The whole point of my triathlon experience was to prove to myself that I could do it
and finish confidently. To not be in pain. To not be injured. To not die out there.
I wanted to cross the finish line with the feeling of success. Proud of my accomplishment.
And I did. But it was a long journey getting there.

Sure I could have started to swim a little sooner… sure I could have taken swim lessons.
Sure I should have run more practice miles… run further, smoother, quicker.
Sure I could have done a lot of things. But I did what I could. And I was ready to go.

Days Prior.
In the days leading up to the Triathlon, I was trying to get in as much training as possible.
Swimming in the lake as part of my morning sunrise bike ride. Jogging whenever I could
find the time. But at some point, you need to stop and rest before the big day.

I really started to get excited when I went for the the official check-in, packet pick-up,
body marking and Tri Expo. And then, it was also great to meet up with one of my old
college roommates Ken… who was up for the Tri from Florida. And even more fun to meet
up with one of my fraternity Little Sisters Pammy who was also up to do the Triathlon…
even if she only did the Sprint version!!! So the Chicago Triathlon was quickly becoming
a fun social event, as well as the physical challenge! It started becoming fun!

Early Morning.
My triathlon morning started very early. Leaving the house at 3:45am in complete darkness
with all of my gear. Ready to get check-in to the transition area and get my bike & gear all
set up and ready for the race. With advice from several friends, I tried to set up my transition
area for the day. Including my bright green striped beach towel which I draped over my bike
as a great visual clue to find my bike in the transition area amongst the thousands of bikes
that fill the transition area. Planning ahead to “find” my bike after the big swim!!!

After setting up my transition space, it was then time to wait for my wave start time.
Which gave me over two hours to wait. Luckily, there was a beautiful sunrise to watch.

Pre-Swim Nerves.
Sitting & waiting by the side of the lake. Watching hundreds of other people getting into
the lake and starting their swim. I was a little concerned with how choppy the waves were.
Definitely the roughest waves that I’ve ever tried to swim in… and here’s me with my already
questionable swimming abilities. It didn’t help any to see people clinging to the sides of the
lifeguard boats… or even worse, literally being pulled out of the water and into the boats
within the first 100-yards  of starting. DONE… so soon, because the waves were too strong!
Luckily, there were lifeguards everywhere!!! Just in case…

First up, my friend Pam was getting ready for her swim. Her Sprint wave was almost an hour
before mine. So she got to “wiggle” into her wetsuit before I had to… which she was dreading!
And she’s going to kill me for showing these photos… but she was just too cute!

Then it was time for me to get ready for my swim… put on my wetsuit, which let me just say…
is not the most flattering of things to wear!!! Tight in all the wrong places.  Yikes!

Sadly… I packed my camera away for the swim… so the photos are far fewer from this point.
I hope to add more as I get some from friends or the official Tri Photographers!
Like these from my friend Claire, who was there watching for her boyfriend Dave….

The 1-Mile Swim.
So finally it was my turn. As my wave got closer & closer, the nerves got higher & higher.
And yet there was an odd sort of calmness… knowing it is what it is. I had done as much as I
could at that point. So I put on my goggles & purple swim cap, jumped in and started my
swim. Slowly. Not let me just point out, that I’ve only been swimming for about three weeks.
And if I had more time, I definitely should have taken some swim lessons. But I didn’t.
Instead, I spent my morning swims “perfecting” the side-stroke. So yes, there I was
surrounded by people who knew how to swim… and I did the side-stroke the ENTIRE way!!!
So crowded much of the time that other people were literally swimming over me, pushing
me out of the way, knocking, kicking & punching… sounds like fun, huh?! Part of the day.
And no one told me about the seaweed I would have to swim through… didn’t plan on that!

And there goes my wave (below) with purple swim caps… and hundreds of orange Gatorade
bags full of things people wanted to keep safe during their swim! Luckily, my parents were
there to cheer me on… take a few pictures… and hold my bag!

So after the swim, you climb out of the lake with assistance, then run to the Transition Area
to change and get on your bike. Not a fun run from lake to hillside in bare feet, trying not to
step on anything sharp… and further than you’d like to run, especially after swimming a mile!

The 25-Mile Bike.
Finally… a section of the race that I feel comfortable with. I was expecting this to be the
“easy” part. I never planned on today being the windiest day of the past month!!! And as luck
would have it, the first part of the ride north on Lake Shore Drive was straight into the wind!!!
Killer headwinds! It was tough getting up to speed, with the wind and surrounded by other
riders on a crowded Lake Shore Drive. Some passing on the right (which is opposite from
bike rides) and keeping a cautious eye in the huge grooves & potholes in the road. Luckily,
when I finally got to the north turn-around, it was a nice tailwind all the way back. But then,
as part of the International Distance Triathlon, you need to do the loop twice!!!
So it was back into the wind for me!!!

The 6.5-Mile Run.
So I made it back to the transition area and switched my shoes. My transition times were by
no means fast. I was more concerned about getting everything done, grabbing a quick snack,
drinking some water and prepping for the next leg. So when I finally started running, I was
feeling pretty good. Okay, well maybe after the first 1/2-mile. It was a weird feeling getting off
the bike and switching to running right away. Like my legs weren’t quite going in the right
direction?! But finally things started moving correctly, and I was off on my run. Again, I am
by no means fast! I’ve only been running for a month or two. Slow & steady… I was going well
until I felt a sharp pain in my left knee as we started going up a hill just after Shedd Aquarium.
So I opted for safety and self-preservation and walked up that hill. I also walked once when I
couldn’t get my “snack” out of my running belt. I was fidgeting & running, couldn’t do it.
So I had to stop for a quick snack, then it was back to the jog. Slow & steady… down past
McCormick Place and back up to Grant Park.

The Finish Line.
So as you turn left around the Field Museum, and head under the Lake Shore Drive bridge
into Grant Park, it was great to see the crowds of spectators, balloons and just a hint of the
Finish Line!!! Funny how you get a sudden burst of energy as soon as you know it’s almost
over?! Almost there... I saw Claire & Dave on the sidelines, then I ran through the Finish Line
triumphantly!!! Heard my name announced as I crossed, got my medal, more Gatorade…
and a wet towel. As I “walked it off”… I found my proud parents waiting for me by the finish
corral. After the race, we hung out for awhile… then I got to see my friend Pam again for
awhile. Then it was it was back to the transition area to claim my bike & my belongings.
To call it a day. Done.

The Rewards.
So now I have proved to myself that I can do it. Which was my entire point to this adventure.
It wasn’t about racing. It wasn’t about my time. I just wanted to finish confidently. And I did.
Even when I got to the finish, I still felt like I could have gone further. Not that I wanted to…
but I think I could have swam further, biked further and run further! It was a great feeling
to realize that I had achieved my goals. Trained appropriately. Did the work. And made it.

And, oh, but wait there’s more…
not only did I finish well, but then I felt like I had a “free pass” to eat anything & everything!!!
So my parents and I went to my favorite restaurant “Rose Angeli’s” for dinner. And had an
incredible special concoction of portobello mushroom raviolis, dark cherries, almonds,
more portobello mushrooms and a wonderful cream sauce!!! Yum… not to mention the huge
plate of bread pudding & hot caramel sauce… or the caramel sauce soaked pound cake!!!
Thank you again Catherine…

Chicago Triathlon – Sunday, August 28th
1-mile swim  -  25 mile bike  -  6.5 mile run  -  collapse…

Does it matter that I don’t really know how to swim???…
and I only run when someone is chasing me?!!!

And then, after letting the slip dry for a few minutes, we carefully peeled out the leaves
to reveal the leaf reliefs!

Next we took our slabs and draped them over a few handmade “frame” molds. After pressing
the slabs carefully into place, we trimmed off the excess edges & finished them off. They are
now set to dry… and after they’re fired, I will glaze the plates in the their “chosen” glaze color!

We headed down to Navy Pier to continue her fun day in Chicago!

Little did she know it, but I had also arranged for her to attend a surprise performance
of “Cirque Shanghai Extreme” on the Skyline Stage on Navy Pier. My friend Kim is the
Production Manager, and she graciously “hooked us up” for the show! And Taylor loved it…
she was mesmerized during the show. Especially when the acrobats came out over
the audience and performed just feet above her!

And then, oh but wait there’s more… after the show, Kim also took Taylor under her wing
and with a nod & a wave, Taylor got a complimentary stuffed panda. Which was then
autographed by a couple of the acrobats! And then… Kim also asked if we wanted to go
backstage to see some of the props, costumes and the large globe cage!!!  And after seeing
four motorcycles all driving around & flipping around inside the cage, it was very cool
to go inside… sans motorcycles!

But her evening wasn’t over yet… once she saw the huge Ferris Wheel on the Pier, it was somewhat inevitable that we would be going for a ride. So we were once again “hooked up” and hopped on the ride – slowly taking us up well above Navy Pier. With fantastic views of the city and lake all around us!

But the fun continued… as it was Wednesday night, which also means Fireworks!!!
Yep, every Wednesday & Saturday night we’re treated to fireworks over the lake!
And with that… her magical Claydate Playdate had come to an end…

I’m pretty confident she had a wonderful time.
Okay, except for the moment when she found out she was just an inch too short
for the flying swings ride!!! But that was “corrected” with a huge swirled lollipop
for the drive home!

So we’ve been seeing the huge white tents set up by the Chicago Tribune
Freedom Center for months. And finally got around to seeing the latest production
of “Peter Pan” tonight. It was a beautiful night in Chicago… and the show was a lot of fun.
The classic story by J.M Barrie has been brought to life on-stage in the round! With
Peter Pan leading the Lost Boys in their battle with Captain Hook and his crew. Not to
forget the Indian Princess Tiger Lily, the mermaids and the “ever-ticking” alligator!

With some enchanting puppetry and inventive sets, the primary focus of the production
is the stunning 360-degree projections all around the tent ceiling. Moving images that
surround the stage, and the audience, to create the scene… and make the actors truly look
like Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy and the whole Darling clan fly through the sky!

Last night was an evening with the one & only… Sir Paul McCartney!!!
Yes, the Living Legend himself played at Wrigley Field last night. For nearly 3 hours straight!!!
No breaks. No theatrics. No costume changes. Just incredible songs from his immense library.
And it was magical. So endearing. So enduring. My best evening at Wrigley Field ever!!!

So we got to Wrigley Field and the place was a buzz. The entire neighborhood was crowded
and quickly turning into a huge block party! Although it was still quite hot & humid, there was
a nice breeze blowing through our section of the stadium. For awhile…

And then the crowd went crazy as a wonderful collage of McCartney memorabilia began
to scroll down the enormous LED screens. Everyone thought that the show was about to start.
Little did we know that it was going to scroll for about 30 minutes!

And then the show began… and Paul McCartney was wonderful.
He came out with a sport coat on, but with the heat & humidity, that quickly came off.
He made light of it and rolled up his sleeves to get down to business. Sweating through his
shirt, he never stopped. No costume changes for this guy. Just great music!

Endless songs. One classic right after another. All of the McCartney classics.
Many from Wings… and more than I expected from The Beatles. Every one a classic!
Every time a new song began, I was giddy with excitement. Especially when my all-time
favorite Beatles song began… just a few noted in and I was screaming for “Obla-Di, Obla-Da.”
They just kept coming… I never stopped singing… with a silly childlike smirk on my face. The
evening was incredible. He sounded great, looked great and was so personable & endearing.
Great stories shared with the crowd. Great interaction. So incredible to hear the 40,000 people
all singing along with his classic songs. Imagine how that most feel like for him?!
And then the fireworks began… with “Live And Let Die.”

So, after three hours of performing, the 69-year old finally finished his show.
Sweating like the rest of us, and not a single break for a drink of water?! Plus two encores
of three songs each. I didn’t want the evening to end… and with his extensive collection
of songs, I’m sure he could have gone on forever. And I would have been thrilled.

Sir Paul is playing at Wrigley Field again tonight. If you have a chance to score a ticket,
by all means do!!! You will be so glad you went. A chance to see the Living Legend.
I’m even considering going back tonight to camp-out just outside of Wrigley Field for
a “free” concert… another night with Paul McCartney?!!! Could it get any better???

Amazing… simply amazing. And now… my favorite concert ever!!!

The silhouettes are incredible at this time of the morning. With the sun peaking over
the horizon – creating beautiful shadowed reflections in the water. I especially love
how the sun is streaming through the windows of the building on Northerly Island.

And while I was down there already…
I thought I might take a quick trip around Soldier Field. To get a closer look at the
“alien spaceship” that they plopped down on top of the traditional stadium when they
renovated several years ago. Yep… still not a fan!

When all of a sudden… somewhere up ahead in the center of the bike path
there was a strange lump. Something too big. Something that shouldn’t be there.
But it was… and when I got close enough to really see it… Imagine my surprise!!!

I’ve had a couple people ask if it was one of those “flying” Asian Carp fish
that they’ve been talking about “invading” the Lake for years. I think there’s
a pretty good chance… but I don’t know for sure! Could it really have jumped out of the
lake and landed about 25-feet away only to become breakfast for the ravens & seagulls?