Summer of Dreams

Every summer Starr (our friend and tenant) names the summer. Last year was the summer of love and this year the summer of dreams. This year several of us received a Summer of Dreams mix cd and we are all waiting for the summer of dreams newsletter. So, I started thinking about what some of my summer dreams might be. There are a few stand-bys for every summer: spend a ton of time at the pool, get a tan, sleep as late as possible (which has been about 5:45 a.m. most of the summer thanks to the G-man), read a lot, eat lots of BLTs, etc.

As many of you know, I have been running a little in the last couple of years and taking spinning classes. Well, a few months ago I went for a swim at the gym then biked to pick Lillian up from school. Along the way, the bike trailer carrying Grayson got caught on a flower bed and I was pitched off my bike into the flower bed in front of several Wash U students. So, I arrived with blood running down my leg and regretting the earlier swim at the gym. I made it home and was wiped. As I am putting up the bike, my sister calls and says "I've been thinking. Since you swim now (once mind you), we should do a triathlon." She had completed one in the spring. I think I was dehydrated, but I said, "Sure, why not." And it all started. Peter agreed for me to fly to Louisiana to do it with Melissa and I started training. For the last six weeks or so, the training has been more intense. I am usually biking, running or swimming everyday. Thankfully, God provided me with a running buddy. Lisa has helped me improve my running tremendously and now it is actually fun.

My summer has been kind of magical. I have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. So, I feel that I am living in an alternate world and it has been blurred with tons of exercise and pool time. It has been really wonderful and fun. I have been doing a lot of training outside which has been great. I love the summer even when it is hot. I guess it is those Louisiana roots. So, a week from today is show time. I will be doing the Tri with Melissa next Saturday. Yikes! I am a mix of extremely excited and extremely nervous.

My Aunt Barbara called this morning and said, "This time next week you are going to be a rock star." I responded, "Or dead." I don't think I'll die, but I think it will be hard. My goals are to finish, not get hurt, and have fun. I am going to feel like a Rock Star when I finish. I will also likely refer to myself has a triathlete all the time. We are doing a sprint tri that is all women, so I think it will be a good place to start.

So, I'll keep you posted on how it goes.