Face on Fire

It's official: I have my first triathlon-related injury. I would argue that running into the ottoman after a workout last week was painful enough to count. HOWEVER, running over a jellyfish with your face is far more dramatic. Yes, it's true. During the swim portion of my mini-tri on Saturday I hit what was probably a sea nettle in Banks Channel. It was a beautiful day: calm, warm and sunny. But nobody knew what lurked beneath........ When I turned to breathe on one of the last strokes before I hit the halfway mark, I felt the stings on my face and then it brushed across the back of my left shoulder.

Instead of swimming back, I hoisted myself onto the nearest dock, rinsed myself off and jogged bare-footed back to the Seaside Club. Neal, who was my SAG (support and gear), caked on some Benedryl cream (that expired in 1999) and I decided to finish the second leg of the race - the 15 mile bike ride that ended at home. I reapplied my anti-sting cream (Neal bought some brand-new version on the way home - awwwwww!) and I headed out for the 3.1 mile run!

My face burned for the rest of the day and there's a hint of a red swoosh on my cheek. (Maybe I'll be the new cover girl for Nike). My new mantra: on PHIRE TO THE PHINISH.

TTFN!