As is probably pretty evident from my last post, Trinona didn't exactly go the way I had hoped. With a sprained and fractured ankle, there was no way that I was going to be able to compete. When I realized I had sprained it, I initially had hoped that is was a minor enough sprain that I would be able to go. Once I got stuck in the boot, though, I knew I was done. While that sucked, I figured I was over it. Que sera, sera and all that. I even signed up to volunteer so I had a reason to tag along and hang with my peeps.
Volunteering was fun, though I had NO idea what I was doing. I was assigned an intersection to man along with someone else, but I was the only one to show up. After being asked by the race marshals to make big gestures to steer racers around the corner, I settled into a routine of gesticulating wildly while using my body to block drivers from turning onto the road while bikers were coming around.
 |
| My corner |
Despite the very real threat of rain, the course stayed dry until the very last riders came through. Since it was a corner, everyone had to slow down enough that I could see their faces, so I got to say hi to the people I knew. And there were a lot of those. Holy smokes, Owatonna rocked this place.
After I was released from my post, I got back to the finish line in time to see Ann come in. After that, I hung onto people's bikes as they claimed prizes and went back and forth for food and whatnot. Then everyone headed out and I walked back to my car alone.
I was seriously considering ending this post here, but I guess the point of this blog is to recount the ups AND downs of this triathlon journey of mine, so be warned, I get sorta morose for a moment here.
Once home, I saw a pic on Facebook of my friends celebrating with food and liquor, as is their habit. Suddenly, I was all choked up and feeling about two inches tall. Being me, I started trying to rationalize this strange emotive outburst. Was I upset about missing the race I'd been training for? Well, yes, but that wasn't it, really. Was I being hopelessly adolescent, and feeling left out? That was closer, but not quite it.
Finally I realized that I was feeling not left out, but left behind. I hang out with people light years better than me at what we are doing, and while I try to be okay with that, in honestly it bugs me. In some way, I guess I felt this would be my opportunity to join that cool kids club and feel like I had something in common with these incredible people. Instead, I once again ended up watching from the sidelines like that obnoxious younger sibling who doesn't know enough to just go home. I know that is my own insecurity speaking, and not any reflection of them, but there it is nonetheless.
Well, wallowing wasn't getting me anywhere, so I took my fitness bike and went for a ride (yay flat pedals...but don't tell my doctor). The sun was out, the path was dry and I was booking it for someone with a gigantic boot on her foot. There are a lot of things that flying along on two wheels won't fix, but a pissy mood is not one of them.
