34: The Pregnant Olympian

I was headed to the grocery store. I didn't have the bud with me (grocery store with no bud is my equivalent of a spa day, thank ya, Jesus!). I was flying solo. I had parked and was riding up the escalator from the parking garage. Now in my third trimester and feeling every bit of it, I was challenging myself to walk briskly up those escalator steps even though I didn't have to. I did it - really a great pace. As I was nearing the top I saw a woman coming toward me. She was coming at me at such a pace that we would arrive at the intersection of my escalator exit and her walking-towards-the store entrance at the same time. I decided I wouldn't let this happen. I WOULD beat her to the intersection and I WOULD clear her path without any doubt of my physical dominance no matter how pregnant I am. By the way, this was an older woman - my senior by at least thirty or forty years. Also by the way, I've been watching the Olympics and I am a total super fan of anything Olympiad. I felt this particular competition was in the bag. I picked up my pace, really focusing on my breathing to get maximum power. And - I made it. I took that corner like a freaking pro - probably set an OR (Olympic Record) if not a WR (World Record) and snuck right past my competitor, keeping up my pace through the turn and right into the grocery store. To say I was pleased with myself would be an understatement. In my mind I had a gold medal around my neck.

I crossed paths with the woman again in the produce section. My competitor had heart monitor stickers on her upper chest. But my medal was still legit.