There was rain, and there was pain, but the real stinger didn't come until I was well into the run. Here I was, seeking fun and adventure in the Olympic Division of the Lake Geneva Extreme Triathlons this past Saturday, Sept. 13. I got huge doses of both.

After my usual less-than-stellar swim, I was happy to come out of the water with at least a few people behind me. It had been drizzly and foggy during the swim, and thankfully, there had been boats with lights to guide me. Even the bright orange buoys were hard to see on this gloomy morning in southern Wisconsin.

Up the beach and heading to my bike, I actually got my wetsuit off without the zipper getting stuck. Socks and shoes on my feet, helmet securely buckled, I headed out on the bike course . . . just as the skies opened up. As I said to more than one fellow rider, it was wet and wild on what turned out to be about a 26-mile exercise in hydro-planing and accident-avoiding. Wind and rain meant I was passing people at 14 mph on one stretch. You have to use some common sense in these situations, and I did, slowing to 5-10 mph for the five or six rail crossings on the course, which incidentally dropped more than few riders.

Then there was the 35 mph raging downhill in the pouring rain on soaked pavement with limited visibilty with . . . holy cow . . a 90-degree turn at the bottom! I gradually applied the brakes with about 100 yards to go and began checking my escape options if I couldn't make the turn. Amazingly, my bike and I held on and we made it . . . by an inch or two! Behind me, I heard the sounds of profanity and people clicking out of their pedals as they anticipated some serious road rash. A bunch did fall. I was lucky . . . so far. Although I couldn't get onto my big sprocket (don't know what was up with my shifters), I had a decent ride, all things considered.

Not setting any records, I made it back to transition and did a quick change of shoes and socks. Now, I would run "Frank's Killer Hill" for the first time. The hellacious hill just before the first mile marker, named for race director Frank Dobbs, turned out to just be one of several killer hills. That run course was total murder! Still, even walking in spots, I passed a lot of people and made up for lost time from the swim and bike.

Then came the stinger. Who would have thought it would be a killer bee, not a killer hill that almost did me in? A fuzzy, buzzing blob, better known as a bumble bee flew into my mouth about 2.5 miles into the run, just past an energy drink stop. The sweet stuff on my lips must have been irresistible for Mr. Bee. The next thing I knew, I was spitting out a big bug while trying to reel in a pack of runners just ahead. And almost immediately, I felt my tongue beginning to swell. My next thought that bee stings are the one thing I have reactions to and . . . darn . . . I didn't bring any Benadryl, which usually takes care of the problem.

So, as Frank's hills continued to reveal themselves, I focused on picking off runners and picking bee parts out of my tongue. All the while, I was in a race to get to the medical tent before my tongue took over my entire mouth. The whole incident kept my mind off some of the insane hills, and before I knew it, I was back at the finish.

To make a long story short. I received excellent attention from the pros from Mercy Hospital in Walworth, WI. They gave me some Benadryl, monitored my blood pressure, and my swelling went down in about 30-40 minutes.

Despite the bee episode, I've got to tell you, I really had fun at Lake Geneva. The race was a real kick, start to finish.

There were some outstanding triathletes on hand, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the winners. They were as follows: Half-Ironman -- Men: Jim Weiss, 41, Naperville, Il, 4:27:21; Women: Julianne Fiocca, 33, Hawthorn Woods, IL, 5:33:20. Olympic Distance -- Men: Mark Wachendorf, 37, McHenry, IL, 2:07:00; Women: Megan Zucco, 29, St. Charles, IL, 2:28:00. Sprint Distance -- Men: Ruben Figueras, 29, Chicago, IL, 1:18:05; Women: Jennifer Vallo, 38, Kohler, WI, 1:34:36.

Congratulations to Frank Dobbs for pulling off a great event on a horrible day. And kudos to all who took the challenge, whether they finished or not.

For complete results check out www.chicagoaa.com