Oh, I hope they pick you! That would be so cool. I am daydreaming about how my childhood would have been different if a Denise/RunningMommy-type triathlete had come and talked to my class. Wow. To have that image as part of "what's possible" for a girl like me would have been profound. Even if you don't do it as part of that program, maybe you could go to your son's school and do a presentation anyway! The kids would love the wetsuit, and your bike is the coolest.

I ran this morning with a friend. I was having trouble waking up this morning, and kept falling back asleep and dreaming that Tracy, from this board, had flown to Chicago to go for a run with me, and I couldn't seem to get it together to go running. Couldn't find my shoes, had the wrong keys, stuff like that. It was a relief to just get up, get dressed, and go run for real! It's snowing here, sort of drizzle-snow, wet, cold, and grey. I pulled on my bright red Nordic walking shoes, which are great for running in wet, icy conditions.

As we ran, I told my friend about you guys. She's run a marathon before, and done one "mini" tri (I keep correcting her, "SPRINT" not mini!). She totally surprised me by saying, "I want to do an IM. But I suppose I should do something more than a mini tri first." Wow! The things you find out about people! She's a short little woman--we sprint the last block of our run, and with my long legs, I always finish 1/2 block before her. I know she'll be very inspired by the IM stories here.

Rest up, Denise. I know the feeling of exhausted but can't rest. Maybe go for a lesiurely walk if you're too keyed up to couch surf. Take it easy. Get the body off high-alert. I'm thinking cherry pie thoughts for you. I keep a can of light cherry pie filling on hand, to eat on top of my low fat frozen yogurt, or on graham crackers. Not the same as pie, but not bad, either.

Enjoy some well-deserved recovery time! Remember, you're building muscle when you rest. L.