Finish strong.

Happy May Day! At my alma mater, Bryn Mawr, the first Sunday in May is just about the most fun day of the year. Everyone puts on white clothing and participates in an all-day celebration involving May poles, a May hole (the feminist answer to the patriarchal pole), mimosas, strawberries and cream, a concert, chants and cheers, and a ton of other antiquated good times.

For me, this May Day has a special significance: it marks the end of one of the busiest, craziest months of my life. To recap: Leading up to this weekend, I completed a presentation, a final paper, my licensure exam, a thesis, a portfolio, two races, three tri-training classes, a DJ gig, and a wedding/triathlon weekend. The final weekend of April lived up to the rest of the month, including a race, the annual Croquet celebration at St. John's, and tri-training class #4.

Yesterday morning, I completed the second annual Arbutus 5K Spring Fling, organized by my running buddy Val. This is a fun race because Val's family knows pretty much everyone in Arbutus and they all turn out for the race. It has a "big day in the neighborhood" feel similar to what I found last weekend in the Ridgway tri. It is also a hard  race, as there seem to be no flat roads anywhere in Arbutus. As you may recall, I beat my previous 5K PR back in March by a ridiculous 3 minutes. I did that by sticking with my faster friends Katie, Erin, and Amir. So, for this race, I wanted to see if I could match that time running on my own... and I did it! I finished in 27:25, just 6 seconds behind my time in the March race. It was tough, but I got a big boost toward the end when I caught up to another running buddy, Marie, whom I've never been able to catch in a race before. Marie and I were together through one of the toughest segments of the race and I think our brief conversation helped us both get to the finish line. The icing on the cake is that Marie won her age group and Val came in third in hers. Good job, ladies!

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the annual St. John's vs. Navy croquet match. This event is to St. John's what May Day is to Bryn Mawr. It usually happens on the same weekend and also features quirky clothes and antiquated fun. Its always a good chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. This year, I was joined by my friend Jen from Boot Camp and her lovely girlfriend Tracy.

Gym buddies!

 It was fun to actually relax with Jen, as I usually see her when I'm dripping with sweat and trying not to throw up!

Today, I welcomed May with tri training class #4. This was supposed to be a bike-to-swim workout, but lousy weather required a switch to all swimming. While the swimming is still tough for me, I'm happy to say that its SO MUCH easier than it was a few weeks ago. I am confident that, once school ends and I have a little more time to practice, I'll get to a point where I am no longer afraid of panicking or drowning in the actual event. That's a big relief.

So, now there's just one more week of craziness before I get a little break. This Thursday, I turn in the last of my grad school work and attend my last grad school classes (still wrapping my mind around that). Then, on Friday, I fly to Houston to DJ my friend Mindy's wedding. I'm looking forward to spending time with friends from my first round of grad school, who will be seeing me for the first time ever as a non-grad student. I love May!