Tri As You Might (A Guest Post)

Go Holly go!

This year we had a new member of our tri group, the Palm Harbor Tri Warriors and she just rocks. Holly did her first tri a couple weeks ago and for someone who hasn't "tri"ed before, it was a heck of a race! Thanks Holly for guest posting and giving people everywhere hope for their first tri! (And everyone reading, give Holly some love mkay????)

That girl behind me looks fast. I should move over and try to draft off her. Wait, can I even keep up with her? I wonder if everyone will stand up and wade over the sandbar or will they swim over it? Maybe I should dolphin dive. Oh no, how many racks back is my bike again? One, two, three, four. Yes, it was four on the right. Yikes, what just touched my foot? Hum, feet. That reminds me - did I remember to put my socks inside my shoes? That girl next to me is making a funny face; I think she’s peeing in the water. Do I have to pee? Oh man, now I do. What did we decide? Will Marcus be waiting for me at the swim out, or will he be over by the transition area? Okay, it’s about to start. Remember, this is your hobby. You do this for fun…

That was the flood of thoughts just moments before the start of my first triathlon. It was a frenzy of excitement, nerves, self-reassurance, and self-doubt. And it was all packed into about a ten second window! Who would have guessed it’s possible to contemplate so much, so quickly? But there I was, standing in waist-deep water about to set off on my first three-sport adventure. I was committed to seeing it through.

Several weeks prior, I decided to approach the Dunedin Tri with three simple goals: (1) Finish. I was pretty sure I could do that. (2) Finish without any panic attacks, accidents, or injuries. Again, pretty sure that would be the case but other athletes and Fate can change those plans. (3) Finish feeling good. That was the iffy goal. Sure, I’d done mock tris and bricks with my training partners, but this was my first sprint tri. And although I think the world of my training partners and my family, they were so confident that I would do great. What if I let them down? What if I let myself down?

Before I had much time to dwell on it, the air horn sounded the swim portion of my first tri was underway. As our pack of 30-34 year old ladies headed around the first buoy for the main stretch, I realized I was swimming so hard that I needed to breathe every other stroke. I was amazed at how people were just whizzing by me. I did a quick body check and realized I was just working way too hard, so I slowed it down a touch and kept swimming for what felt like a combination of forever and a millisecond at the same time. After about eight or nine minutes, I was coming out of the water, dodging walkers on the way to transition. I remember thinking, “OK, there are people walking. Time to make up some ground here.”

I hustled into T1, grabbed my gear, and headed out with my bike. I had decided to skip trying the shoes-already-clipped-in approach for my first race, so I clomped over to the mount line and away I rode! Thinking about my #3 goal (finish feeling good), I had promised myself to not go faster than 19 mph on the bike to assure I had something in my tank for the run.

I have to admit, it was hard to stay at that speed as others flew by, but it was comfortable and I was still passing plenty of folks. After two bridge-filled bike loops (which included a tattooed guy yelling at me and observing a pretty nasty wipe out on a sharp turn), I was back at transition. I took a little more time through T2, letting my heart rate recover a bit before the run. But no rest for the weary!

Pretty soon I was back out of transition and running. Again, I reminded myself of goal #3: finish feeling good. I made a quick commitment not to look at my Garmin too much on the run; else I risked jeopardizing that goal. I knew myself on the run. I would try to keep a certain pace versus listening to my body.

The run was beautiful, a mostly hard-packed trail with a few sandy spots. I remember thinking, “Finally, something I am comfortable with. Good thing they save this for last.” I finally settled into a good stride after about a mile and half, which was the point when my legs finally decided to accept they weren’t cycling anymore.

About a mile later, I remember thinking, “Why in the world would I pick this as my hobby? I must be some kind of masochist. This is ridiculous.” I was starting to get tired and it was getting hot. Some of the men from the wave behind me were starting to pass. But then, I could faintly hear the announcer’s voice congratulate the triathletes that were finishing. I was close!

I did a quick check for goal #3. Yep, I was tired but I was feeling good. No weird pains, no nausea. About that same moment, a training partner passed me on his sprint to the finish. Then I realized that I could see it, too. It was right there! I realized that I was going to finish at this point, so goals #1 and #2 were achieved! And I had just checked in on goal #3. So off I went with a big push to the finish. As I neared the blue mat, I was fueled by seeing my friends and family cheering me on. I teared up the second I crossed the line and my husband hugged me. I did it! It was one of the best feelings of my life. I crossed the line 1:19 minutes after my adventure started, and although tried, I achieved goal #3 too – I felt fantastic! About an hour later following lots of hugs, high-fives, water, snacks, and cheers for other athletes, we left the race. You’d think that’s where the story ends. Well…

About thirty minutes later, I started getting messages and texts asking where I was, why I had not stayed to pick up my award. Award?! Are you kidding me? That thought had never even crossed my mind. I was just happy to have finished. But sure enough, I had come in fourth place in my age group. I was so proud of myself, but what made me even happier was the joy my success seemed to bring to my friends and family. I guess for my next triathlon adventure, I’ll need to set some new goals!

Holly seriously you rock! Thanks for sharing!

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What are your tri goals? Ever think about tri-ing, or do you already have the tri bug?

Swimming With Music: Flying too Close to the Sun on Wings of Pastrami?

I had 1800 meters to swim on Sunday after renovating my bathroom all day and since that's a really long stretch of time to be in stuck in my own head and since there's not much to do except for well, swim, I wanted to try something different.

Swim with music.

That's even possible, you ask?

Why, yes. Yes it is.

I have been salivating over a waterproof I-Pod holder and waterproof earbuds for a year now, dreaming of the possibilites of having music to swim to on the long swims, perhaps even stopping to do some solo synchronized swimming in the lap pool if the mood invited me, but the ones in the stores were too expensive to rationalize.

I thought about waiting till September for my birthday and begging but I could wait no longer.
I found them new on Amazon for exactly half the price and I had some left on an Amazon gift card. Score!

And so this weekend my new best earbuds made the maiden voyage across the pool many many times but not before they passed the tissue test first which was sticking some TP inside the waterproof case and submerging it to make sure my beloved I-Pod would remain snug and dry within the safety of their new thin plastic walls.The TP survived! Hurrah!

So I was off to the pool to try them out. I slipped into the freezing pool that's supposed to be heated, put on my marathon training mix, I put on my armband, put in my earbuds, goggles, swimcap (it felt like a lot of gear like I was headed out for extended deep sea diving) and ...

At first, I felt like a cat in a sweater.

It was really awkward and I felt like I couldn't swim with one of my arms correctly. Swimming with this thing on my left arm made me feel lopsided for a while. The wire kept getting stuck and when it wasn't, I was very aware of it swimming with me and then the music was just too fast to start out and it was distracting and throwing my breathing all out of whack.

No one was in the pool area but if they were, they'd have seen someone tangled in wires swimming off to the wrong side, hyperventhilating, with foggy goggles because my goggles also decided to act up on this day too. Normally they behave.

So I was zigging and zagging because I wasn't taking a full stroke with my left arm because of the armband and I kept having to stop and fix all these things and it sounds more annoying than it was really because I actually expected this for myself. Things that take a normal person 30 seconds to figure out usually take me 30 minutes when it comes to technology. At least.
I began to think that perhaps swimming with music was like George Costanza trying to combine sex and a pastrami sandwich: perhaps they're not supposed to be together. Like George, perhaps I was flying too close to the sun on wings of pastrami.

But finally, I made one last stop and final adjustment, I switched off the fast-music playlist and put it on plain old "shuffle" and loosened the armband a little so it was not an I-Pod tournequet and thought it's got to get better than this now.

And then...something happened.

At about 600 meters in I started getting used to this!

Perhaps George was doing it wrong and it IS possible!

All my adjustments held and this was actually pretty cool!

My goggles were behaving, the wire was properly situated, and a slow song came on, specifically "I Wanna Be With You" by Mandy Moore (dontjudgeme) and I slowed down and swam.

The next couple songs were fantastic and I was really starting to dig this!

And then it occurred to me that "shuffle" really isn't my favorite option and that I was in desperate need now of a "swim play list" complete with slow songs to start out and then increasingly faster songs. Something without festival music.
Because until that moment I had forgotten about all the Filipino festival music I had downloaded for my son's Spring Festival, where they highlighted the Phillipines.

Not that there is anything wrong with music from the Phillipines, it really is quite lovely! Just a little weird to exercise to for long periods of time and there is no way to fast forward without stopping because I put my I-Pod in the locked position.

So I was stuck.

It was very international sounding, there was a lot of cheering and whistle-blowing (oddly)  as if I were literally in a parade, but as I swam on I began to get used it and it was actually pretty cool and festivally, like I was swimming through Epcot or something. It sounded like something that you would hear while on one of the long lines waiting something for a really long time but it was cheerful and very parade-like and international -- it actually wasn't so bad.

Until of course it became the song that would never end. It would take a break and I would think it was over but then it would continue on, as if it knew I was waiting for the next song and it would tease me and pretend it was ending and then say, "Just kidding!"

I listened to this one song from laps 18-25 and trust me, I'm not a fast swimmer.

It was finally over and some Coldplay came on along with some other yummies and they saved me. Before I knew it, 36 laps were completed.

Swimming with music is like running with music to me: good for the long training sessions. Like this one.

Sure it takes some getting used to, but in the end, it was pretty cool!

I just need to make myself a better playlist for next time.

I will actually review the gear itself in a separate post (I bought it, it wasn't given to me to try out or anything), and I actually found an amazing deal on some good stuff, so I'm excited to pass that along.

I can't wait to do it again now that I got all the kinks worked out!

Have you ever swam with music? Would you?

(Do you swim? You should. It's really fun.)

Be like George Costanza. Do the OPPOSITE

It's no secret that I live half my life according the Seinfeld series.

My life in fact is made of up a series of Tommy Boy and Seinfeld references and I seem to surround myself with people who do the same.

This week I had a good workout and decent nutrition week and I realize now it's because I emulated my hero, George Costanza who said:

"I ALWAYS have tuna on toast. Nothing's ever worked out for me with tuna on toast. I want the complete opposite of tuna on toast!

Do you remember that episode? (Go watch a minute, it hilarious).

Of course it's not about the tuna, it's about going against my instincts to do the following: eat french fries, be lazy, cut my workout short and eat badly. (Of course he goes on to "get the girl" because he did the opposite of what he would have normally done... so see? It must work, right?)

What happens is the usual tale about mind versus body. My body tells me one thing (it's lazy, it's craving something, etc.) My brain begins to consider these things as fact and eventually becomes convinced somehow that my body is right even when it isn't and then it eventually agrees to whatever sabotaging setup my body has created for itself.

Well no more!

Because I'm doing the opposite!

When I want fast food, I eat good food!

When I wanna be lazy, I will do whatever the opposite of lazy is at the time! (I can't think of the opposite word for lazy. But in this scenario it probably has something to do with folding and putting away laundry and/or making time for exercise.)

When I want to flight I'm gonna fight!

When my instinct is fear, I'm gonna be fearless!

See, the more George disobeyed his instincts, which usually got him into trouble, the more successful he became! And it worked for me last week so this is what I'm doing.

I'M DOING THE OPPOSITE!

I suppose if you're on the right track already, doing the opposite will not work. So don't do that.

If not, turn off your brain and DO THE OPPOSITE!

And see what happens.

3 Reasons You Should Never Wait to Work Out

I cannot tell you how many times this weekend I cornered off a part of my day to work out only to be completely derailed.

My weekend was madness.

However, it was not without its learning experiences, especially about getting off my arse early and getting out the door when there's an opportunity because that opportunity just might not come again for a long while. You really just never know what the future will hold for you.

So if you're waffling on your workout right now, as we speak, read this AND THEN GO. Mkay?

TOP THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT TO MOVE YOUR BUTT OUT THE DOOR

1. You spend the morning cleaning because there are people coming over and you think it's so much better to get all the cleaning done first before you go to the gym so that you won't have to worry about cleaning right up until the time that your guests get there. In theory, this sounds fabulous! But just go to the gym first mkay? Because otherwise, you will have cleaned the whole house, gone to the gym, put your swim cap on, zeroed out your watch and just as soon as you're about to take your first lap, the phone rings and you have a bloodied three-year-old who smashed his face on the coffee table who has to go to urgent care.

2. You call that workout a wash because you go to urgent care (he's ok, we have to see a dentist because he ripped his gums all up) and your friend's coming over to go out. You have a big workout in the morning so losing the swim is ok. You can just do the big workout tomorrow. However, you go to bed at 3:30 a.m. and you fail to wake up in time for said workout. And then, ahem, you don't really feel up for working out at this point. You haven't had sleep and your head hurts (from all the loud music of course), so Monday it is!

3. You spend Sunday securing your workout partners for the long workout you intended to do on Sunday and you're all set for Monday! Hurrah! At this point, all you'll have missed is a swim. NO BIGGIE! You get all your gear together, your workout clothes are all ready, all you have to do is throw your bike in the car at 6 a.m. and go. However. At 3:30 a.m. you wake up in a shot. Things are not good. And you remember the stomach virus that hath overtaken your son last Thursday. You thought you were out of the woods until.....you leave a message for your workout partners saying that you won't make it this time around. And you go on to lose three pounds that day. (I guess that's the bonus of a stomach virus, right?)

In sum, it all started out with the missed swim. You think it's just going to be one workout, but then it turns to two and then possibly three. Do you see how fast it all falls apart? And only one of those things was my fault! Everything else was just life! Learn from me! Do not wait! Waiting leads to more waiting which leads to more waiting and then before you know it, you're screwed!

So, take it from me. If you're doing the wiggly waffle this morning, get a hold of yourself! Figure out your priorities and make sure that everything you do lines up with those. And then do it!

Don't wait.

Cause tomorrow you could be in urgent care or hugging the bowl (or both).

Trust me.

Hope you all had a Happy 4th of July!

Ps. COME TO MY TWITTER PARTY TOMORROW!!

8 P.M. ET, PRIZES SPONSORED BY GIRLZ N GEAR!!! Leave your twitter handle below if you plan on coming! SEE YOU THERE!

Like the Muddy Buddy Without the Buddy

What do they call a triathlon where the bike part is canceled? I think it's an Aquathlon, (what did we do without Google? Honestly.)

So I did the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon on Sunday but because of the torrential downpouring and the lightning, they canceled the bike portion, which is a good call I say because there are 3 bridges in this race and speeding 30 miles+ down a bridge, trying to brake and make a sharp turn at the bottom on the wet roads gives me (and all of us really) visions of pileups, skidding and crashing and death.

And I don't want anyone having to say, "She died doing what she loved," about me any time soon. (I'm picturing things going downhill for me at least in my late 90's or so while getting a massage after my facial and pedicure, or perhaps while eating a donut and virtual hologram blogging or whatever we'll be doing by then. Yes, I also picture myself as a hip old lady completely up on the latest technology.)

Anyway.

So while I was a little bummed about that, (biking is my forte and usually where I catch up with the people who passed me in the swim), I was happy there was no dying on the bike for me on Sunday.

I didn't think it was actually going to rain when I got up in the morning though. I walked out of the house and it was muggy with a chance of rain. The kind of muggy that feels like the inside of an oven and that drenches you at the same time, the really gross kind of muggy. That was at 5 in the morning.

After I got to the race and set up my transition area, the deluge began. I left my stuff but took my bag and went and sat in the car for about 20 minutes until it let up and I tweeted.
So the sun started to come up and the rain started to fade and I found my friends and walked down to the beach. It looked like this thing was going to happen after all.

And while we were all walking out to the beach, the lightning was still out and about very vividly and we were like hundreds of little lightning rods on the beach.

Which I didn't like very much. Not at all.

I come from a long line of lightning-phobics. The problem has thankfully gotten a little better for me since kids because now I find myself calming them down about storms which calms me down with storms and I find that I no longer hide in the closet during the storms so as to not panic the children (like my mom did. Thanks a lot.)

The lightning started to go the other direction so they set us up to get ready to swim and we got about 5 minutes to warm up before the race and the water was 89 degrees. It was like a warm bath. I sound like I'm complaining a lot but besides the lightning, I wasn't nervous at all and was actually having a pretty good time!

And before I knew it, we were off and racing! I felt strong in the swim, I am still pretty slow (dammit!) but I don't stop at all anymore like I used to and I am actually learning to love it! I rounded the buoy, came out of the water, dashed toward transition trying to beat an age grouper, (this part seemed to take forever!) then we got our sneakers on and headed out on the run.

I had a hard time getting my breathing under control right off the bat for like the first mile, but then the lightning was upon us again and that sure lit a fire under my behind. Aside from cowering sometimes when the lightning would strike, I LOVED RUNNING IN THE RAIN! Splashing in the puddles in the off-road parts, it felt like a Muddy Buddy without the buddy part. Or maybe perhaps with a couple dozen buddies running with you. And then there was some sideways rain (more lightning and some cowering) and I thought I kicked that run's ass!

I didn't really, I did the 5k part in 30 minutes, but it felt faster, does that count?

I think the best part of this race and the last, the Dunedin Triathlon, is that no matter how the race itself is organized or moving along (despite or in spite of the weather), I AM HAVING THE BEST TIME EVER! If it weren't for these races, I'd forget why I was training in the first place, and honestly it's hard to continue that motivation month after month with nothing to look forward to in between.

It's all a big chain reaction actually; I am trying to lose a couple pounds/slash/maintain a healthy weight, which means racing because if I'm racing that means I'm training, which means in essence, exercising, which is necessary for me to lose/slash/maintain weight. It just helps that racing is fun. I don't want to forget that feeling when I train. I don't want to forget all this when I race, either, because I tend to get all "I wish I was an elite athlete"-ey on myself and really, I'm not. I'm just trying to have some fun and not be large and unhappy like I used to be.

So that's my story about Sunday's race (in short, of course. Because all my stories are short. *sarcasm*)

So. How was your weekend?

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Hey, before you go, I posted about a poll yesterday, tell me which slogan you like best for these t-shirts at Girlz N Gear (my favorite t-shirt place), mkay?? (You could win something for voting, too!) Thanks!!

Don't Go It Alone. Top 8 Reasons My Tri Group ROCKS (and why you should join one.)

The Swim at the Dunedin Triathlon

One day, I went to the beach to go to an open water swimming clinic. I couldn't find where I was supposed to be and instead, I ran into a group of people doing a training swim called the Palm Harbor Tri Warriors. They were walking up from the beach when I asked them if they knew of the clinic, they told me they heard it was canceled.

Darn it. I really needed that clinic.

Little did they know that I had been stalking their message board for a while up until that point but was too afraid to actually join a real triathlon group. I had only done one sprint at that point and obviously still needed a lot of help, since I was headed to a clinic.

But they took me in that day.

It was love at first sight. (For me, anyway).

If it weren't for them, I'd still be flailing around in the water by myself. All alone. If it weren't for their encouragement, I wouldn't have set the lofty goals of a half Iron distance triathlon last summer and a marathon for the winter. Not in a million years.

I realized all of this yesterday at the Dunedin Triathlon where I had the most fun at any race I have ever done in my life. It was located at the beach and causeway where we do all our training so it felt like our home court.

Could it seriously get any more gorgeous than this? This is Honeymoon Island.

Sure there were ups and downs and I didn't go as fast on the run as I wanted, but who cares!? This was fun! I came in 21st out of 44, representing the midpack of America and proud to do it!

The best part of this day though was being a part of my group.

And this wasn't even everyone!

An awesome group of people and the exact reason why you should join a group, do not be afraid, do not go it alone, GO JOIN A GROUP! Oh stop saying you're not sociable, so what?! Oh stop saying you're not good enough, you don't even have to have done a triathlon! I'm serious! These people have lots of information for you and if you're going through it, they been through it, join them! Just go to one meeting! DO IT! Mkay?

These are the top 8 reason my tri group rocks (I could actually go on and on but I'll stop at 8):

1. They're the most welcoming group I've ever met. I.E. the above example. Before I even knew them, they welcomed me in. Who does that? These guys do. Everyone is supportive no matter what level you are at, big, little, tall, short, disability, beginner, elite, anything in between. And I don't care who you are, triathletes in general are welcoming to anyone who wants to know more about the sport and be a part of the sport, because it is a lifestyle! It's an addiction!

2. These guys are like family. And why wouldn't they be? They know all your disgusting stories and they still like you afterward. They've probably seen you at your lowest point and at your highest moment. They've probably seen you after you left your soul on the course and you're reduced to nothing. Puke, tears and unspeakable bodily functions, you've talked about it, they may have even seen it (and vice versa), once that happens, you're family. Also they'll share their bra with you if you happen to forget one on race morning.

They'll kick your butt right up to the end!

3. They WILL.PUSH.YOU. To be better than you thought you were, to do things you never thought you would, and you will become a better person for it because they did.


Think you can fail with those faces screaming at you? That's right, DIG, TONY, DIG!

4. Your kids will think your triathlon friends are the coolest people in the world. "Mr. Shaker" is my 5 year old's favorite (oh heck, he's everyone's favorite!) He's superfast and he looks like a superhero, why wouldn't he be?! Anyway, when you get home from your race, you'll see this:

Their little bike and car left outside because they wanted to bike (or carride) followed by a run down the block and back.

See? You did that. You will walk in the door after your race to hear those tales and see them drinking their big-boy water bottles all hot and sweaty and it will make your heart sing.

5. You'll get a sign! Who doesn't want a sign? And even when your teammates aren't racing, they come and cheer their warriors on!!!! That's more than a group. It's a team.

6. (My favorite.) They are just as A-D-D as you are. If you're doing a triathlon, there's a good chance you've got some attention deficit disorder because you like to do a million things at once and get bored and distracted by shiny objects easily. But good news! So do all these people! Hurrah! The group will be broken down into two sections: those who write lists and are obsessive compulsive, and those who forget everything.

7. Most importantly: No Tri Warrior left behind! They wait for every single Tri Warrior to cross the finish, especially the newbies and the first timers. Now, imagine doing a race for the first time and crossing the finish line after all those blood sweat and tears shed on the course, all by yourself. Then imagine doing a race for the first time and crossing the finish with an entire group of people screaming your name and cheering you on! With signs! It doesn't matter if you come in dead last, this group will wait for you because you are awesome.

8. IT'S A GREAT TIME!

The group is awesome. Better than awesome.

And you should join one.

(Or join mine!)

But if you're not near me, there is awesome near you too somewhere, I promise.

So go find it.

MKay?

Are You Racing this Weekend?

Yesterday my husband and I ran the Oldsmar Taphouse 5k and tomorrow I am doing the Dunedin Sprint Triathlon which is sort of our tri-group's home turf, we train there all the time so I'm excited!

I'm sorry to say I did not PR the 5K last night, in fact coming down the pike I saw I wasn't going to so I backed off a little. IT WAS HOT OUT! All I really cared is that I come in sub-30 and I did. By like 5 seconds. Ha! But it was a "taphouse" 5k, which meant there was beer and that made the race even funner. Of course, adding beer to an already dehydrated person is a recipe for a migraine so I went home with my head blazing so it probably wasn't a good idea.

I feel good today though. Time to hydrate!

The kids are at my parents' house right now which means we got to sleep in! It was like Christmas! And today, instead of going out and getting his & her massages, we're doing what any couple would do when they have a kid-free house.

CLEAN!

Of course.

(Where was YOUR mind?)

I can go through their toys without having little people screaming about what is going to the big toy box in the sky.

If you're racing, HAVE A GREAT RACE! Leave me a comment so I can cheer you on! And if you're not, what are you doing this weekend?????

Have a great day!

BE NICE. A Message to Motorists and a Reminder to People in General.

Dear man in truck,

I appreciate that you stopped for the cyclist in front of me. That was nice. You did not, however, stop for me, riding right behind him.

I skidded. I crashed.

And then I saw you look at me in your rearview mirror and not stop.

Yeah, that's right. I saw you see me.

I hope that extra second you saved got you to where you needed to go in a prompt manner or that it helped save someone's life. I hope you were doing something really important like heading to your daughter's wedding or perhaps your own or rushing to be next to someone who's ill and that the second you saved helped someone else.

Because if you were out just to go get a coffee, I might come find you to deliver this message in person.

And I'm sorry, sir, but this has been a long time coming and you're now going to bear the brunt of all my frustrations.

Are we at a place now where it's too much for us to give an extra second of courtesy? Because whereever we are going is so much more important than where everyone else is going, right?

Is it too much now to just be nice?  Yes, I'm talking to you now, Mr. Fisherman who chastised and cursed us because we swam by you when you were fishing, in the place where we've been swimming for years before you got there.

Because it's not enough that we can't share the roads now, we too cannot even share the ocean.

It is ridiculous that I am typing that.

I am not more important than you. You are not more important than me.

All I ask is that we share.

The roads, the ocean, the earth.

You don't have to open the door for me (although it would be nice), but don't slam it in my face.

You don't have to give 20 feet to me when I'm riding, but please give 3.

You don't have to throw us a welcome parade as we swim by you, but please be patient, it barely takes a minute for us to pass. (And for the record, we went around you. It was annoying for us and it shortened our swim, but we let it go. Can't you?)

We will all be gone soon away from one another, off doing whatever it is that we are doing in this vast open space that we share.

In the meantime, is it possible to just tolerate the mere presence of other people? After all, we are out and about within society. We are all bound to run into other people from time to time.

And while we're at it, we all could use a little more patience. It wouldn't hurt to throw a few more "I'm sorry"s out there into the world either, even if you might not even be wrong. It's just nice.

People remember rude, but they really, really remember nice. Like the old man on his bike who stopped to check if I was ok.

You don't have to like me. That's not what I'm asking. Please just.be.nice.

Yes, I am fine, Mr. Guy in Truck (thanks for asking). I tweaked my ankle, I tweaked my bike, but after my legs stopped shaking I still finished my 27 mile ride on a seat that was sorta sideways.

And to the person who honked at us while we were riding: we are more than annoying cyclists taking up your roadspace.

At the end of the day, I am a wife, a mother of two little boys, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a friend. A writer, college graduate, triathlete, above all a person. I realize the helmet and the spandex can detract from that. But I've come way too far in my life to have it snuffed by some impatient motorist who wants to get to a coffee faster on a Saturday morning.

I abide by all the rules.

I try not to get in your way.

I know that not everyone does that and that cyclists can sometimes offend too so my message to "be nice" extends to everyone.

We might not have anything in common except for the fact that we live here in this space together and that someone out there loves us.

But isn't that enough?