Alright.

I have three random and rather unrelated (or very loosely related at best) things to say. I'll start with the training ones and then to the attitude one.

1. TriSaraTops Random Training today

Okay, so I just got my new shoes. No pics yet (I know, I'm slow on those) but they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO amazing. They are a nice pair of Sidi road shoes to replace my not very nice Specialized mountain-biking-ish shoes. OMG. I heart them. They are fun and Italian, just like me.

I rode barefoot in them--thought I might do like Michele and try to shave some T1 time. They fit like a dream! Do you guys ride sans socks? Do you have problems with blisters? I already have accepted the fact that I'm just gonna have not very pedi-friendly feet. What's an aspiring endurance athlete to do, ya know? Anyway, the shoes rock and I had a great ride. The first half was a bit slow--I couldn't figure out why, but I thought perhaps it was the wind? At the turnaround point I had averaged 16.9.

Hmmm.

I arrived back home and had to keep going because I negative split MASSIVELY--ended up with an average of 18.1 so my average for that second have must have been crazy! Guess that wind helped me along.

Then, headed to the outdoor pool for the first time! I expected big crowds but got none. Sweet! Figured I'd try to squeeze in 3500 yards before I headed to a colleague's retirement party.

First 100--1:47. Man, that felt hard. Why does that feel hard? Last week at the Y pool that would be nice and steady....

First 500--WTF??!!! What's going on? Okay, I know I missed my swim last Friday but this is NUTS! Why am I so slow today?

First 1000--ALRIGHT, WHAT THE F IS GOING ON? You know in the old Donald Duck cartoons, when Donald gets really pissed, he starts jumping up and down and swinging his little duck fist and squawking in his Donald voice?

That's what I felt like doing.

I was going so slowly!!! What if all this time at the Y I thought it was a 20 yard pool and it was, like, 15? What if when I thought I was doing my 1:27 100s I was wrong, and my 100s were actually 6:37? AAAGGGHHHH

And then it hit me.

"Hey, Pool Manager chick....is this pool 25 yards or 25 meters?"

"Uh, I don't know, let me ask the swim team coach."

Please be meters, please be meters.....

"Meters."

OH THANK YOU

"Great--thanks!"

Whew. Off the hook. And for the record, 25 meters is a lot different than 20 yards. Which leads me to my next topic.

2. Dear John Letter

Dear YMCA, Noodle Lady, Navy Guy, Dave the Lifeguard, Angry Splasher, and Mr. Alanis Morrisette,

It is with a heavy heart that I must leave you. It's not you, it's me. We have simply grown apart. I don't have to get up at 5:45 to swim in you anymore...I can go to the city pool anytime from 12-8. For a non-morning-person, that's just better. I'm sorry it has to end this way. Our time together has been wonderful. I'm sure TriEric will still be kickin' butt on a daily basis for you, but I have to start kickin' butt in the open water. There's no wall every 20 yards in Lake Erie, or Lake Monona for that matter. For this reason, I need to swim in a bigger pool and a Great Lake. I'll never forget you though, Y Pool. After all, you are where I first learned to swim.

Love always,
Sara

3. Little Rant

So I went to this retirement party and was having fun when a buddy who had copious amounts of wine started asking a million questions about Ironman. I never really talk about it that much at work, because I just kind of focus on work and stuff and figure this is my personal life, I guess. So anyway, another teacher was there (let's call her "Negative Nancy") and sort of rolling her eyes, said, "Do you ever plan on having kids?"

Me: "Um, yes, actually, I do. I'm looking forward to it."

NN: "Well, honey, you can just kiss all this goodbye once you have a kid. Maybe movie stars can get back in shape, but the rest of us can't. You'd better get it all outta your system now."

Me: (Trying to restrain myself) "Well, actually, quite a few of my friends who do Ironmans have children."

NN: "Really? Well, once you have two or three, then you're done. There's just no way..."

Me: "Actually, my good friend I'm doing this with has 2 kids: one in high school and one in middle school, and another friend works full time and has a 4 year old and a 5 year old. So I really admire them and plan on doing these types of things when I have children."

NN: "Oh." *rolls eyes and gives me a look like I'm full of it*

At this point, in my mind, there is smoke coming out of my ears and my face is red, but I just smiled and walked away. After all, it's not like she's really going to get it if I tried to explain it to her.

For me, this has become a lifestyle. It is a part of who I am, just like teaching is a part of who I am. Telling me that after you have kids you have to give this up and you can't be a good athlete or in shape is, to me, as asinine as telling me that you can't possibly teach when you have kids and be a good mother. It's a line out of 1953. I don't buy it. I look at all of you out there--all of my friends and training partners here--who have families and jobs and make it work, and you inspire me. You make me have hope that I don't have to give up that part of me when I become a mother.

Now I know that things change. I know they change more than I probably can even, at this 28 year old childless stage I'm in, think they will, and mostly in a good way. But I just cannot accept the fact that once I have a child, I must hang up my Sidis, put away the swim cap, and tuck the running shoes away forever.

That's a load of crap.

So if you want to see me do something, tell me I can't do it.