4 Months Ago, Give or Take:
Six months ago Natalie was born and as many postpartum women I had some weight to lose as well as a general need to get back into some kind of shape that didn't involve frozen pizza and Girl Scout cookies. So once I was cleared by my doctor I decided it was time to bite the bullet and sign up for a triathlon, which I'd been working toward before I got pregnant. Frank looked at me like I was crazy but suggested the My First Tri race which is just for first time triathletes. I figured I'd be in good company and that even if I had to walk all or part of the run, just finishing the race would be a huge accomplishment. So I signed up, started training and had some amazing days and some crappy days where just looking at my goggles, bike or running shoes made me want to cry. And that brings us to:
The Day Before The Race:
I spent most of Friday ignoring the fact that I would be racing my first triathlon the next day. I went on a short but fast run first thing in the morning to remind my legs what they were supposed to be doing after a long day of travel. I tried to eat well, avoiding the delicious beers that were offered to me. And I had a ton of fun taking Natalie on her first trip to the aquarium.
Race Day! Pre-Race:
The race was Saturday, August 23rd at Centerville Lake in the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. It was a beautiful morning! A little cool, but not cold, and overcast. I was probably 50% excited, 30% in disbelief that this day had finally arrived and 20% terrified. We got up early, I ate some breakfast, gave my gear one last once over and we hit the road. On the way my tummy was full of butterflies and I began to wonder if my hard work and training would really pay off or if I would, in fact drown in the swim, wipe out on my bike, collapse on the run or come in dead last. Once we got there I pushed these thoughts aside as much as I could and got to the tasks at hand, finding the restroom! Which of course, was locked. A locked bathroom is probably the worst thing you could encounter pre-race so I, along with probably 20 other women tracked down various race volunteers to see about getting them unlocked. While I waited, it was time to set up my transition area. For all the energy Frank puts into this I thought I was missing something because it seemed to take very little time or effort to get set up. Oh well, only time would tell! I got marked with my number, put my swim cap on and headed down to the lake for a little pre-race swim. While standing in the shallows trying to convince myself to dive in and swim I started talking with one of the other competitors. I think she was more nervous than I was but we had fun talking about our nerves and training. It turns out she had had her first child 8 months ago and was using this as a stepping stone to getting in shape as well. We had a good conversation and I eventually decided it was time to dive in and swim a little. It was a little cool but my strokes were smooth and I didn't panic so I decided a short swim was all I needed and headed to the beach to hang out with Frank and Natalie before the race meeting and the race start.
And We're Off!
The Swim: 400 yards
After the race meeting they lined us up by number and we started in sets of two every 30 seconds or so. As I waited in line I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as one of the mentors was talking to one of my fellow competitors (you could request to race with a mentor, many of which had raced not only sprint triathlons but full ironman competitions so I'm sure running with us slow first timers was no issue at all). This guy was a piece of work and rather than being there for the person he was mentoring which many of the mentors just oozed, he was definitely there for himself and to show off his skills. Needless to say I let them push ahead and started with an 11 year old girl who was being mentored by her dad who I ran into the next day at Frank's race cheering on the mom/wife of the family. Surprisingly the closer I got to the start line the more calm I was. I felt prepared and when the worker said "Go" I jogged off into the water, dove in once I was deep enough and started my swim. No matter who you talk to, the swim always seems to be the hardest part. That was true for me as well but not because I was ill prepared for the swim. Instead it was crazy hard because I was constantly going around people who had flipped on their backs, were swimming in anything but a straight line and were trying to crowd around the bouys and life guards because they were panicking (my lake training two weeks before the race had definitely made a difference!). I could never get into a comfortable front crawl stroke and spent most of the swim doing the breast stroke so that I could see the people who had stopped swimming infront of me and go around them. Although this was frustrating I had expect it, well except for the mentor from the beginning of the race. Mr. Skills kept swimming ahead of his racer and stopping dead infront of me to wait for her to catch up and to top it off one of the times he started swimming again he almost ran me over. So I kicked it into a faster stroke, passed him and did my best to put some distance between us. About 2/3 of the way through the swim people started to thin out and I was able to finish the swim strong and jog up to the transition area.
The Bike: 10 miles
My transition went well, I grabbed a gel, put my socks, shoes, bike jersey, helmet and sunglasses on and was on my way. For the bike portion we did a 5 mile loop twice. The first 2 1/2 miles were on a fairly busy road followed by a terrible 1/4 mile section through a residential area and then ended on a really nice paved trail. Overall the bike portion was pretty uneventful, I rode strong and was only passed by maybe a dozen people. That being said, the bike was also the most terrifying part of the race. When we hit the residential area I thought for sure I was going to die. It was hilly, the road was all chipped up, there was loose sand and gravel everywhere, cars were parked on both sides of the road, there were lots of tight turns and because the course looped back on itself there were racers headed both directions. Now don't get me wrong, it was super fun to see other competitors on this part of the course but I was pretty sure I was going to flat or fall or both and I was more than concerned that I'd take someone with me if I fell. I made it through but lost a lot of time. The second loop was possibly better than the first, I felt more confident on all of it including the residential section and on the last part of the trail I had two other riders chatch up to me and eventually pass me and they chatted with each other and me the whole time. It made it a lot of fun to have the comradarie. As I was finishing up the last lap, I almost missed the turn into the transition area but made it and before I knew it was off the bike and gearing up for the run.
The Run: 2 miles
In the transition area I dropped off my bike and helmet, grabbed a swig of gatoraid and was off. My legs felt like jello and I know my pace was probably faster than it should have been. In short, I was breathing hard and felt like I was standing still. As I ran I was only passed by one person but also only passed maybe 2. I don't know what that means but there it is. The run, although tough was probably the best part of the race. It was one mile out and one mile back so as I headed out to the water station thinking that the run would never be over the competitors heading to the finish line were offering words of encouragement. It was nice to hear people that you don't know cheer for you and tell you to "keep it up" or that you're "almost there". Once I reached the turnaround I was finally settling into my stride and breathing easier. I passed the two women who passed me at the end of the bike and they followed me into the finish. We bantered a bit and cheered on those heading out on their run as we headed back. I probably could have run more efficiently had I put my head down and focused on running but it was so much more fun and meaningful to cheer for my fellow competitors. This is also probably the only time in my life that I've ever been told that I have a nice pace. The women behind me were apparently pretty well matched to my slow but steady pace that was probably right around the 12 min mile mark. As we rounded the last curve I picked up my pace and finished strong. I finished the race in 1:22 which was well ahead of my 2 hour goal.
It was amazing to come into the finish and see my beautiful family and really feel the weight of my accomplishment. I had finished my first triathlon! I had finished my first triathlon in a decent time! I had finished my first triathlon in a decent time AND had had fun! It was a fun event and I think I'd like to do it again.
