Snake...

Today we had one of those moments I think all married couples have at some point (or many points) during their marriage. One where you learn something new about each other, but in a stressful situation. As some of you know Trent and I are training for a triathlon on Sunday. We have been training hard for the past 8 weeks and today was our last workout. We had a 12 mile bike followed immediately by a 3 mile run.

We are very fortunate because right near where we live there is an amazing trail. It follows a fork in the Trinity River and is about 5.5 miles long. The trail winds through some forest areas as well as having some great straight-a-ways. It's a really great trail and we both enjoy riding it.

As we were coming up on the last quarter mile of our bike I saw a HUGE, brown and black snake in the middle of the trail (when I say huge... I mean at least 2 feet long). To make things worse, it wasn't dead. In fact it was slithering right across the path I was on. I was immediately grossed out and began to pedal faster. If I had not been on my bike I would have turned around and would have never come back. At this point I began to realize I was about to have to leave my bike at the car and run back up the path. This thought was not okay in my mind. I was NOT going to go back there!

We reached the car about 30 seconds later and put our bikes up and our running shoes on. I began to tell Trent that I was not going to run back where the snake was slithering. Trent kept telling me, "Holly we have to do this, our race in Sunday!" I continued by screaming, "I don't care, I will go run somewhere else, but I am not going back." Trent didn't really understand my fear and he told me the snake is long gone by now (YEAH RIGHT!). I told him to run next to me and I would go back, that was the only way. He agreed, but somehow ended up in front of me. I then freaked out and turned around. Trent then began to yell at me to come. I was not having that so I told him to go on (which all women know that means don't go, come back to me). Trent ran on.

At this point I knew Trent was right, it was our last day to workout and I really needed to complete the run. I decided I would go run on the median in the road and catch up with the trail in a quarter mile (after the spot where the snake was). I did this, but during the whole run I kept thinking about how my knight in shining armor was not really being my knight. He did not rescue me and comfort me in my moment of sheer terror.

To say the least neither one of us had that great of a run.

(Trent) I will really only say a few things about this matter, because no matter how many times you sincerely apologize they will only forgive you and want to hear an apology when they are ready. My wife can somehow handle over 30 kindergardeners. She can also go over 30 mph on her bike like she is Lance Armstrong finishing up the final stage of the Tour de France. And she laughs at me about my tremendous fear of flying. But a little snake crawls away on the path ,and was already long gone before we would have gotten their on our run, you would have thought someone was pushing her over a cliff! Finally after only 8 weeks of training Holly is head and shoulders better than me on her bike than I was at the same point.