Dispatch: Off The Beaten Path

“Dispatch” is an online column from Triathlete Editor-at-Large Holly Bennett that features pro updates, industry news, happenings afield and otherwise random reports related to multi-sport. Look for “Dispatch” every Thursday on Triathlete.com

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder: Where in the world is Laura Tingle – and what in the heck happened this time?

Tingle is a part-time pro triathlete who races for Team Timex. She’s also a full-time employee of Boulder-based Newton Running. You’ll often find her gallivanting across the country to race, work a race expo or even perform a one-two punch in a single weekend. Tingle loves what she does, but if ever either career falls through, she might be wise to consider stand-up comedy. Recently, Tingle raced the RAGE Triathlon (a half iron distance event in Las Vegas, Nevada), and let’s just say her day went slightly awry. Here’s a slice of her amusing race and road trip experience, played out via social media:

Tweet: I don’t know Grand Junction very well, but I reckon I am in the bad part of town. On the plus side, I was handed a pack of cigs on my run.

Tweet: 97 degrees for race day in Vegas this weekend. I am probably going to die.

Facebook post: I love a good pre race pep talk from my dad. This morning was, “It is going to be really hot…so…uh…be a zero not a hero.”

Post-race text from friend: How’d it go?

Tingle: Um, hmmmm. I did really well, but I was disqualified. It was a trail run, and I ran all of the trails. But in the wrong order.

Friend: What the what? Well, congratulations…I guess?

Tingle: I’m already over it. It was a fun day regardless.

Friend: What happened?

Tingle: Missed the course markings. There were a lot of us that went the wrong way. My dad told my brother what happened. He called me and laughed and laughed and laughed. And then hung up.

Facebook post from friend: Hope you had a great race…..it was bloody hot out there!!!

Tingle: Bloody hot is right. If I am able to pee before Wednesday, I will be shocked.

Tweet: Rolling out of St. George this morning. Lovely place, bizarre people, felt like home.

Tweet: I bet in the future, cops will have credit card swipers, so people can just pay speeding tickets on the spot….

And finally, once she made it safely home and back to the Newton office following her 1500-mile round-trip drive and hot and jumbled race:

Tweet: It hurts when my eyes are open. Which is causing some issues at work.

A few days later, things had apparently returned to “normal” when Tingle enjoyed a lunchtime run.

Tweet: Went for a lunch break run, came back to the office, grabbed my clothes to change, stopped to have a few words with my boss….

Tweet: …And didn’t realize that I had dropped my bra on the floor of his office. I have discovered a whole new level of embarrassment.

Tweet: and my first reaction when I discovered it was to scream “DON’T LOOK AT IT!!!” Which naturally made other people come look.

Yep, just another day in the life of this folly-prone pro. You can follow her foibles and fun every day @lauratingle.