Winter has arrived in Denver. I took off on my ride today and it was an arm warmer, leg warmer, gloves, and hat under the helmet kind of day. But it was sunny, so I was happy. I'm cruising along, listening to my new pink iPod that Troy got me (I swear you need a new one of these every year if you are a triathlete). All of the sudden this comes on:

Oh, the pain in my heart. I haven't heard this album in months and for it to come on today just about knocked me off my bike. All the super stellar triathletes on twitter have been arriving in Kona this week and I am just so darn jealous. Here I am riding through the wind in this:

and they are out there riding the winds on the Queen K, motorpacing around, and having a jolly old time out here:

It seemed just a little ironic, like the triathlon gods are telling me something. As I rode through Cherry Creek park I'm thinking about why I'm not in Kona, although, I know why. I'm thinking that the trigods just wanted to throw a little wind and cold in my face to remind me that in order to get to the sun and sand I need to be here: a lot.

Right before I started getting too bummed I ran into my favorite swimmer around, PIC Michelle. She was out running, which is funny because that's what she needs to be doing if she wants to get to Kona in 2011. I'm also thinking the trigods would like PIC and I to head to Kona together, they are just giving us the time to really work on our weaknesses.

So, with excitement and enthusiasm, and with sun and sand on the brain, you can now affectionately refer to me as Sonja "lives in the pool down the street" Wieck. Yes, my new apartment is a little wet, but, the walls are a pretty blue, and the stripes are so very mooo-dern. Too bad Michelles new apartment has the nice view.

So, raise you glasses folks, here's to a winter of really working on my swimming. No more excuses, no more letting all the different opinions on swim stroke paralyze me. It's time to take this positive attitude of mine, this huge grin that I constantly sport, and get in the pool. The triathlon gods have been blunt this year. A 30 minute worlds swim, a 43 minute nationals swim, missing Kona by 8 minutes when the lady ahead of me who got the last spot swam 8 minutes faster. The trigods can only be so blunt. It's time.