What good is a triathlon without a picture of training buddy rubbing your bod into a wetsuit and abs at the finish line?

Here we go again, another triathlon...

Hardly time for a race report in ol' Door County. I love it here too much, and so little internet and computer time (thank the goddesses).  But here's a bit of the fun that was thrown my way on Sunday the 22nd.  After two weeks of "the itchiest summer in history" and no training whatsoever, I hauled my Iron-gear up to Egg Harbor and ponied up to the start line of a half-ironman.  Here I am, getting ready to start the 1.2 mile swim.  What's happening here?  Dear friend, Jim, is shoving all of myself into my wetsuit.  Obviously, Peter took the photo, so we're a wild a wacky family, but you knew that already, dear reader??? OF course! 

If it's not fun, why do it??? (Ben, of Ben & Jerry's).

 Practically six hours later and I'm done!  You wonder, LF, what happened in between....but who cares? I'm done!!!!! 17 days of de-training and I can still finish this puppy with a smile on my face and abs intact.  Lo and behold, it's a middle aged woman still having fun at her hobby!!!  Take a look at the arm coolers, my attempt to stop scratching everything that itches, and it worked!!! The only thing that itched today were my quadriceps and that subsided as soon as that nasty blister popped up on my right, then my left foot (ouch!).  It was Donegan to the rescue, again, who found me on the course and gave me his own darned socks.  Now, Tri-afficionadoes, y'all know this is DQ territory, especially as my training buddy finished 7 more miles With Me.  But heck if I care, I started with the last wave of ol' ladies at practically 9 AM and sheesh, no drafting and all I did was pass people on the bike and suffer on the run (duh, what else is new?)....so when Jimmy D. ran it in with me I called it a training workout and took it for what it was.  Another day in Beautiful Door County with great friends and wonderful family....did I mention that Peter drove up for a mere 24 hours to be with me for race day? Where on Earth did I find this man? Only surpassing Jack W. Steward himself in the arena of loyalty.  I think I'm in love, after all.

Here I go again, screaming: "wave fifteen, wave fifteen!"

Yes, just like Ridgeland Common!

 So after a crazy July, I pulled in a 13th in my division and I'll take it.  Pick up the training, run in Madison, and I've got a shot at another great Ironman.  Maybe not blistering fast, but fast enough for the unencumbered woman, right on!!!!  As Jilly says: "you really don't have to train that much."  Ha Ha, but I sure was sore the next day!
And here I am, in the Door County Special Cooling Tank!!!! Yes!!!!! Forget WTC, and go with the boutique races! Only a week ago I was arguing with a race director  about the need for ice for athletes.  We had ice ALL DAY LONG and an ice tank for the finish line.  NOW we're talking about return on those exorbitant race registration fees!

Me and Ashby, post-race. Money in the Bank.