Left Behind

Since rugby is no longer part of my life this year I have found myself with a lot more availability in my schedule. I was invited to participate in two different opportunities in San Diego and decided to take advantage of both of them!


For the past several years I have been involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, a non-profit that provides support for people with disabilities to participate in sports and athletics. They provide grants for training, equipment and competition and hold various sports clinics and camps. One of their biggest fundraising events is the San Diego Triathlon Challenge and this year I was invited to attend! The triathlon consists of a 1 mile swim, 44 mile bike ride and 10 mile run. I didn't have enough notice to train for those distances so I decided to participate in a relay team which each person taking one component. I decided to do the swim since it seemed a lot easier than the bike or run distance!


I was also invited to a Paralympic Talent ID Cycling Camp at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego. Who could say no to that opportunity?? The Triathlon was on Sunday and the camp was Monday-Saturday so the timing was perfect. One of my best friends lives in San Diego so I decided to add a day on each end of the trip to visit her. Might as well make the most of the flight!


All these events would add up to a week of travel and being gone. I didn't know exactly what to expect at the triathlon or the cycling camp so I decided to leave Morey at home. I think the longest we've been apart is 4 days so this would be the longest separation we've had since we've been together. I went back and forth on my decision but finally decided to stick with my original plan.


I was surprised that I actually got a little teary when it was time to leave. I knew Morey would be fine but it was still hard to leave him behind. Halfway through the week my roommate texted me saying Morey wouldn't eat. Of course my "mom guilt" immediately kicked in and all I could think about was Morey thinking I had abandoned him. The next night my roommate texted me saying Morey barked all night whenever he heard a sound outside. At that I began to feel bad for my roommate too!


Even though I had a great time on my trip I was very glad to be reunited with Morey! My friend brought Morey to the airport to pick me up and he was quite excited to see me.  I've already decided I won't leave him home that long again!