Will somebody please slow it all down!!

Every year the same thing happens - as soon as the end of October hits, it's a mad, downhill rush to Christmas.  This year we've had visitors from the UK (lovely to catch up), we went on a short holiday/business trip to Adelaide (fantastic and pics to share soon); and to add to all of that, I have two of my children turning 18 just before Christmas (did the time really pass that fast?) and a pile of lovely things to make for my favourite people in my life.

But the thing I really want to share with you is that - I COMPLETED MY VERY FIRST TRIATHLON last Sunday!!!!!  Yay!  On the morning our guests left for the airport, before our flight to Adelaide in the afternoon.  Contrary to all my whinging it would appear I do like rushing about and being hectic - not!

Anyway,  this triathlon was part of the Triathlon Pink series, which occurs all over Australia in aid of Breast Cancer research.  My friend and I decided to take part in the short run as it was our first time, which consisted of a 100 m swim, 3 km bike ride and finishing with a 1 km run.  I surpassed my own expectations in the swim, as although I love swimming I am terrified of water (go figure) and can't stand putting my head under water or being splashed.  The bike ride was, if I'm being honest, bloody terrible!  I couldn't even get my bike to coast downhill and had to pedal to make it faster down the hills.  Plus I hadn't really got the hang of the gears, and my friend noticed that the gears weren't engaging properly when I did change.  So that really slowed me down and made the ride very hard work.  Lastly, have you ever tried to complete a run after a bike ride?  It's not easy - my legs felt like lead, and didn't want to move and at one point I told my very long suffering tri partner to just carry on by herself as I was too stuffed to continue!  But she had told me she would not leave me and that we had to cross the finish line together.  So we did, holding hands, arms in the air and yelling at the top of our voices!  I may have been one of the slowest, but I finished, and I worked towards something very much out of my comfort zone and didn't talk myself out of it.  To say I'm extremely pleased and proud of myself is an understatement - and I can say I'm a tri-athlete.  :)

And it's the first in a long line of triathlons and running races I think - I've got the bug!