An Incredibly Belated Final Post

I feel really awful that I never made a closing entry, but if anyone happens to randomly check back to this blog here's how the Big Day went!

I had a draft of an entry halfway written, but trust me, it was a novel and you wouldn't have wanted to read it. So here's a nice condensed version:

As you can see from the picture, it took me a little over 5 hours to complete the triathlon (subtract 10 minutes since they start the race in waves). 5 HOURS. This means that I may not be a very good triathlete, but I am a triathlete nonetheless!

The swim conditions were awful: it was really choppy and hard to stay on course. I heard later that people were puking in the water. My only concern was that I couldn't get a breath of air because I kept getting slapped in the face by the waves. I completed the swim in JUST under an hour (59:51).

The bike ride was really difficult, too. The "Hill of Death" lived up to its name, and I felt absolutely no shame getting off my bike and walking it.

I'll be honest, as I neared the end of my first 12.5 mile bike loop, I came incredibly close to skipping the second loop. Then, as cheesy as this sounds, I thought of all the people who had donated money, helped me with my training, or supported me in some way or another, and it seriously gave me the mental will I needed to keep going.

By the time I reached the run I was practically delirious. I ambled along the trail, mostly walking. It was funny, for the very first time I had a gel and could actually FEEL the calories hit me with instant energy. It was pretty eerie.

And then, suddenly, it was over. I placed 361 out of 378 people, but that didn't bother me because my litany throughout the entire race was "You're a completer, not a competer."

So I did it! And I truly want to thank each and every person who helped me, you helped in more ways than I can ever express.

My goal for this year is to complete a marathon with my sister. Anyone want to join?? ;)