About two years ago I was in Barns and Noble in Atlanta. I was standing in line to order a quick after dinner snack, a mocha frappacino and piece of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. I also had two magazines in my hand and was going to pay for it all there in the cafe and just read and eat there. I put my magazines down and ordered my snack and the little girl behind the counter looked at me like I was buying porn. Now I had check out people look at me funny before, but they never just came right out and said anything like this girl. She looked at my magazines and she looked at me and she asked. "do you actually do this stuff?" It was almost like she had never waited on a 380 pound guy buying triathlon magazines and cheesecake. I was taken a back and a little embarassed to tell you the truth. I had to tell her, "well no, not really, but I have swam, and I own a bike and I walk and run some, and someday I am going to do this." She said, "cool" and I took my cheesecake and mocha frappacino, along with my newest issue of Triathlete and Inside Triathlon and now too embarassed to eat and read there, I went to my car and ate there. I even shed a couple of tears in my car that night.
Yesterday I swam 500 meters, biked 13 miles, and ran 3 miles in completing my first triathon. What a difference a couple years make. The journey is far from over and I have more goals to accomplish, but TODAY I AM A TRIATHLETE.
