My first Triathlon!!

First, here are some random pictures of mostly Emma. :)

Casey took this gorgeous picture coming home from Ellensburg.

I made this Taggy Blanket thingy for Emma :)

Okay, here are my Triathlon pics. The one of me in my swimsuit is gay, I know. Don't laugh. ;)

Crossing the FINISH LINE!! :)

Tiffany, Brittany, and Myself.

Casey and Myself. :)

WE DID IT, BABY!!!

I am finally going to write about my AWESOME experience participating in my very first triathlon!! And trust me, there will be many more to come! Not to mention a few half marathons...and perhaps someday a complete marathon. Who knows...I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it. ;)
Okay so this was the 2010 Lake Sammamish Sprint Triathlon. It was a quarter mile swim, a 14 mile bike ride, followed by a 3.4 mile run.
Let me begin by saying that I have trained (along with a group of other girls) very hard for this day. It was last Saturday (the 28th). I felt pretty prepared for this thing. I was however, not feeling too confident about the swim. It was only a quarter mile, and that isn't bad at all. I have problems swimming without choking on water though...haha. But I can swim quite a ways without feeling worn out, especially if I pace myself. Swimming was the first event. This being my first Triathlon, I was extremely nervous!! I was also super nervous when they said "GO!" and everyone around me dove into the water and went for it. I did the same, don't get me wrong, but I was NOT prepared for the tidal wave of bodies that was surrounding me, invading my space bubble. OH MY GOODNESS!!! I may have started out too strong. I was in the front, and I was going to win this thing! Um...or not. I burnt myself out. And I panicked. A lot. I was terrified...seriously. My heart was pounding, I was kinda hyperventilating, and I didn't think I could do it. You want to know what was going through my mind? Basically that there was not a chance in the world that I even wanted to finish this stupid swim. I stopped and contemplated for a little while. Should I turn around and go back? Should I wave down one of the rescue boats and just call it quits? My anxiety was NOT helping the breathing situation and I had to flip onto my back for a while. What an embarrassing nightmare!! I was so worried that I was going to drown, and so ANGRY with myself for not taking it easy at the beginning! It honestly seemed like I didn't know how to swim...like I hadn't been prepared for this! I was so mad at myself for having a freakin panic attack right there in the water. As much as I wanted it to be over, I just continued to swim and I eventually finished it. Oh, and apparently you were supposed to run once you stood up, but I didn't. I walked. Yeah. Ugh. Seriously embarrassing. After that I must have felt a little defeated because I wasn't exactly being very competitive. But you know what? I had a BLAST!! And I finished it in under 2 hours which is very good!! But most of all, I did the entire thing without stopping. We did have our transitions, but during the ride and the run I went non stop and had tons of energy to spare when I was done!! :) That felt really good. The run was absolutely gorgeous. The ride was too, but I wasn't really a fan of the HUGE hills. Whew! The run was the best part. I LOVE to run, and it was through a beautiful meadow. I wished I had my camera with me...but I guess that wouldn't have improved my time, eh? Ha. The weather was perfect. It felt kind of cold, but that made the 72 degree water feel like a heated pool, and it was really comfortable weather to exercise in.
I am really proud of myself, Brittany, and Tiffany for accomplishing this goal we had set for ourselves. And I am very grateful for the support that Casey gave me throughout this whole thing. He never ceases to believe in me. He makes me feel like I can achieve anything!! Without his encouragement and support, this would have been much more difficult for me. Oh how I love my man!! ;)

And now a few updates on Emma...

Emma will be 9 months old...tomorrow! She is now 17.7lbs and 28inches long. She is actually in the 25th percentile for weight now! WOO! :) She has been crawling all over the place...super fast. She grabs things and pulls herself up...she seems to be tired of this crawling business and is ready to move on to walking already! She has began "cruising" anyway. It is really nice that she can get around now. We are both loving her new found freedom!! What a happy girl! What a happy mommy! Haha. Next thing we know she will be out doing her own triathlons. :)