What a week

Me at the Marin Century a few weeks ago ->>>>>

So, it's Friday again, huh? I try to always post on Friday because usually I'm so happy that the fun-filled weekend is about to begin that I just HAVE to share it with everybody!

However, it's been a bit of a somber week. Barbara's tragedy has really had me thinking a lot about life in general and how we choose to live it. I consider that every time I get on my bike there's a chance something could happen, but I feel most alive on my bike, so it's a risk I'm willing to take. Life is full of risks and you just have to navigate them as best you can.

It's been crazy on my end, as well. I just don't know where these weeks have gone since Vineman. It's so odd that it was already well over a month ago...

I have decided not to do the LA Triathlon. I simply cannot handle another drive down there after just last weekend (not to mention the drive home ended up being 9 hours because we had some car problems, etc), and then we are going BACK down to Santa Barbara the weekend AFTER LA for some camping. That would make 3 weekends of long road trips with only one weekend in between. Ugh.

I looked for cheap plane flights, and thought "oh, well if I could find a flight out of Santa Rosa like the day before and then fly back the next afternoon..." but it just doesn't work. This is another 2-transition race and there's all these logistics involved and I have to think about cars and bike shipping and I just can't HANDLE it all right now. August has been too crazy to really even try planning anything.

So, I will eat the loss of the race cost. It sucks. But I would spend a lot more going down there. The biggest reason I was really going is because it's Courtenay's 30th birthday and I wanted to join the party with her and Kelly and go have a great time and when I signed up it all sounded SO PERFECT and SO MUCH FUN! But now, given my lack of energy dealing with anything logistically difficult, it sounds tough. And as much as I thought I loved road trips, I realized that I like them when they are spaced apart. By like, months.

Instead, I'm going to do the Folsom Triathlon. I can drive up that morning. I don't have to think about places to stay. I can carpool from Sacramento up to Folsom with my friend Carmen, who is just getting into tris and I have been wanting to race with her. I can visit my grandparents in Sacramento post-race. I just really want to do one last Olympic race and I don't want to think about any logistics! I just want to RACE!

As for my weekend, I'm planning to do a lot of cycling, running and eating. Oh and sleeping. And cleaning.

I am so excited - by not going to LA, I am also now able to participate in my first Cross Country race next weekend! Not sure at all what to expect but it should be fun.

I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend full of great adventures, luscious sleep and for all of you racing IM KY this weekend - GOOD LUCK AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!!