The Girl with 2 Last Names

Recently I've taken up triathlons as a hobby. While said activities are much more than a hobby as you have to be in excellent shape to compete in one, I still like to refer to them as a hobby, an after work activity if you will. Thus far I've done 3 races with a few more in the works. At the first triathlon, which took place very early on a Sunday morning after a full day of wake boarding, I faired well and placed third in my age group. I was elated and quite surprised, thinking this hobby is going well so far - much better than scrap booking. 

As they announced my name during the awards, they got the first name right then bungled the last names, they said one, then another with an "um - uh" in between. As I arrived at the center of the group to receive my medal, the announcer asked what my last name was. I replied, "its Macha Hebert". He said, "you have two last names?" I said, "yes I have two last names." He then announced into the microphone my full name and finished by saying, "this girl has two last names." There was a lot of commotion in the crowd, some cheered, some leered and many just laughed. I walked out of the center of attention as quickly as possible. 

So about a month goes by and its the morning of my second race. I'm very nervous as there is an open-water swim involved as well as the pressure to finish in good standings. I walk up to the registration table and tell the lady my name and she looks up, smiles and says, "I remember you from the previous race. You're the girl with two last names." 

And thus in the small triathlon circuit of South Louisiana, I became "The Girl With Two Last Names."  

If only super human powers came with such a moniker.

Boating

We want a boat..

We don't want a boat...

We want a boat...

We don't want a boat...

We want a boat...

We bought a boat...

After years of back and forth on the buying a boat issue, we finally made the leap today. We found a used wakeboard boat we thought was perfect for our needs, tested it out, both driving and riding, liked it, and did the deal. While the purchase feels someone indulgent it rounds out our toybox of fun and places the control of when, where and how often we have fun in our hands. Its a good day. 

Overcoming Spandex

Those people who say looking good is the most important thing, never wore spandex. Yes, Spandex, the preferred article of clothing for serious athletes and super heros alike. The act of wearing it as well as being subjected to other people parading around in it is enough to make anyone cringe and unless you're wearing a cape or near a gym, wearing it is typically unacceptable. Its more akin to body paint than actual clothing; yet, is very common among the physically active and surprisingly necessary in some situations. Today I took a very liberating step in my relationship with spandex - I went for a run in it. We're not talking a stylish spandex top. We're talking, butt squeezing, thigh constricting, tummy tucking shorts. And we're talking a 3-mile run through a well traveled neighborhood. We're talking strange looks, catcalls, and a very scary shadow chasing me. While there's a bit of a backside 'bounce' in my stride, and a slight circulation issue, I actually felt comfortable - comfortable enough to finish the run with an impressive time and then walk the dog. I think the trick to pulling off spandex is to own it. You know you look silly in it, you might as well embrace it and make the most of a bad situation. Afterall if its good enough for superheros and crazy cyclists, its good enough for me.