That sloshing sound is coming from my shoes.

So I just completed my weekly Saturday ride with the tri team and I'm pleased to report that I'm still alive. Every time I leave for a ride I look around at my place one last time, half convinced it's the last time I'll ever see it. Since the forecast was for rain, I was more sure than ever that I was about to die in a gruesome accident. But I stoically accepted my fate and headed out the door.

This was the first ride in the rain. Normally rides are cancelled if it's raining but lucky us the rain didn't start until we were already on the road. We were riding up at UCSC and just got drenched. At least the views were great and it seems like people driving on campus are more used to cyclists than just on the roads around town.

Scary moment of the day: We stopped near the top of a hill and one of the other new riders asked the leader if he had any tips for riding in the rain before we headed downhill.

"Uh, yeah," he said, "Remember that the roads are really slick... and, uh, that your brakes don't work. Okay, let's go!"

Um, what? But we were already on the road, and had no choice but to just take it easy. As cold and wet as we were, a ride in a warm ambulance didn't sound that bad. At our next stop we had a group discussion about whether to keep going or cut the ride short. It was a brief discussion. We all got back safe and sound (and cold and wet), but triumphant.

Tomorrow is the swim workout where I will finally conquer the flip turns! Or drown. But hopefully conquer.