Panda with Finisher's Medal Tri Santa Cruz (Only Version)

Panda was excited to get a peek inside a real triathlon transition area. She had never seen one up close before and was fascinated by all the bikes, gear, and activity around her.

She was not, however, interested in actually doing the triathlon.

I had been disappointed with how out of shape I had been getting and remembered how motivating signing up for a triathlon had been in the past. This time, though, running was no longer an option, so I signed up for the aqua-bike instead.

Panda and I discussed whether she should come along for the bike portion. She could hang onto the back of the saddle, although there was a slight concern that she might fall off. She could also ride on the handlebars, but then she would be dangerously close to all the sweat dripping off me.

Panda thought about it for a moment.

"No thanks."

Swimming wasn't an option either. Pandas don't swim.

So Panda decided the transition area was the perfect place to watch the event without getting sweaty, wet, or risking a tumble off the bicycle. She was quite happy to let everyone else do the hard work while she enjoyed the excitement from a safe location.

Before the event, Panda posed for a couple of photos. One was just Panda, and the other introduced her to a new companion, my friend MB.

While Panda didn't finish the event, but she still wanted to experience one important part of it afterward. She tried on the finisher's medal, because even if Panda hadn't actually completed the race, she thought she looked pretty good wearing it.

The photos were shared before the event, with the introduction: "Panda is excited to be in a triathlon transition area, but does not want to do the event. She's happy to watch and not get sweaty. The first photo is my friend, MB."

The response was full of surprise and affection: "Wooow Panda I didn't expect" and "beautiful."

Panda was pleased. She had discovered that sometimes the best part of a triathlon is watching everyone else get sweaty.