SHE'S ALIVE!!!!

me and Anne setting up in the trasition area before the race...

Anne and I in front of the bay where we swam...notice the smooth water--TOTAL answer to prayer! (p.s. I wore a Bama shirt ALL DAY LONG--in and after the race--musta worked, cause Bama beat the tar out of FL!!!)

Yes...it's all veeerrrryyyy sexy, I know! We LOVE wearing wetsuits!

PART 1...

Whew. I made it. It's over. Fi-neet-ay. WAHOO!!!! It was awesome!!!! It was beautiful!!! It was HARD!!! Saturday, October 1, 2005, I became a REAL triathlete! At approximately 11:15 am, I crossed the finish line at the 6th Annual Osprey-Sprint Triathlon in Ocean City, Maryland. This was one of the most fun road trips ever...why I will explain in detail...capped off with 2 beach days and a bit of personal accomplishment! I didn't come in last in any category! In fact, you can see the results of the race at http://www.lmsports.com/osprey05.htm --I would be fairly near the bottom of the page--but not the very bottom!!!! :)

Here's the story: My friend Anne, her mom-Nita, and myself left for the race early on Friday. I left work about 11 am--good thing, too. Our plan was to be on the road by noon at the latest...we were pulling out of town at a cool 2:08 pm. We had a nice ride there...absolutely gorgeous weather. Lots of fun conversation--lots of "mom" time. Of course, my mom wouldn't be allowed to go with me on one of my race trips--don't get me wrong, I LOVE my mother--adore her--but I want her to continue to love me, too. Going with me on a trip where I'm a freaking maniac isn't going to help our relationship any. Get what I'm saying?? At one point, somebody (Nita or Anne) said, "Maybe next year your mom can come too and we can all go together!" I'm like, "Sure! That sounds like fun!" "while in my head thinking...yeah, right!" Not long after, I'm on the phone with my mom when Nita says, "Pass me the phone! Let me talk to your mom!" Convienantly, I lost service about that time. :) Things that make you go hhmmmmmm." So anyway we get to Ocean City Friday nite, go to packet pick-up at Salvatore's Italian Restaraunt--eat a kickin' spaghetti dinner and head to the ho-tel (joke to come). By the time we get to the hotel, I'm a tad bit ready for a minute of alone time. Anne and I are nervous and tired and mom'd out. Plus, poor Anne was sick--snotty nose, stuffed up, headache, the works. I ran to the store, Nita gave us massages, we watched tv--went to bed.

Saturday morning was glorious. It's been quite cold here at nite and early morning for a couple of weeks now....Friday nite included. But Saturday morning was perfect....not chilly--just right. Now, the night before, we had a lengthy discussion about what time we should leave for the race. Being the early bird I am, and wanting to get there early to prepare, I really wanted to leave by 6:30. The girls wanted to sleep in a bit more, but were very kind to agree to leave early since it was my first race. We pulled away from the curb at a cool 7:06 am. Are you sensing a trend?? :) So....in the car Saturday morning....Anne and I were nerve balls---not the best company, no doubt. All we want to do is crank the music, get into the zone, chill, and not puke. Nita, on the other hand, is feeling chatty. After several minutes of motherly advice on how to drive, which lane to be in, what music was appropriate, did we want something to eat, are we sure we don't want anything to eat, how to avoid deer in the road, what about coffee?, are we REALLY sure we don't want something to eat, we should really have something to eat, etc...Anne spoke up and explained that really we didn't want to talk, we were very, very late (and lost--we had to turn around and go an extra 30 miles b/c we went to the wrong place to begin with---did I mention that we HAD to be there by 8 am for body-marking???). Poor Nita....we were so ugly on Saturday morning and she took it like a trooper! So finally, we get there. 8:07 am. Just in time to set up, get marked and get on with it....

Part 2--THE RACE--on it's way!