Oy. It's been a rough start back from the holidays, right? I think I have a holiday hangover. I did really good over the holidays and didn't buy myself anything, which I usually do the entire time I'm Christmas shopping. So to reward myself, on Friday I bought some stuff. You know, small ticket items like a Cycle Ops indoor bike trainer. Thanks,

Red Kite

! Then I went to Target and got new running tights (with a drawstring!) and this super cute/my new favorite sweatshirt. I needed a $40 sweatshirt like a hole in the head, but... #womenbeshopping.

I have exactly one friend from my youth, and this is her - Dawn. We met in middle school and have been friends and off and on roommates ever since. She moved to LA this year, but she was home for Christmas and wanted to check out Adele's, so I met her on Friday night for our fancy, lady dinner. Adele's - thumbs up!

More friends home for Christmas! On Saturday morning, I met my friend Hot Koh Koh for a run and coffee. And when I say run, I mean walk. Because we straight up walked for 4 miles. Whatever! My knee has been bothering me and it's easier to talk while walking anyway.

Okay, I did run on Sunday. Shockingly. I met Kristine, Melanie, Lana and Jessica to run various lengths in/around Belle Meade Boulevard. The three of us weren't feeling it, so we ran 3 miles, peaced out and went to Dose for coffee and biscuits.

Last week was my first week of Half Ironman training. I didn't actually start training, unless thinking, 'I should really start training' counts as training. I swim with NAC Masters and they sent out an email for their triathlete swimmers inviting us to show up at 3:30 on Sunday with our bikes and trainers for a 90 minute bike/swim brick workout. I just bought a bike trainer! I was super excited about this!

In not necessarily chronological order, here is a list of everything that went wrong. There was hockey practice and kids' swim practice, so I had to park a million miles away. It was freezing cold and raining. I was in flip flops. When I took my bike out of my trunk, my front tire wouldn't attach. I had to carry my bike, trainer and swim bag the million cold, wet miles into the building. I kept dropping things and sliding, because, flip flops. I got everything inside and up all the stairs to the bleachers only to realize that I didn't buy the training skewer to attach my bike to the trainer. No problem! I'll just park my bike and swim. The only lane open was so far away that I couldn't read the board, so I just swam freestyle for 45 minutes & got out. Wet, I walked my bike, swim bag and trainer back to my car. Still dropping things and sliding. I couldn't get the front tire back off my bike, so I couldn't get it in the trunk, and I couldn't get it in the backseat either. It was a disaster that ended in me crying all the way home. Interspersed in all this, were condescending remarks from men about bike maintenance, who I should be taking classes from and how bike trainers work. Thanks, men I don't know! You're why no one likes triathletes!