So I guess technically, I'm a triathlete. I completed my first race here in hawaii. Figured I was in the neighborhood, so why not? Right? Yeah, a bit out of my league, but as I have heard, triathletes can be very nice, despite being 2nd to last in the overall scheme of things. I'm not turned off of the event at all, but I do have a few things I would do differently. I have decided that I'm not used to ocean swimming, thus I find it rather unpleasant. And swimming parallel to the shore made me feel like I was getting tossed about more than I would like. But I kept going the whole whoppin' 750 meters cursing the stupid ocean the whole way.



The first transistion went in a blur, my mind not really thinking, just putting on everything i could think of that would make the bike attire complete. I stumbled a bit with heavy legs. Crossed the timing mat and mounted my bike. My gear was too hard and I shifted to crazily and tossed my chain off, and it got jammed between the ring and the chain guard. But luckily a strong guy (race director for honolulu marathon *huge thanks!*) pulled it out. I was freaking out on him cuz i wasn't supposed to accept help from anyone, but in the grand scheme of things, I wasn't making or breaking 1st place here!

So I was already lagging behind everyone, it seemed, but the volunteers were awesome, and the traffic control was awesome! And diamond head, well, not so awesome. I tried to go as far as I dared, but found I was rapidly reaching a pace so slow that I might either fall over, or start to roll backwards, so I resigned to walking my bike the rest of the way up the hill. Then the thrill of zooming back down it. OMG scary! Too fast for me, so I pumped by brakes all the way down. And of course right at the end a quick turn! ACK! And I just kept going, kept hollering thanks to all traffic monitors. Then I felt like the bike was never ever going to end. 40K isn't all that long, but when you're not sure where to go, it just never ended for me. And I began to think of punking out, just make it to the transition area and be done with the whole ordeal was the plan. I was starting to think that the volunteers want to go home, and the cut off time was fast approaching. But I got to the bike chute and they said, get your running gear and get back out there. You're doing great! (great? I am so very last!), but i tied my shoes up, and wished I had more water to drink, i grabbed the bottle off my bike and a gel and went away. A woman on a yellow bike said she would escort me the rest of the way. OKAY But I still wanted to just quit. But she wasn't having it. she said that she wouldn't trade anything in the world for seeing me finish, *liar, but i appreciated it* but low and behold, I wasn't last. Some how another person was behind me and I lost my bike support *boo* but i took it upon myself to tell all the awesome aid station people that number 981 wasn't the last one, look for one more, don't leave her without water, please.... it was getting crazy hot!

And I finished and I had people to support me, which doesn't happen much, they're co workers and they deserve a huge shout out since it started at 0545 am but I had to checkin my bike at 0400! INSANE!!!!!!!!!! So thanks!