Hot Triathlons makes for hot women

Wow I'm tired! This has been a busy weekend but SO AWESOME I can't believe it actually happened. I'm breaking up the trip into a couple posts. Here is the first chapter.

Day 1 (actually night)

I left Oklahoma at 7:30 PM when it was about 10000 degrees in the shape. I flew into

LA and then up to San Francisco where it was in the 50's. My body just didn't know what to do! I think it was in shock. I hit the sack around midnight on the west coast which converts to about 5 AM central time I think.

At least that's what it felt like.

Photo: Interesting landmark near my hotel. What is a "Cow Palace"? A hindu temple? maybe a big building full of sparkling hay?

I awoke to a gleaming sun and, again, 50 degree temperatures. I took the BART into downtown San Francisco and tried to act like I knew what I was doing. I had a map (very touristy) and spent a few minutes trying to figure out which train to take into the city. While I was doing this 2 trains came and went. Turns out that all the trains head into the city from where I was! I'm a genius, I know. It cost me $2 and took about 15 minutes to get right down on the bay using BART! Public transit ROCKS! We should so get that in Oklahoma.

I walked from the train down to the Expo (stopping at Starbucks of course). I was a TOTAL tourist during this walk. I took pictures of everything. I must of taken 10 photos of the Bay Bridge. It was just so cool! The sun was out and it look wonderful.

I walked into the expo like a kid going into a candy store. They had so much stuff and I needed all of it! I just had to have it. I don't know how I made it through life this long without it! As I was walking around panting and drooling, I

saw a familiar face. Actually I saw a bunch of familiar tattoos and piercings. With a second look I nearly stopped in my tracks. It was The Dirt Diva! I have been ready her blog for awhile now and now here she was right in front of me. I tried to be cool, I really did but the inner-dork came out like a river! I ran up to her and told her I read her blog and was a big fan. Luckily she was totally cool and extremely nice! I tried to take her picture and she suggested I get my picture taken with her. Total nerd-ness again as I almost screamed like a girl and put my arm around her while her friend took our picture. I'm a complete rock-star now!

I ended up buying a hat and another pair of RaceReady shorts. I got the longest ones they had which were 6". I love these shorts, they have pouches in the back and 2 velcro pockets in the front. My cell phone fits perfectly into them. Ok so pick my running clothes for my gadgets.

Photo: Bart Yasso signing a copy of his book

Wonderful California Traffic

Where in the world can you turn a 1.5 hour trip into an all day adventure? On the 101 heading north out of San Francisco that's where! Hey look a cow, let's slow down. Hey look grass, let's slow down. OMG it's a tree, let's come to a complete stop! A MERGE! HOLY CRAP BRING THE F-ING WORLD TO A HALT. Wow we haven't stop for 5 miles, let's stop for.... for.... for..... NOT A DAMN THING THAT'S WHAT! Ok enough griping about the traffic.

Barb's Race around Hell.

So I left the Expo to head North to see RBR and crew run Barb's triathlon. After fighting traffic, did I mention the traffic?, I made it to the race really late. Just to make things more interesting my cell phone battery died when I arrived. Great, good thing there are only about 1000 people running this race, should be easy to pick out someone I've never met. I walked around and got the lay of the land and discovered that the run was actually done in loops that came by the finish line each lap. Yea! now all I had to do was wait until someone came by that looked like RBR, yell at them like an idiot (comes naturally), then repeat until someone responds.

In the interim you'll never guess who I ran into. The author of the Athena Diaries! I recognized her and ran up like an idiot (told you). I think I spooked her a little, she seemed very hesitant. I'm blaming it on the 98 degree heat and not on the fact that I am a total Internet stalker who knew this person when she didn't know me from Adam. Yea, it was the heat.

Finally I saw her. She came around the finish and I knew her immediately. It was like my soul woke up and said, "Yes Willie, that is her". Ok so she was wearing her RBR pink shirt and her pink hat and was cussing like a sailor that gave it away! Actually no cussing but I'm sure she was on the inside. I yelled and she came over and gave me a big hug. Then she started her 2nd lap. Did I mention it was hot? It was hot, really hot. I was afraid she may melt into a pink stain on the road before she finished this race. I walked some of the run loop and there was VERY little shade.

RBR made it around and came into the finish with her LA run buddy. I screamed and yelled trying my best to embarrass them. Little did I know that feat may be impossible, a fact I would learn later! I stood around with the pink crew and heard all about the race and the heat (did I mention it was hot?). I also got to watch RBR shower with her friend! 

Got a picture of it too! They all did awesome just to finish that monster. 

We all got together again for dinner and had a wonderful time. They are all so interesting and extremely funny. I felt like I was in the company of old friends and not sitting in a restaurant 1500 miles from home with total strangers. These ladies were great. Total class (OK so not much for the class but that suits me just fine). We will definitely do this again.

Thanks for listening