Open mouth

It was a great weekend for laziness/Recovery bad weekend for training.

I was giving back to the community and was volunteering to man an aid station for Calico Racing's Marde Gras race.

Its a great event, all done on the bike trail, so it completely cutoff from the road. Plus its close to my house, nice bonus.

Rather than do the event and then go workout, I figured I'd run from my house to the event and get if over with.

Right off the bat, I knew something was up. My PE was high, I was full of snot and I felt god awful.

Crap, I remember this feeling. I felt just like this before I got sick last time. Well, there goes my plans for an intensive workout.

Instead I took it easy and while I got less mileage than I wanted, I still got to the event in plenty of time.

I was in charge of aid station #1. Which is great because you get to see everybody as they come in and go out. Sometimes that doesn't happen for the far out aid stations as the race has different lengths.

Originally, I thought that I'd be the only person there. Its a small race, one person should be OK. But when I got there I found a couple of people already there. I should have known that the RD would take care of everything. Her races are always so well supported.

There were two ladies setting up. One dressed way up for the theme (Marde Gras) and the other had on some beads.

We got everything all setup and started talking. The bead girl was a newby to running but really liked it. The dressed up lady was only 4 years into it but had already done a lot of races.

One thing leads to another and we start talking about races, which one to do, which RD's are cheap, etc. Eventually it comes out that I'm a triathlete.

Oh! If your a triathlete, then maybe you know my husband? Mr. X.

(Now I hate it when outsiders think that you MUST know this person because they do what you do too! I mean come on, the triathlete world is huge! What is the chance that I know this one person??

Of course....

I do actually know this person! What's worse? I know the history of this person.

Mr. X was a local coach around here. He always struck me as 'off', because he looked and acted like a total skater boi. Turns out that he was actually a good coach! Lots of locals used him. Big ego, but great guy!

Anyway, Mr. X took a wild turn in his life and right out of the blue he decided to join the Military. Skater boi with big ego becomes straight lace "no 'I' in team" guy. A complete 360.

Why? I don't know. But here was a great chance to find out.)

Now as I already mentioned Mr. X was a skater type, but this Marde Gras dressed woman seems like a total hippie chick to me, a great person but a hippie chick nonetheless.

Me: I didn't know he was married.

Her: well, we are not married anymore. He's my ex.

"Wow! I didn't even know he was married"

Yeah, we were together for like 15 years. Until one day he just said 'ok, we're done'

OK. Little awkward.

"Yeah. I heard he just up and joined the military what happened?"

"He felt like he needed to do something with his life. He had a near death incident and felt that he had to change his life."

OK. At this point I feel stupid for asking the question and dragging out the painful memory. I am trying to find a way to make this better.

"Well at least you know he didn't leave for another woman"

As soon as the words left my mouth I knew it was the wrong thing. I had meant that he was surrounded by a bunch of guys, training the hardest he has ever trained in his life. Everyday was a struggle. You can be confident that he is not off travelling the world eating cherries from another woman's navel. That is what I had meant to say.

Her: "Actually, do you know woman Y? Apparently they are engaged and they're going to get married next time he's here".

OK. Really awkward.

Me: "OH look, here come the runners!"