Yesterday I signed up for my very first triathlon!



The TriRock Annapolis sprint tri. Ahhhh!!!!!

I am so nervous and excited, but mostly just nervous.

See, I've got the whole running thing down, and I'm actually not a terrible swimmer, but that whole biking thing? Yea I'm terrified.

There are so many rules, like drafting and passing and what you can and can't do, and it just seems so complicated.

Combine that with the fact that I don't own a bike, nor do I really know what to look for in a bike, and it's safe to say the bike leg has me a little overwhelmed.

I'm also nervous because I know tri's involve way more logistics than typical road races. I know nothing about setting up a transition area, how to change a flat on a bike or what to look for in a wetsuit, and it's all a lot to think about.

But the race isn't until May, so I have plenty of time to learn and there's no need to panic just yet.

I plan to start by buying a bike as a Christmas present to myself. I'm hoping I'll be able to score an older model at a slightly cheaper price at the end of the year since bike stores will want to clear them out to make room for the newer models.

If any slightly more experienced triathletes have advice on what to look for in a bike (ideally one that won't break the bank), please share in the comments!

For now I plan to enjoy the off season, while doing lots of reading about training for triathlons!

That has been my motto when it's come to workouts lately.

Ever since the half marathon in Philly, I've wanted to be active, but running is the absolute last thing I've wanted to do. You'd think my running shoes had the plague or something, that's the kind of distance I've been keeping.

Luckily, while I was home in PA, I was able to hit the pool with my mom a few times for some really great workouts.


My mom swims with a masters swim group, and every morning they get to the pool and one of the ladies in the group has put together a workout everyone can follow.

On Wednesday, the workout looked something like this:


Lots of short sprints!

That's my kind of pool workout! I get really bored swimming longer distances and lose count really easily on the number of laps I've done.

I impressed myself by being able to complete the entire workout. (Though I did bust out the fins for the 125's and 150's because I couldn't quite make the time intervals without them.)

In total, we swam about 2,775 yards.

Not too shabby for having not been in a pool for more than two years.

I was actually really bummed the pool was closed on Black Friday because I was itching to get another pool workout in.

I've been doing some research on pools in D.C. because I definitely plan to spend a lot of time this off season in the pool.

It has been so nice being home in PA for more than week. I'm kind of sad to head back to D.C. today, but I did get to do a little bit of everything on this trip home: spend time with family, catch up with high school friends and take a nice day trip to NYC.



My mom and I like to take day trips into New York when I'm home because it's such a short ride away from Allentown. Sometimes we go for no reason and just walk around enjoying the city, and during the holidays check out the fun window displays.




But this time we had a great reason.

We were going to see my friend Steve in his second Broadway show, Priscella Queen of the Desert!


Back in the day, Steve and I used to dance at the same dance academy. (Yes, I used to dance, from when I was four years old until I graduated high school.) And his family goes to my parents' church, so I guess it's safe to say, we go way back.

I was so excited to see the show. It has been getting amazing reviews, for everything from the incredibly upbeat music to the outlandish and over-the-top costumes, to the funny and sometimes touching plot line about three drag queens road tripping across Australia.



Steve plays the role of Young Bernadette, the much-younger version of one of the lead characters. He's also the understudy for one of the leads. I may have secretly been hoping the lead needed a day off after the holidays so we could see Steve in that role. No such luck though!

The first time Steve walked onstage wearing a ridiculous drag costume with fake eyelashes that looked like they were a mile long from my seat in 10th row, I busted out laughing. And I pretty much didn't stop laughing the remainder of the show.


Steve did an amazing job. (No surprise there. He's an incredibly talented actor/singer/dancer.) The rest of the cast was phenomenal too. Those guys pulled off playing ladies surprisingly well.

After the show, Steve gave us a tour of the costume area, his dressing room and took us up on the stage. It's fun to get a sneak peek at how everything happens behind the scenes.

If you're in NYC, trying to figure out what show to see, go see Priscella (unless you have young kids, then maybe go see Mary Poppins or the Lion King.) You will laugh until you cry.

Oh and what's a trip to NYC without a ridiculous picture with the characters roaming around Time Square: