Where to begin? First, I should tell you how incredibly awesome the entire experience was. Short of child birth, it might be the most difficult physical challenge I've ever endured, but HOLY FLIPPIN FUN, I can't wait to do it again. So let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The night before? I barely slept. I was nervous and excited and completely terrified. But mostly just excited. Or maybe mostly terrified. Okay, how about equal parts excited and terrified. When morning finally arrived, I choked down a banana (because I am terrible at eating early in the morning) and drank some water, then Josh and Jordan and I left for the race. (Little ones stayed behind with a babysitter. Triathlons are kinda long, see, and we left really early, so it was easier on everyone to leave them at home.)
Once we arrived at the venue, everything happened really fast. I picked up my race packet/info, got everything set up in transition (bike, helmet, shoes, etc.), got my number painted on, then headed to the swim start to warm up a little and watch the first waves start the race. (I was in the fifth heat, so it was nice to see a few go before me.) And then, it was my turn.
So, the race was a 750 meter swim, 17.8 miles on the bike, then a 3.1 mile run. My swim was definitely the strongest leg of my race, and the one I worried about the least. I did worry just a bit that swimming in open water would freak me out a little, but I felt great in the water and finished strong. And then, I got on the bike.
Ha.
Ha Ha!
Oh, how I hated that bike ride. I'm a novice cyclist at best... spin class is one thing, but I've had very little "on the road" experience with my bike (Try five rides... all on the same 4 mile loop close by my house.) This course? I don't think there was more than a quarter mile of flat on the entire thing. The course went up. SO FAR UP. Down a little, and then just more up. I almost cried more than once. And I'm really glad my children couldn't hear my language at the bottom of one particularly monstrous hill. I never expected to see people off their bikes, pushing them up the hills, but I did. More than once. (I didn't have to stop and push though. Yay!) So I finished the bike, and moved onto the run, which was blessedly flat, circling the lake.
And then I was done. It was an amazing feeling. My goal was to finish in 2 hours and 10 minutes... I almost made it, finishing in 2:14. (Swim: 16:46, Bike 1:22, Run 31:46) But seriously, people. With the bike course what it was, I'm not disappointed in the least.
When we were walking back to the car post race, two seasoned triathletes passed by and asked if I'd had a good race. I told them I had, and that it had been my first one. One of them replied, "WOW! That's amazing. This is NOT the course I would pick for my first race!" That made me feel a little better about not quite making my goal. And you know what? I want to do it again. I want to improve my times and get better on the bike and feel that post race feeling again. It was awesome. I'm so glad I did it. I tell my kids all the time that they can do hard things. And so can I.
How about some pictures?
This is me, waiting in the crazy long portajohn line, with a "why are you taking my picture" look on my face. I'm there, in the middle, in the blue.
And there's me, blue goggles on my head, waiting for the swim start. I look scared, but I was feeling pretty good at this point...
Out of the water, and heading for transition to get on the bike... (That guy I'm about to pass? He started 4 minutes ahead of me. Never mind that he was 64 years old. That's absolutely not important.)
In transition, putting my shoes on, just about to grab my bike and go...
And finally, on the bike. I'm smiling cause I'm almost done!
Okay, one more... My cute, cute boy that was there to cheer me on.
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This post sponsored by ChunkyBling, maker of fine watches and jewelry and supporter of Rising Star Outreach and my sweet friend Karl.
