Last weekend I ran in my first triathlon — the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Fla. I was part of a relay team of girls who I hardly knew a month ago but who I grew closer with as we worked together to complete each leg of the race.
Our team came in sixth out of the female relay teams, which we were pretty happy about. I ran the 10k at an 8-minute mile pace — not quite as fast as I had hoped, but decent.
Afterward, I joked with my teammates, saying I felt like a slacker for only doing the running portion of the triathlon. Now, we’re each thinking of doing a full tri — a goal that doesn’t seem so far off after having experienced what this type of race is like.
There was a tremendous amount of energy among the athletes, and it was invigorating to see so many people — young and old — push themselves to accomplish a goal. My next goal is to run another half marathon. I hope to visit a good friend from college in Minneapolis this August and join her in running one that’s being sponsored by World Vision. There’s also a triathlon in Clearwater in July that I’m tempted to do. We’ll see how well my knee, which has been in pain recently, holds up.
Funny how runners have a tendency to run through the pain. Running has always presented me with the challenge of learning how to listen to my body and respect it when it needs rest. I tend to push myself too hard, which usually results in me experiencing greater pain for a longer period of time. I’m learning, though, that every now and then it helps to slow down.
Word on the Street 
Mallary, Keep on running, another half marathon under your belt, will get you ready the biggest race of you life. I would love to see you run the boston marathon next year. Stay strong and keep on running to a new goal. Love Gina
Take care of that knee. It has to last you a loooong time!