Oh My! Where Do I Begin??

by Anneleisse A., Panther Blogger

Greetings, Ferrum!  It's been awhile since I last blogged and I have much catching up to do!  This year has been full of exciting events so far. Last semester was a busy one because of classes and swimming.

Although I was so busy with schoolwork and swimming, I got to travel to Mexico during my Thanksgiving break for a life-changing experience!  I decided to do something a bit different from my usual travels back home to Colorado; instead, I flew to Cancun, Mexico, where I was able to participate in my first triathlon ever!  The event took place in the Riviera Maya at a park that is one of the 13 natural wonders of Mexico:  Xel-Ha.  It may have been one of the hardest things I have ever done, and at the same time, one of the best experiences ever. The category that I participated in was for Woman Beginners and consisted of 52 participants who had to complete a total of 400-meters swimming, 10k cycling, and 2.5k running.

 

Swimming was the easiest for me just because I'm on the Ferrum swim team, but the rest was more complicated than I thought. I probably should have practiced running and cycling before doing this triathlon, but thankfully, I was able to achieve a 2nd place!  Honestly, I must say I felt pretty accomplished, and I truly recommend anyone to try out this amazing sport if you get the chance. Because I have family down in Cancun, it was exciting to have them there as my cheerleaders. Plus, I got to meet some pretty talented triathletes, one of whom was a girl named Charlotte Cassarrubias who recently competed at Worlds in Auckland, New Zealand. I also met a guy named Rodrigo Ruiz, who is one of the best triathletes in Mexico. Both Charlotte and Rodrigo are great people and truly inspirational!  I'm looking forward to doing a "Sprint" triathlon in six months where I will do a 750-meter swim, 20k bike ride, and a 5k run.

Coming back to school after being on break is always bittersweet, but I must admit that I was pretty excited that I was going to be able to attend my first Snowball this year. This year's theme was "Everything is better in the dark," and boy, it was fun!  I got to meet many people and take time-off from studying and preparing for finals. It was great to see everyone dress up for the night and dance with friends. I am definitely looking forward to next year's dance. If you didn't attend this year, I truly do recommend making an appearance even if you don't want to stay for the whole night. Ferrum has transportation to and from the event, plus it's so much fun you won't ever notice if you don't have a date.

This semester, I am looking forward to blogging again and trying to keep ya'll up-to-date. So far, we are only two week into the Spring semester, but it's looking good so far. As a member of the Ferrum swim team, we are close to the end of our season. We had a meet on Friday in Greensboro against Greensboro College and Sweet Briar where we took third place. With only two meets left on our schedule, we are all working hard to have a strong finish against Guilford College this weekend and against VMI/Washington and Lee on the 26th. Wish us luck!


P.S. - Laurel, Jess, and Lauren -- if you read this, I love you guys, and let's finish this season strong! And Morgan, good job this season and good luck in softball!

Thank you, and I look forward to next time!
- Anneleisse