Yesterday Wes, Holly and I woke up insanely early and headed out to the middle of nowhere, other wise known as Opelousas, LA, or Yam city. Left around 4:30am and got there about 6:00am, but not before Wes got a speeding ticket, 58 in a 45. Gotta love Port Allen. Personally I think it’s a bogus ticket and the cop was just in a bad mood from having to work the night shift, but let’s not go there.It was still dark when we got there. I was amazed by this, because I never get up that early and didn’t know when the sun rose. But it eventually came up and this was what it looked like.
The start was delayed about 30 minutes due to fog. So we got to hang around and chat with some of the other racers. You meet some really cool people at these events. It’s a very diverse crowd. I don’t know what the minimum age limit was but there were a lot of kids in this race, looked to be as young as 10 and adults well into there 70’s. They came from all around the state to compete in the annual Yam City Tri.
So anyway, Holly ran the race all by herself, while Wes and I decided to take it easier and compete as a relay team. I did the first 2 legs of the race, 150 yard swim and 14 mile bike, Wes took the 2 mile run.
The bike was quite a haul, long rolling hills, road kill and one really bumpy service road.
Holly was still smiling at the finish line.
Holly and her medal. She took 2nd place in her division. Her swim time 4:23, bike time 43:26, run time 14:05, total time 1:07:20. Go Holly!
Team “That’s What She Said”, (yep, that was the name of our team, lol), swim 4:20, bike 57:53, run 17:53.
We had a great time, I am disappointed that the tri season is pretty much over for this year, it’ll be starting up again next spring. I plan on training this winter so I can get back into it, and there are plenty of 5K’s coming up to keep me on my toes.
So after that, we got to go visit with some great friends that just moved to Lafayette. They were nice enough to let us use their shower. That would have been a funky ride home otherwise. Got to hang out for a little while and have some lunch before heading back. It was an exhausting day. Wes and I had to run out to P-ville to pick up Kayla but crashed when we got home.
Ok, this is not a rant, just one of those here’s your sign moments. I’m not picking on waitresses either, they do a hard job for little pay. That being said, our waitress at Chili’s today just did not have it together. And she was training another waitress, which makes the story all the better.
So we went to Chilis this afternoon, well after the lunch crowd. We decided to go with this appetizer, 2 entres and dessert for $20 deal. So waitress came to take our drin order and we went ahead and ordered everything. So we get our appetizer and wait and wait, no entres. She instead brings the check to us, like I guess she wanted us to pay right then. Which I thought was really weird. I’m not normally one to still someone on a tip, but tips are also based on service and quality also. So anyway, she comes back to tell us 3 times that our food is coming out soon that she delayed putting in our order so we could finish our appetizer. So by the time we get our food, Wes is full and ready for a to go box. I ordered a salad, which does not keep well. We also asked them to pack our molten chocolate cake to go too. So I’m eating my salad when they bring out our to go boxes and dessert with ice cream. So, we had to wait for our entres, but they bring our ice cream now, so it can melt while we are eating. Seriously? So we went ahead and left with our dedert in hand. Couldn’t blame it on being overwhelmed because we were her only table. So anyway, that’s it. haven’t posted in a while, so there you go.
As for the bonus theme song, I couldn’t find the Chili’s baby back ribs song, so this was the next best thing.
Ok, here it is…PROOF that I completed the Triathlon. So yeah, Wes forgot the camera and didn’t get any shots of me torturing myself. There were photographers out take pics of all the racers. I know it’s wrong to steal, but to buy a 4×5 of this print was $14.95. Which that seems like stealing too, sheesh. So I’ll just keep this digital reminder as proof.
Today, I went in to check on Kayla, while she was taking a nap, and this is what I found…
She’s a fan of small spaces lately. She’s been playing with a plastic storage bin the last couple days. She’ll put all her pillows and blankets in it and watch tv. She wanted to take a nap in it today, but I took it away and told her she could have it back after her nap. Well I guess this was the next best option.
I went in a few minutes later only to find her still asleep, but repositioned on the other side of the drawer.
Just wanted to give a little shout out to the hubby. Today is our 6 year wedding anniversary. It’s been a great day and a great 6 years. Love ya babe, Happy Anniversary
So finally I have something to post about. August 1, 2009 will be forever marked in history, ( mine at least), as the day I competed and COMPLETED my very first Triathlon. What a day it’s been too. I had a few stumbles here and there, just frustrating things that I didn’t expect to go wrong. But that is half the battle, to just go on and do it anyway. So anyway, if you’re interested, here is how my day went.
My day started very early this morning, about 5:30am when the alarm went off. I wasn’t the earliest riser though, I had been up all of 5 minutes when my phone rang, it was Holly and she was already at LSU looking for a place to park. I made it out the door by 6am and headed out to LSU. Parked next to Holly, who had my bike on her rack. Tried to get it out, but I thought it was locked, turns out that I just didn’t know how to work the thing. So I went ahead and got my numbers painted on my arms and legs and then to get my timing chip, all while blowing Holly’s phone up. Found Holly about 6:45 and made a mad dash out to her car to get my bike out. Had less than 10 minutes to set up my bike and all my other gear in the transition area. Did not have enough time. They announced that we had to get out and I hadn’t even undressed for the swim. So I did a frantic strip right there in the middle of the bike area, leaving clothes inside out and strewn over my bike. That would cost me time later. Made a mad dash to get out of the transitional area only to remember I left my power bar in my backpack. So I would complete this race on the one banana I had eaten in the car.
Note to self: next time, bring flip flops. Since I had to leave my shoes with my bike, I got to walk around barefoot before the race. So we gathered under the tents for the prerace meeting, last minute changes, rules instructions, etc. While standing there, I realize I had been standing in fireants both feet were now covered. Now, this was one of those frustrating moments I talked about earlier. Shook it off and headed to the pool to start the race.
It was a 350yard swim. There is a 50yard pool with 7 open lanes. Swim to the end, cross under the rope and swim back the other way, zig zagging across the pool. Since there were 400 women in this race, there had to be some orderly fashion to this. So they had signs for every 1 minute, and you line up behind the sign that you swim closest too. I can swim it in 8minutes, but I went ahead and lined up with the 9 minutes, and I’m glad I did. First woman into the pool started the time, then a swimmer into the pool every 5 seconds. First swimmer swam it in 4 minutes, it was incredible. It took 36 minutes before I got into the pool. I was nervous and excited and made my first rookie / stupid mistake. Forgot to put my goggles on my face before I jumped into the pool. They were on my forhead and when I hit the water, they were gone. I treded water the first lap, got to the end of the pool and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do, and there was Holly, holding out her goggles for me. She was a lifesaver. My next 6 laps were a breeze and luckily I was out of the pool before Holly got in, so she got to swim with goggles too.
Off and running and trying not to slip and fall out to the bike transition. Remember when I said, “This would cost me time later”? I’m dripping wet out of the pool, no towel. Note to self: next time bring a towel. Grass stuck to my feet, trying to turn my socks on inside out and get my pants and shirt and shoes on. These ladies that have done this before, had the right idea with their tri suits. No changing, just shoes on and go.
Now on bike, down Nicholson, cross railroad tracks by old Alex Box and on to River Road, 6 miles out and 6 miles back. About mile 3 of the ride, my bicycle seat bottomed out again and I was in a bad position. Sitting way too low on the bike and seat twisting from side to side. Made it to the 6 mile turn around hoping to find someone to help. I did, wasn’t a fix by hand, he had to get the oil and pliers out for this job. But he fixed it and it it only cost me about 5 minutes.
So the ride was maybe the toughest part, mentally anyway. I had no idea where I was, distance wise. It was on the way back when it hit me I guess. I didn’t have to do this, no one made me. I am lucky to have my health and ability to get out there and exhaust myself for the fun of it. So I sang the rest of the way back to the bike transitional. Since you weren’t allowed to have iPods, the bikers that passed me probably thought I’d been out in the sun too long.
Last leg, hang up the bike and run 2 miles and then it’s all over. I got this right? Wrong, I hit that pavement and it felt like I was dragging sand bags. I was having a hard enough time putting one foot in front of the other, but picking them up and running, it just wasn’t happening. The first mile was a walk. Holly caught up to me at the 1 mile mark. ( Where they had ice cold water and sponges!) Those volunteers rocked. So I had caught my 2nd wind and was inspired to run again. It was still difficult, run, walk, run, walk…. But about the last quarter mile, there was a cheery person behind me that kept yelling at me to, “push through, you got this, finish strong.” It was just what I needed and I crossed that finish line with a smile.
Official time was 1 hour 42 minutes and 18 seconds. My personal goal was 2 hours, and I finished 18 minutes under that, so I am ecstatic. I’m not sure what my over all place was, I’ll find that out, when they post the results on the web this week, so check back for that.
The aftermath…my body is exhausted and my head and neck are killing me, and it was totally worth it. I’m looking forward to doing another one, just not tomorrow.
