I Am Triathlete. Hear me ROAAAAAAAR!

It's official. On Sunday, May 15, I became a triathlete and competed in my first Sprint triathlon. What an amazing experience it was!

The swim was tough as I had expected, but we survived. Before the race, Crystal and I made a pact... as the stronger swimmer, I promised to stay by her side for the swim portion of the race and as the stronger runner, she promised to stick with me for the run. Hmmm, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's a tad bit more difficult to slow your pace in an open swim with hundreds of other swimmers than it is to slow your pace in a run! I asked for a challenge though, didn't I? :) The good news is we finished the swim leg, and we did it in 14 minutes.

NOTE: Unfortunately, my personal photog (aka - the hubby) did not make it in time to get some photos of the swim, so I don't have any funny pics of us in our wetsuits, swim caps and googles for you to laugh at.

The bike was a piece of cake. I LOVE riding my bike, so this was hands down my favorite portion of the race. It was mostly flat and fast with a few small climbs in it to make it interesting. We finished the 12 mile bike ride in 46 minutes.



2/3 of the way through the bike



Can you tell we're having fun??

2 down, 1 to go!

We both felt really good going into the run knowing that it was the last leg of the race, but I was secretly dreading it way more than Crystal. It usually takes me anywhere from 10-15 minutes to get over the brick-like feeling of my legs and really feel good with the run. So yes, the first half of the run was pretty much torture for me. But once I hit that sweet spot, there was no looking back. We picked up the pace, let the excitement and adrenaline of finishing push us up the last STEEP hill to the finish and finished the run in 36 minutes.


Off we go on my least favorite part of the race: THE FINAL RUN!

Our good friend and fellow triathlete, Greg, on the home stretch

On the home stretch!

Trying to work our way up this hill to the finish line

This pic perfectly shows the disparity between our running skills... Crystal is relaxed and all smiles while I am intently focusing on just making it up this huge hill in one piece!

TRIATHLETES!!!

Final time: 1.41

Part of me is still in disbelief. My first thoughts after crossing the finish line were, "Did I really just do that???" I was just so proud of us. WE DID IT!!! And we did it for Kallie. She really was an inspiration for me throughout the whole race, especially the run. Whenever I felt too tired or weak or sore to keep running, I'd glance down at my arm and see Kallie's name. That right there was enough to give me a boost and keep on pushing (Crystal's reassuring smiles and thumbs up helped, too!)

All in all, it was such an awesome experience. I just had an extraordinary sense of achievement knowing that I set my mind to do something... to take on a challenge like this, and I did it. I may not have won any awards or prizes or even finished with a great time, but I finished it and I felt incredible!!! 

So what's next you ask? I'm taking a vacay! I'm taking a little time off the rigorous training to rest and relax, so that I can get ready for the next phase of my journey: training for the Olympic. I know that I need to keep focusing on my swimming, but I also need to improve my running. Crystal and I are already talking about doing another Sprint in the next few months, AND we're even recruiting a few of our gal pals to join us. So stay tuned, because there's plenty more of this journey ahead...

WWKD...

Here we are... T-minus 12 hours until the big race!!!!!  Holy cow. I'm not gonna lie... I am soooooooooooooooooo nervous!!! I have been a bundle of nervous energy all day, but I'm hoping the constant rush of adrenaline throughout the day will cause me to be so pooped that I'll fall asleep at a reasonable hour tonight (especially when you consider that I have to be up by 5 am!)

It's been a pretty busy day from start to finish. Woke up early and went on an easy ride down to the local breakfast eatery for a nice, big breakfast. Then I spent the next couple of hours prepping and packing all of my gear for the big race tomorrow. Check it out...

My makeshift transition station with all the essentials :)

My ride is all pimped out with Kallie's favorite color (and mine) = HOT PINK!

My SWEET Xterra wetsuit (aka - my lifesaving flotation device)

Crystal and I bought matching "UNIs"... yeah, we're kinda nerdy like that. But hopefully you'll be able to see us coming with the bright fluorescent yellow!

For superhuman power before and during the tri



Cycling shoes, running shoes and anti-chafing body glide? Never used it before, but there's a first for everything!

So I'm all packed and ready to go. Picked up my bib and race packet... I'm #552 and Crystal is #513. Seeing our bib numbers and dropping off our bikes earlier at the transition area definitely made this whole thing finally seem REAL! But we've put in the time, and we've done the training. It's go time!!!!

Oh, but there's one more thing that we'll have with us during tomorrow's big race...


Kallie will be with us and watching over us the whole race <3

We'll be wearing pink bands with Kallie's name on it. And anytime we get tired or feel the pain or think that we can't make it, we'll just look down at our wrist and be reminded... What Would Kallie Do? Would she give up? Would she quit? Would she complain about the pain? 

Absolutely not. She'd keep pushing. She'd keep fighting. She'd keep trying. And she'd do it all with poise, dignity, grace and a smile. 

So in honor of Kallie, my personal hero, here goes nothing!

ps - for anyone brave enough to get up at the crack of dawn, we'd love to have your moral support! The race starts at 6:30 am. For detailed course maps, visit the Tempe International Triathlon website. Thanks ya'll!

Saying Goodbye

It's been a week now since we said goodbye to Kallie. Last Friday started with a Kallie Celebration at Alex's school. The entire 4th grade class released pink balloons in her honor. Her celebration of life ceremony was held later in the afternoon - it was the saddest and yet most beautiful service I've ever attended. Standing room only! It was just incredible to see how one little 10-yr old girl could have such an impact on so many other lives.

Alex and I finally had the great privilege of meeting Kallie's mom in person. Alex gave her a big hug and handed her an envelope with all the money we raised to date. She was so touched and expressed how grateful she was for our support. So THANK YOU to everyone who helped chip in towards this cause. It really did make a difference. <3

A very sad day

It is with a very heavy heart that I share the sad news of Kallie's passing. After an incredible struggle against brain cancer, Kallista 'Kallie" Rebholz passed away Saturday evening. 

I am stunned. Numb. Saddened beyond words... I can't even begin to imagine what her family must be feeling right now. It absolutely breaks my heart. 

While I know that Kallie is in a far better place now, she will be dearly missed by all who were touched and inspired by her sweet, endearing personality and her incredible will to live. She has affected me and will live on in my heart forever.

Please keep Kallie's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. I will continue my efforts to raise money for Kallie as I know it will take some time for her family to recover from not only this loss, but also the incredible financial burden of Kallie’s medical bills.  Please consider making a donation in honor of Kallie to help her family in their hour of need.

Rest in peace, Kallie.