I hadn't swam much since my camp years until I hit the pool last October with Meredith and slowly built up my stroke and endurance. I went for a couple of open water swims but nothing prepared me for the mass start to the 1.2 mile swim in the beautiful and vast Wickiup Reservoir. Soon after I got started some panic set in as I was surrounded by swimmers and getting further and further from land and getting bumped and jostled. The wetsuit felt like it was so tight around my chest that I couldn't breathe yet I knew I'd been breathing fine on land. I wanted to lift my hand and have a support kayak come rescue me. But I just tried to get in a rhythm and not think how far it was and eventually it felt normal. And before I knew it I was completing the last turn and heading for land. I had lots of problems navigating and was constantly resetting my course, but I was doing it and had overcome my initial fear!

Then it was off on a fifty-eight mile bike around Mt. Bachelor and next to snowfields and alpine lakes. There were a couple of tough climbs but then the sweetest twelve mile descent on a freshly paved road back to Sunriver. It was a scorcher but the breeze on the bike was feeling great. The whole bike leg was incredible and I enjoyed being on the road with a constant stream of fellow competitors.

Once I racked my bike and headed out for the half-marathon along the paths of the Sunriver community it was a different story. The ninety-five degree day finally caught up to me and the heat addled my brain and slowed me to a pitiful jog, until in the second half I was taking walk breaks every minute or so. In a beautiful moment Meredith caught up to me with one mile to go and we finished together. After all our training and planning it was perfect. And to finish it was pure bliss. I'd always thought this would be a one-shot deal for me but it was an amazing experience, I may be back for more. I got lots of calls and emails before the race wishing me well, thanks to all of you and everyone anywhere who was thinking of me, sending good thoughts my way.