Try Andy's Tri

It all started this summer when some friends talked me into doing a triathlon with them. Out of the five of us I was the only one able to actually do the race. Did I get tricked into this? I waited in line two hours Saturday for a spot int he race b/c the race was full when I finally decided to buy a "ticket." I was number 14 in line to buy the unclaimed spots in the race. The race was on Sunday. I woke up at 4:00 due to my precious Addison waking up. I got up at 4:45 in time to pump and eat breakfast. Mr. Bill dropped me off at 5:30 at the transition area. All 800 of us got ready until 7:10. Then we were left to wait in the cold until the swimming started. I was in the last wave and swam at 8:05. I finished the swim in 7:54 and grabbed my jacket and headed to my bike. I got ready in 3 min. Right out of the gate I noticed that my back tire was low. I decided to use my CO2 quick pump to air it up. Bad idea to try this for the first time during the race. I ended up breaking off the air valve. So I now have a flat tire. We tried a new tube, in the process we lost the valve and had to dig around the grass for it. The new tube was leaking. We take it off, I really mean the 2 nice spectators, then put on the first tube which we think we can put the valve from the new tube on it. Nope, that's when we discovered that the valve was broken. Plan C, put the new tube back on and try to patch it. At this point I was very frustrated and prayed that it would hold air. The guy airs up the tube and it holds air this time! Woot! God was listening!

I’m off for the bike ride. I’m now riding alone due to the 23 min. delay and being the last wave of swimmers. The last five miles of the bike I had a personal police escort. I finished the bike in 1:04:??. I get back, I'm the last one and most people are done with the race by now and change into my running shoes, drop my jacket and go. The run was my best part. I finished in 31:??. That was pretty goo considering I was training at 12 min miles and was certain before the race that I'd have to walk! I didn't have to walk at all! I guess I had experienced enough sore muscles while running during my soccer days!

My goal for the race was to finish in less than 2:00:00. Despite the flat tire disaster I still finished in less than 2 hours! My goal for my next race is to finish in less than 1:30:00 and to majorly improve my bike time. The blind guy finished in 47:00. That's flying, average of 25mph on the bike! It was great fun, but I'm no superwoman. You can do it too with a little commitment and motivation!

Thank you all for your support! Especially Tracy for letting me buy a Tri bike!

1:54:06 Triathlon Time

Halloween Addison

Addison is all dressed up in her Halloween garb! You can't read her shirt but it says "I"m here for the candy!"

I haven't updated in a while- in brief I spent week before last in McKinney and Lewisville. Then I went to Ouachita for homecoming. It was my social club's 10th anniversary! We had a great time seeing old friends and I enjoyed introducing Addison to all my friends!

This week I booked a flight and hotel to go see Tracy next weekend, 23-26th. I"m not sure if he misses me or Addison more. For now we will call it a tie. But we both look forward to seeing him and meeting new friends.

Last night we all went to Amber's homecoming game where she is a dancer girl. Since it was homecoming the dad's danced too! It was really cute and funny! Imagine Dennis dancing and there you go. He did a great job compared to the other dads. Today I'm leaving for Sugar Land to see if I get a spot in tomorrow's triathlon. I"m staying with the Severances. They are friends of our family from when we lived in SL. I haven't seen them since 2005, is that right? Tracy and I weren't married and Leslie lived in SL. I'll keep you updated if I get a spot in the race!

8 months!

Happy Birthday Leslie!

Top Ten #1- The Waco Bridge

Finally the moment has arrived! The story behind the Waco Bridge. I'm sure it has a different name, but it's the old wooden bridge in downtown Waco. Tracy and I were seemingly going different directions in life in December of 2004. He was headed overseas for his first deployment and I was about to graduate college and head to Africa. He called me around Christmas and we found a way to meet up before he left for the deployment. At the time my oldest sister Leslie lived in Waco; my grandparents and Aunt Cindy, (was Meredith there too?) were all traveling to Waco to see Leslie. It just so happens that North Ft. Hood is 30 min. from Waco. I drove to meet Tracy at Chili's so his sister didn't have to drive all the way to the base. We ate, he ate a lot (2 entrees and an appetizer), then I dropped him off at the base where we said goodbye. The next day he calls me and wants to see me again. I was surprised but decided to spend some more time with him. He borrowed Watson's car and drove to Leslie's house where he met my Aunt Cindy and saw my grandparents again. This second night we went to Krispy Kreme; he'd never seen them make doughnuts and to the Waco bridge. It was a nice, cool night in Waco. We sat, stood, danced, talked on the bridge until midnight. At that time he told me that he loved me and I replied "okay." I was thinking this isn't going to work out; he's going to war! We said our goodbyes and I headed to Dallas. I got home and realized I missed him A LOT! He asked me to come to his going away ceremony in Waco! Which I did and would have been no big deal but that night I had to make a 5 hour drive to Arkadelphia. Before the ceremony I told him that I loved him and wanted to stay together this time! And we did! 4 months later he proposed on leave!

Top Ten #2- My Bed!

I know you've been in suspense regarding the end of my top ten list. My Tempur-Pedic bed makes the list at #2. Tracy and I inherited a bed from his family when we got married. We slept on it and endured two weeks of back pain until I finally said, "if we don't get a new bed today then I'm sleeping on the couch!" Wha-lah! We had a brand new Tempur-Pedic mattress that night! Not only do we sleep a zillion times better, since the bed conforms to your body it was an added bonus while I was pregnant! We also have Tempur-Pedic pillows that we lug around with us. We lug them around so often that I've been called a pillow snob! Well, to that person I say if you had a Tempur-Pedic pillow you'd be a pillow snob too!
The most recent Tempur-Pedic story involves it flying out of Tracy's truck on the way to storage. That's right, we put it in storage while I live in Austin (it was a sad day but we will survive!). Tracy came home from taking a trip to storage and said that we almost had a water bed because the mattress flew out and almost landed in the ditch. Don't worry it didn't but it also almost got run over by an 18 wheeler. Now that would have been the true test of the Tempur-Pedic.
Dear Tempur-Pedic, you should try an 18 wheeler running over a Tempur-Pedic and air it on your info-mercial. I'm getting tired of watching people lie on their bed on a back porch! No one lies on their bed outdoors!