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At the Nation's Tri finish line...and speechless
Author: Benjamin "Ryan" Phelps Date: 09/22/2011 Category: The Nation's Triathlon Tags: The Nation's Triathlon, 9.11.11, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Washington DC At the finish line of the 2011 Nation’s Triathlon, one of the many gracious volunteers asked me “Are you okay?” I was bent at the hips, feeling dizzy and clammy. Standing still, but swaying a bit, stomach knotted, ears ringing. My right plantar fascia was seething, and both hands were planted firmly on my knees. I gazed down at blurry pavement, with a heart rate that of a squirrel. A frantic, out-of-shape squirrel. It’s hard to speak while gasping, so, having no choice, I said nothing. The volunteer patiently waited a bit and then asked me a second time. “Are you okay?” “Yes”, I grunted. Had I not been so short of breath, I would have said more... |
