'Tri' No More...

'Great job Tanya Anderson!' is what I heard over the loud speaker as I crossed the finish line. It was hard to believe that I had done it...after over five months of training, the BIG event was finally over! It was a truly amazing experience for me.

6:30 - Kacey, Annette, Aspen and I got there at the crack of dawn and set up our stuff. Then we found a spot by the swim start/finish line to watch the masses of women get released for their first event. The first group to go were cancer survivors and it was so amazing to see the smiles on their faces as they came running out of the water. Quite emotional I must say. After a quick hug from my #1 fan and the girls, we headed over to get our gear on.

8:50ish - We were the last wave to go out of over 3400 women. I was so excited to get going. When the fog horn blew, I swam as hard as I could to the buoys in the distance. The visibility in the water was about a foot, so I bumped into a few unsuspecting women but everyone was so friendly they would just say, 'you're doing great, keep going!'

9:10ish - I finished the swim and hopped on my bike for what seemed like the longest 13 miles of my life. The ride was beautiful. I tried to just enjoy the view, instead of think about the fact that my legs were tired.

10:00ish - I was greeted by my family and friends, which was such a joy, as I dismounted my bike and headed in for the last leg...the dreaded run. My legs were jelly when I started and I could see hundreds of little pink-shirted people running so far away that they looked like ants.

10:30ish - My right foot was beginning to feel numb and chills were spreading over my body...I was nearing the finish line and so ready to be done! My body was saying 'STOP, REST!' but the call of cheering crowds and the encouraging lady over the loud speaker kept my feet going. I passed Woody and gave Megan a high five as I rounded the bend which brought me home at last. FINISHED! Woo-Hoo!