This was my fourth triathlon, but also the one for which I trained the least. I did a few weeks of base building that I made up on my own, and then followed an 8-week training program. Mostly. There were several weeks in which I didn't get all the workouts in, which is unusual for me. But I guess I was mostly just training for this tri as a way to stay fit over the summer and mix my physical activity up a little after last fall's marathon and the IT band troubles that followed. I also spent week 7 of the training program at the beach and didn't do a single workout, so that didn't help. (Though it felt like great rest.)
Anyway, Friday after work I went to packet pickup and stayed for the optional pre-race briefing. I also got a look at how far apart the buoys were in the lake and panicked a little. Not only did they seem very far apart, but we were going to have to do two laps. Yikes.
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| The right half of the swim course, showing the middle yellow buoy on the left and the third buoy on the far right. |
Saturday I made sure to get to the race venue plenty early. I got my bike set up in transition, then sort of hung out for a while chatting with a few other people I knew who would be racing. I also made several trips to the restroom (of course), and was grateful for real bathrooms instead of the usual porta potties at races. Finally it was time to leave my shoes behind and head down to the beach.
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| Nervous and excited to start! |
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| What a pretty day! |
I started in the back of the pack (which was all the olympic women and relays and was still probably under twenty people), and took it slow. And my breathing seemed fine, and my sighting was good, and everything worked out just as I'd hoped. I did it! I swam freestyle the whole way! And I made it just in time not to be clobbered by the sprint swimmers who started forty minutes later. I was a little annoyed a few times with how closely some kayakers clung to me, but I think they were just trying to help. I'm sure I looked like I needed a lot of help. Finally after making my two big laps I finished the 1500 meters, but not without getting tangled in a patch of lilly pads on my way out of the lake and actually shrieking a little and turning on my back to kick them off. That was the part where I realized I could just stand up and walk out. I got out, said "hey" to my friend Rachel who came to spectate, and ran up a grassy hill (already out of breath) to get ready for the bike.
Swim--1500 meters, 46:05, 32 out of 33 overall (I could have sworn I was last out but apparently I passed a guy?)
T1--2:14 (I should have used the buckets of water they had to help get grass off my wet feet.)
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| My bike and transition setup. |
Next up was the bike ride. Unfortunately I was already feeling pretty winded from the swim, and the bike route got really hilly really quickly. I'm never fast on the bike, even if I try, but this was also the first time I remember starting the bike when I already felt a little tired. (Thanks a lot freestyle.) In any case, I just looked forward to enjoying a bike ride on a beautiful day, not terribly optimistic that I'd ever actually catch up to anyone else. I was also extra cautious on the hills, because the last time I'd ridden outside (about three weeks prior) I had actually failed at shifting properly on a steep hill and had fallen over in the middle of a street with a car crawling right behind me to witness the whole embarrassing thing. I was fine, but it made me paranoid about hills and I spent most of the race downshifting drastically on all hills, and thus going a little slower than I could have. Oh well.
Bike--23.5 miles, 1:36:19, 31 out of 33 overall (Apparently two ladies had slightly slower bike times but were far enough ahead of me that I still came in last on the bike.)
T2--2:54
Finally came the run. I had been worried during the week leading up to the race that I'd be cold before and after the swim, but thought the running temp should be perfect. Turns out the running temp was a little warmer than perfect. And there were still so many hills! (The first mile+ of the bike and race course are the same as you head out of the park, and there's a giant hill!) The run was an out-and-back, and I wasn't really feeling it. I was also not about to push myself enough to cause any IT band trouble again. So I ran what I could, and walked most of the big uphills. I also walked a steep downhill. And I stopped briefly at all the water stops. I already knew I was in last place and didn't feel like killing myself. And about 1.5 miles from the finish I did actually pass a guy, who I think might have been injured and walked the whole run course. So when I headed into the finish line and saw Rachel cheering on the side I was able to say "I'm not last!" Barely.
Run--6.2 miles, 1:05:47, 30 out of 33 overall
Total--3:33:21, 32 out of 33 overall
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| Happily finished! |
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| First time on a podium! |
Overall it was a great race. The swim was my biggest accomplishment, and the rest just leaves room for improvement. This was also my first local tri, and everyone seemed really friendly. Maybe I'll finally join the local tri club next year? Maybe?
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