Tri High

Imagine being one of 4,000 women gathering together at the water's edge in a rainbow of swim caps.

red

blue

pink

white

yellow

purple

women of all ages, shapes and sizes filling up on one another's adrenaline. Counting it down together 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 till that final word "go" releases you all like rockets into the open water.

To emerge from the water with a thousand eyes holding you in, telling you over and over again "you look strong woman."

Peeling off swim caps and wet suits ready to find your bike amongst the masses

To start in a downpour
on a course that feels slick as oil through tunnels, over bridges, dodging waterbottles and bikers that still have "swimmer legs"

on your left

on your left

To finish only to begin again in running shoes that feel like sand bags,

last leg baby

High fiving strangers and the sweet old couple who came out on their lawn just to tell you,

we are so very proud

And the bongo players who played in the rain to inspire you to run all the way up that final hill so you could make it around the corner to see these beautiful, soggy spectators.

And when you hear your name called out as you cross the finish line you raise your arms up high in the air because you realize you've done something so good for yourself because you know that "the woman who started the race is not the same woman who finished the race."