She Swims. She Rides. She Runs. SHEROX.

She collapses. Not really. But it's finally o.v.e.r. No more pre-race jitters, no more worrying whether I'd get up in time (I did), no more worrying whether or not I'd even go to sleep the night before the race, (I got five hours), or get McGermy's cold before the race (I didn't).

Seriously this gig was one of the hardest things I've ever done. People kept telling me "JUST HAVE FUN!" and I think I had fun maybe twice (for a cumulative total of 3 minutes) on the bike portion when I was passing slower people on their mountain bikes (I have a spiffy road bike, remember?). I'll be brutally honest. Not so much fun huffing and puffing for 1 hour and 39 minutes, never once really catching my breath and feeling flu-like afterwards. My dominant thought throughout much of the race was "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

[POST-RACE THOUGHTS]:

This sport is EVERY BIT about mental strength as it is physical stamina.

Spandex is a VERY unforgiving fabric. I really do not like it.

I made it through the swim without a major panic attack, although there was a fair amount of breast-stroking so I could keep my face out of the water and catch my breath.

After the swim I ran to the transition area to put on my bike shoes and grab my bike. Next time I will rinse off my feet with bottled water before shoving my grass-encrusted feet into socks and shoes--VERY uncomfortable riding and running with tons of grass in socks.

Bike portion was easiest for me, a chance to "recover" for awhile and eat those little JellyBelly caffeinated/carb sport jellybeans. I think I ate too many.

Loved seeing my kids at the transition areas along the way cheering me on. Did NOT forget to put on my visor/sunglasses/race number this time.

Was totally perplexed as to how I was going to run a 5K after an exhausting swim/13 mile bike ride. Luckily my rockin' cousin Jill Wright was there for me to talk to for awhile, until I couldn't talk from breathing too hard.

Surprising FACTOID: Body type (and age, for that matter) did not seem to be an indicator of speed, conditioning, or success in this race. Sure, the top 10 (there were 400 women in this race)were elite muscular athletes, but it was interesting to see how many heavier women could run like crazy and bike strong, and how many girls that looked like they had near-perfect bodies were towards the back of the pack. Then again, some of the littlest women were utter powerhouses. That was surprising to me. Goes to show you can't judge a book...or fitness, by its cover. For example, while I was running, I could NOT pass the heavier-set lady just in front of me who was 53 years old. (they make you magic marker your age on the backs of your calves so you know the ages of your competitors).

I'm embarrassed to have discovered a fairly fiery competetive streak in me. I didn't think I was very competetive, but when I realized my pal was on my tail, my first thought was "h*ll, no!" (never said I was proud of this first thought), and I hightailed it to the finish line and made myself practically sick. Is this healthy?

I think I suffered from mild dehydration for a few hours after the race, but surprisingly no muscle soreness other than a sore neck/shoulders. I felt a little flu-like but last night I felt fine once I got hydrated. Today (Sunday) I feel like a million bucks. Or at least a thousand. Still taking the week off of training to rest and regroup.

It meant the world to me to have my dad come from California to see me do my tri (my mom was tending to my sister Sus who just had a baby girl). He drove with me at 6:15 am to get all my gear set up and stayed with me while I brooded in my anxious silence. He said he was proud of me. My in-laws all came to support me and I love that they revel in my success. THANKS for your support, everybody, and Steph, for some amazing photos. I do feel an amazing sense of accomplishment, as I well should, I suppose. And 177th (out of roughly 300)place ain't nothin to shake a stick at.

Cousins Jill Wright and Jill Wright. No kidding.