sprint Distance Triathlon Relates to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." (j/k)
Someday I might adequately be able to sum up how the whole thing changed me.
Not today, because I'm exhausted.

Not right now because right now it seems more important to whip up a bowl of crunchy cereal and share it with Doug while we play Phase 10.

Nie would agree.
Of this I am certain.