If I Were a Rich Girl . . .

Yesterday I did the Desert Grande Triathlon. It was the one that originally got me pulled into this whole new lifestyle. Way back in April, if you remember, one of Terence's fellow officers proposed this nutty idea. And here I am, seven months later, with two triathlons under my belt.

It was actually very fun! OK, I did spend quite a bit of the run wondering if I was at the end yet (oh, and I remember thinking that during the bike . . . and the swim) but it felt fantastic when I crossed that finish line yesterday. It's been a great thing-- I've lost a ton of weight, my muscles are all toned, my energy level is up, and I've built a good friendship with Brandi through months of training together. However, there is a drawback to all this.

I think I'm addicted.

Suddenly, our shoestring budget feels constricting in a way that it never has before. I see all these race listings and wonder how I could squeeze out another entry fee from poor Terence's dwindling overtime pay. I scheme for hours on how I could get my hands on an actual road bike. I frequently visit speedo.com since I'm going to need a new swimsuit soon. Then there's the problem of needing new clothes, since nothing fits anymore. My mom generously shared some of her clothes, but still my closet is a bit pathetically bare. (I got rid of all my too big stuff.) Worse, since I'm a normal size now, I've actually walked into stores and browsed through the women's clothing. Now, I know that's not a crime, but for a family budget that has for years relied on the fact that I hated to shop it's pretty devastating. Sometimes I try stuff on and want to buy it!!! Oh no. In fact, don't tell my husband, but I have actually tried on some shoes recently in the hopes of finding a nice casual pair to go with the jeans my mother gave me. (Terence would pass out from shock. Normally he has to drag me kicking and screaming into a shoe store.) I haven't actually bought any shoes yet, but it's just the fact that the desire is there. Something is really wrong with me.

Most alarming, I spent the time waiting to start the swim yesterday listening to a fellow triathlete rave about the triathlon held at Lake Havasu in March. He even told me how freezing the water was, how the bike went straight up hillsides, and how part of the run was in sand. And part of me has been daydreaming about taking a little weekend vacation to Havasu in the spring. Delusional. That's what I'm am. A small price to pay for feeling wonderful, I guess!