THE FINAL CHAPTER

It has been almost 2 weeks since the triathlon and I still kinda can't believe I did it. And to my absolute wonder, despite my doubts when told I would, I had a FUN!

I was asked to tell about the race so here goes:

If you read my last blog, you read that I was slightly...ok...SUPREMELY panicked throughout the day on Saturday.

I ended up only sleeping for about 3 hours because I was just too amped. I woke up at 3am and ate right away. I had found throughout my training that I could not eat at least 2 hours before I swam because I got really queasy and nauseous.

I ended up getting down to Long Beach at about 4:30am. A little later than I wanted but I needn't have worried. I was the 3rd person there. The transition area opened at 5:30 and I got to pick my spot.

As others started filing in, I started talking with my rack mates. They knew I was nervous and tried to ease my fears. They were all very nice.

Time seemed to go very slow. On one hand that was good. But on the other, more dominant hand, I wanted to get the show on the road...or in the water as it were. I wanted to get this thing over with!

As time drew near, they told us to start moving. We had to walk almost a half mile down the beach. As I'm walking, I'm getting more nervous and excited.

I look to the water and terror surges through me.

Now, on the website it said that the swim would be behind the breakwater. It would be "calm". If you have ever been to Marina del Rey, that was what I was thinking it would be like. Very calm. Like glass. At the seminar thing I went to on that Saturday, they reiterated that by saying it would be like swimming in a lake. That was one of the reasons why I chose this triathlon. Calm waters. I can swim in a lake!

I look to the water and there are not just waves. There is, like...SURF. Big honkin', body surfing type waves. This is not what I planned for! I wanted to know what "Lake" they were talking about! Lake Michigan?! Lake Superior?! JEEZ! Holy Crap. Holy Crap. HOLY CRAAAAP!

So I get in the water to acclimate myself, as directed by the guys giving the seminar. And I have to tell you...I fell in love with my wetsuit. People kept telling me that they were buoyant...but I did not think it would be THAT buoyant! Yes, this was the first time I had ever actually worn a wetsuit.

For safety reasons, they had Coast Guard boats, wave runners and guys on surfboards watching the action to make sure no one drowned. The wave runners were towing inflatable rafts to be able to quickly get swimmers to the beach, and to emergency care, if necessary.

We get to the starting area and I am really nervous. They sent us off in waves and the elite swimmers went first. You had to swim out about 50 meters or so, then turn right after a huge red buoy.

I'm watching that first elite wave go and not 10 meters past the first buoy and they are pulling someone out of the water. This is an ELITE triathlete! And they are pulling him out 60 meters in? I start to panic all over again. If this guy, who has done these before cant finish, how can I?

I was in the 7th wave. So I got to see 6 waves go off before me. And there was at least one person from each wave taken out very early in the swim. One of the women I was talking to in the transition area was next to me and was telling me not to worry. So easy for her to say...this was her 7th tri!

The horn goes off and we are OFF! We had to dive into the waves to get past them. I was thinking of Tom Hanks in Cast Away. You know, when he had to get his raft past that huge wave or die?

Well, I made it. And I swam. I don't know if you guys know this, but that was the FIRST time I had swam in the ocean! And did I mention that I loved my wetsuit? I loved the wetsuit. The only thing was that it was really tight. Or at least felt really tight. I had to stop and float and just do a relaxed breast stroke type of movement to calm myself down. I almost started to hyperventilate a couple times. Calm down, Bethany. Calm down.

I am past the second buoy and I look up from the water and I see a surf board. You know, one of the safety measures? But there was no dude on it! All I could think of was "I hope he's saving someone because if HE is drowning, we're all in trouble!"

I continue to swim and for the most part I do ok. I do take in a lot of water and of course its very salty. I ended up feeding the fish some cookies I ate exactly 2 hours before the start.

But I finished.

After getting out of the water, we all had to run, or walk about a hundred yards to the transition area. It sucked. But I was still just pumped that the swim was over! I DID IT! YAYAYAY!

I get to the transition area and get ready for the bike. This is by far my best event. I notice that my stuff is all wet. I was thinking that someone must have been really rude to just dump water all over my things! I get my stuff on and go. I'm hauling. I am flying past people and I feel really good. I start feeling things pelt against my skin and it takes me a moment to realize that its water. The marine layer is so thick that it feels like its raining. I am trying to wipe the water off my sunglasses and finally just take them off. There is water DRIPPING off my helmet. Its then I realize that that is why my stuff was all wet. (Yes...I am QUICK!)

This made it a little more exciting. It was like biking in the rain, something else I have never done. The lane lines get really slippery and the metal teeth things that are in the middle of bridges that have to open and close for boats were like slip-n-slides.

I was finishing up my first loop when I saw....GOLDENS! I was going so fast :) that all I got out was "DOGGIES". I realized it was Julie and Ewan and their 2 wonderful doggies Gemma and Ruby. I had to loop around and scream JULIE! And wave! I knew I would see them in another 5.5 miles! DOGGIES!

I finish the bike without mishap and see that the Marathon Guru has joined Julie, Ewan and the pups. It was nice to see them.

I get off the bike and change shoes, grab my hat and start to run.

They call going from the bike to the run a "brick". Have any idea why? I will tell you. They call it a brick because your legs feel like bricks trying to run after being on the bike for 11 miles.

So I run, more like jog.  Three miles is not far but it is when you are tired and slow anyway. I make the loop and see the doggies and the Guru tells me I can start sprinting now. I was literally about 50 yards from the end. I sprinted like the WIND! (There was no wind).

WOOO HOOOO! I'm done! I"M DONE!!!!!

And it was... FUN.

Elaine, Eva, Joanne and Paul were at the finish line waiting for me. Elaine gives me a hug and tells me I am beautiful. I am soaked to the bone, from the sweat and the soup. I say "Really?" and she says yes. I look at her and take off my hat. Remember, my hair has been shoved into a swim cap, been soaked under a bike helmet and stuck under a very fashionable Rescue baseball cap and say "How bout now?"

Bless her heart, she tells me "Ok...maybe not now."

Love someone who tells it like it is!

I would like to thank some people.

Thanks to Julie, Ewan, Gemma and Ruby for giving me my golden fix when I needed it...half way through the bike and definitely before the run! DOGGIES! And I got my golden kisses for finishing.
Thanks to Marty Friedman (the Marathon Guru), Elaine, Eva, Joanne and Paul for being there to see me finish.
Thanks to Mother Nature for making the weather almost perfect. Although soupy, I would much rather it have been as it was...about 72 degrees, than 95.
Thanks to all of you who took my advice and stayed home.

Thanks to Sanya, web goddess for posting my blahg entries.

Thank you to all who sent me well wishes before and congrats after. It meant a lot to know you were thinking of me.

And finally, thank you to all who donated. The beautiful golden babies thank you. VERY MUCH.

For one last time...be well everyone.

PEACE OUT!

Congratulations Bethany...you did it!

Photos by Julie!

Panic. Learning. Panic. Learning. Flying. More Panic.

So to pick up where I left off with the last blog, I was not feeling the love from Mike and foot lady made me want to gag. When my swim pass was used up, I decided to just go to the community pool, which is conveniently located 3 blocks from my house. I figured doing laps from that point on (about 4 weeks ago) was my best plan to get endurance up.

When I started timing myself, I was doing a half mile in 27 minutes. That of course was having to stop, if only for a second, to turn around at the wall.

I got down to 25 minutes before I left for Michigan.

When I went to visit the Fam, I swam in the channel where my brother has a house. Since I wasn't sure what the distance was, I just swam for about a half hour. Definitely tiring.

But, it was good because I got the chance to experience the not being able to see the bottom thing. And the no lane line thing. I do backstroke a lot so I miss the lane lines. (I ran into boats twice. Thank goodness, they were parked!). I swim like a drunk. Lots of wasted energy. BAD!

This past Tuesday, while swimming, I pulled a muscle in my upper arm. It hurt. Panic.

I still swam on Thursday. My shoulder still hurt, but I took 2 minutes off my time. Learning.

I am admittedly scared sh**less about this swim. It is the thing that is the wildcard in this for me. I can bike 11 miles pretty easily. Running 3 miles is a small distance compared to the 26.2 I've done in the last 3 marathons. If I get out of the water in 30 minutes, I will consider that a win.

Especially since I got a cold in Michigan and despite all the witches brews and magic potions, I am still stuffy. I am also hockin' up loogies. Yum, huh?

So today I went to pick up my packet for the race. They had a very helpful seminar to go over the course and some seriously informative tips.

I learned a lot in those 40 minutes.

I learned that there is the cool stuff that is supposed to help you get out of the wetsuit. Its literally stuff you spray on and its supposed to be slippery. Body lube. I have visions of a being squirted out of the wetsuit like a banana squirting out of it's skin.

I learned that they suggest NOT doing the backstroke. The backstroke is what I have been using when I get tired, and it is by far my better stroke. Serious, SERIOUS PANIC!!!

I learned that there is something called the flying dismount off the bike.

I can guarantee I wont be doing that.

So my race number is 575.

My wave start is at 7:15am.

It is supposed to be really hot again tomorrow. If you are coming to see me finish, make sure you bring water, especially if you are bringing dogs.

Which brings me to this:

I know that some of you plan on coming to see me finish. As much as I appreciate you being there, I feel that traveling a great distance, to pay $10 to park, to bring the dogs in this heat, to only be there for 20 minutes is a bit crazy. If you plan on coming, I appreciate it. But I would like you to think if that is really the best use of your time.

This isn't coming out right. But I just want you all to know that I will not be upset if there is no one there to see me finish. It just seems like a lot of time and effort and money on gas and parking to spend to only be there for 20 minutes.

However if you do come, park at the Convention Center, which like I said is $10.

Sanya always asks me for pictures. Here is one of all the stuff I have to bring tomorrow.

Did I mention that I am panicking?

Be well everyone.

Peace out!

Channeling my inner Missy (And Will Farrell from Night at the Roxbury)

**Note, as you will read, this was started 3 weeks ago. I am a little behind! But instead of starting over, I will continue this one and will send the most recent one in a day or two. Just pretend it is still 3 weeks ago!

Good lord where does the time go? I apologize to my loyal fans (I think my followers have gone up to 8...not bad, my readerdom has grown exponentially. Even my Mom admitted to reading it! YAY ME.) for the time in between posts but I didn't want to interrupt the Olympics! (Who besides me thought the closing ceremony people were drinking some seriously jacked up kool-aid?)

Oh! So braided hairy guy actually came back. And he must have heard or felt the heave of the group gag as he entered the pool because he WAXED! He still has the ridiculous thing hanging off of his chin but he is no longer the braided hairy back guy!

Unfortunately, though, for us women, the scrape-the-dead-skin-off-my-gross-feet-with-a-file-thing-and-pumice-stone-lady has decided that THE PUBLIC SHOWER is the perfect place to do that. It's just disgusting.

So I only have 4 weeks to go and the swimming is going fine. I have left the beginner class and graduated to the advanced class. I got so ninja in the beginners group that Misael would actually ask me to show people what to do. I got so turbotious that the swimmers in the next lane would stop swimming, look around, startled by the wake and wonder how a speedboat got into the pool. Good thing Im so full of myself huh? My big head helps me float!

Seriously, I was so much more advanced in the beginner group that I moved to Mike's group. I don't like Mike nearly as much as Misael. Well..I don't like Mike at all. I truly was the worst of the advanced when I started and although my technique was good, I was still slow. Mike doesn't like slow...even if it says in the brochure that its for ANY swim level.

Plus, yucky foot lady is in Mike's class. She is not a bad swimmer but she lets everyone know that SHE thinks she is a great swimmer. The first advanced class I took I heard her tell another girl, who also was taking her first class, that at least she was better than...she saw me and didn't finish. I knew what she was gonna say but I play it cool and I just let it roll off my back...like the water I swim through.

She obviously has serious confidence issues if she has to cut other people down. (Yes I AM an armchair psychologist!)

But get this...the next class, foot lady is there and we are swimming and I am improving. And I see WHY she is a better swimmer! The cheater uses swim fins! I would be fast too, beeha if I cheated and used fins!

I will admit that I am not cool enough not to make just slightly snide comment to her about how ANYONE would be faster using fins. That holier-than-thou smile drained off her face.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

So I swim. And I get better every swim. And I think about Missy Franklin. And I think that if I could channel just an OUNCE of her speed, I would be good.

And each night as I leave the pool, my inner Will Farrell shakes my head in a sideways, headbangers ball kinda way to get all the water out of my ears.

"What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more"

Be well everyone.

Peace out