Skip to main content

KW, My "TRI BFF"

I have lots of tri buddies.  Some are slower, most are faster.  I have friends I talk about training with.  Friends who I run with, friends I bike with, friends I swim with.  I have friends I motivate and friends who motivate me.  There are my tri heroes, my tri coaches, and even my tri enemies.  Everyone I have met in real life or chatted with on line because of triathlon has a special place in my tri life.  Love or hate, they have all gotten me to where I am in the sport.

There are also several people who I have met who have been more than just an influence to me as an athlete.  They have become great friends who have helped me through some of the most difficult days of my life.  They have called, texted, dropped by.  Dragged me out for a swim, bike or run when I needed most to stop thinking.  They have gotten me to where I am in life.

There is one person who has become a big part of my life because of triathlon who less than a year ago I was simply a huge fan of, and she had no idea I even existed.  Then, by chance, she came across my blog and left a comment.  From there it snowballed into full blown friendship.  And I am truly blessed to have Kristin on my side.  I'm not sure what I bring to the table, but she brings it all.  Question about my meds, text Kristin.  Need a divorce lawyers number, Kristin to the rescue.  Have trouble with the snooze button, she offers wake up calls.  Don't have the money to buy a trainer, here have mine.  Don't have a place to live, you can stay with me.  You name the problem, and she will give me the solution.

She's the kind of friend who invites you over for dinner, and then as you are walking out the door to head over, suggests you bring your work out clothes (cause she knows you slept in and skipped your run that morning).  We ate a great dinner that she cooked, and then she came and sat and chatted with me while I ran on her treadmill.  And after I ran she gave me brownies!

The morning of my first tri of the season, she was away for her second Pro race.  Kristin sent me a text to call her when I finished.  And genuinely cared about how I did!  Here she is, a pro triathlete, at an Iron Man 70.3 event, hanging with the best of the sport, and she took the time to wish me luck, and ask how I, a newbie slow poke triathlete, did at a local race.   When I was down on myself for how poorly I thought I did, she pointed out how much I had overcome just to be at the race.

I am truly grateful to have become friends with such an incredible woman.  I know there is no chance that I can ever be even half the athlete she is, and that doesn't matter to me.  I can only hope that I can be as good a person and as great a friend as she is.

Thanks for everything Kristin, you will always be my "tri bff"!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Caroline you are a sweetheart. I have been blessed getting to know you! So many people were there for me when I went through my divorce. I hope my being there for you helps just a little!
Jason said…
Kristin is honestly a true bright spot and not just in the sport of triathlon but in life.

I had the pleasure of speaking with her by phone and had a wonderful conversation and I learned a lot.

I have tried her Bridges Over Kenya core workout to have only failed miserably time and time again and I promise when I do it through to completion and tell her I know she will be just as excited as I would be to have completed it.

Popular posts from this blog

Today Sucks

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary.  Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of me finding out about the other woman, and two days after that is when we agreed to end the marriage.  This weekend I'm moving out of my house.  Basically the week sucks.  Then throw in the anniversary of my miscarriage fourth of July weekend, and I may as well put myself back in the psych ward for the next 3 weeks.  Yesterday I spent the day mourning what had been my life.  The boys went with their dad for father's day, and I lay in bed sobbing and crying and wishing it would all go away.  I remembered all of the awesome fun times we had as a family.  I thought about our wedding day, the days the boys were born.  The fun times we had together.  Tonight they will be with him too.  I'm going to go for a long ride and run, and then come home and probably cry just a little more.  Then, tomorrow, I will move on.  I will pick up the pieces...

Triathlon Ramblings

My first triathlon of the season is four weeks from today.  I'm pretty sure I am going to bonk, hard core, but I will finish the race on my own two feet.  This training as a single mom is a little harder than I thought.  Especially with both boys having activities that take up time.  I'm hoping to get on the bike  course at least once prior to the race.  Was supposed to ride today, but my training partner got scared off by the rain.  I still love her any way.  Came to the realization this afternoon that Green Lakes tri takes place on what will most likely be day two of my cycle.  This is not a good thing.  Really hope I'm late this cycle, so that I don't have to worry about it.  I know you don't need to know this, but it's kind of freaking me out.   One thing I had hoped to avoid until I don't feel like a newbie triathlete anymore.   Sometimes men don't know how easy they have it!   Really would still appreciat...

Livestrong at the YMCA Green Lakes Triathlon Race Report

Yesterday was my first tri of the season.  It was also my first tri since he moved out.  My first tri since my hospital stay, and my first tri with out my original training buddy Missy who originally motivated me to tri in the first place. It was also my first tri on meds, and my first tri with my period (i know tmi, but it was an unneeded stressor)  Not to mention my first tri season with out a coach.  Needless to say, I wasn't feeling ready for it.  About a week before I told a few friends that I quit.  That I wasn't doing it.  That I knew I couldn't.  I had so much self doubt, and the voice of one former "friend" telling me I didn't have what it would take kept ringing in my ear.  A couple of my friends said, ok, if that's what you want, we will support you.  But Kristin wasn't having it.  Her text to me went something like this:  it's a sold out race, you took a spot that someone else could have had, you owe it to them t...