Gatorbait 2

So I completed the Gatorbait Triathlon a couple of weeks ago. It went well. I liked it. I think I'll do another one. I don't know when or where yet. And honestly I've been really busy with work this week and haven't had a chance to go run or bike or anything. It's too early in the morning and too hot in the afternoon.

I just thought I'd post this picture though. This is me after the race, right before I got in the car and drove home.

Gatorbait

Saturday is my very first triathlon.

500m swim
13mi bike
4mi run.

I got an email to remind me of packet pickup and this is what it said:
"This is the 4th annual GatorBait Memorial Triathlon. In 2008 while we were in the permit process to secure the race, someone killed the 12ft Alligator that lived at the Lake. This was also the very first race that Redemption Race Productions ever produced. I hope you enjoy the race and have fun.

Whoop!

My mom is driving down on to attend the event with me. I hope to post pictures!

What's in a name?

I recently ate dinner with a new "bosom friend" I think. She is a very interesting woman who interestingly enough uses a name that she gave herself herself in college. As a joke at a ward activity she wrote Helga on her nametag and began to use that name in the ward. The ward boundaries changed and she decided to change her name when she found herself in the other ward. She began introducing herself with her new name, and people would ask "is that short for something?" She'd say yes it's short for Gertrude, but that isn't her name at all. But the name stuck.

In relating this to me, she also mentioned that at one point her bishop was asked by a friend why she went by that name. The bishop said that she was hiding behind her name. She didn't really agree with that until she moved to San Antonio. San Antonio is for her what Lubbock was for me. A very lonely and isolating place with few feelings of fitting in. She said her adopted name became something she hides behind.  Her real name starts with a K and that's the name all her family use, always has. She said that most people don't know who she really is because she doesn't let them know K.

We proceeded to talk late into the night of profound things. It was very fomenting conversation. I hope that we become good friends and that some day in natural conversation K just falls out of me like I always knew her.

Just Breathe

Maybe it's because I don't really have anything to do right now. I feel in a little bit of a funk. Work starts for me on Wednesday, well I have some training for work, but that will be good to have something to do.

One of my roommates served her mission in Madagascar and I've taken one of her books in order to attempt to learn Malagasy. So far I haven't learned a whole lot. The language has rules, but apparently it doesn't follow the rules. Pronunciation doesn't seem to follow all of its rules either. It is a little frustrating. And there isn't a whole lot of information online either. There aren't a whole lot of people dying to learn Malagasy. But I think it's cool and I'd love to talk a little with my roommate. I think that she'd like that too.

Whenever I feel in a funk I always try to look for things to do for other people. There are some girls in the ward that have gone gluten free. I made them some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies Sunday before last, but still haven't taken them. I have been trying to come up with a clever note that will inspire them to pay it forward. So far I've been at a loss for what to say in the note. Everything I've tried to come up with is either too cheesy or just silly.

Today was one of those days where I just had to remind myself, "Hey, you're ok. You'll be fine. Just breathe."