Race Wrap Up

It feels so great to have the race behind me but I must admit I'm already looking forward to the next. It was a great experience overall. My friend, Stacey, and I left the house at 5:30 am on Saturday to arrive and check in. We set up our transition area, received our timing chips and got our bodies marked for the race (and used the restroom about a hundred times). I loved that everyone had their age marked in sharpie on their calf. It made the people-watching all the more fun as Stacey and I tried to guess someone's age and then had it revealed to us once they passed.

Ryan was a real trooper and packed up all the kids and brought them along to cheer me on. It was great to have them there. As the swim portion began, my nerves settled and I was excited to get the show on the road. That was the easiest leg by far. The only trouble was trying to find a spot to swim without running into someone or having someone run into me.

The bike leg was not easy. I had previously driven the course to familiarize myself. There were a few decent hills but the rest seemed fairly flat. Riding it on a bike turned out to be a whole lot different. It seemed like a slow incline most of the time and I felt like I was working pretty hard. I realized I really need a road bike to be competitive, as the bike was my worst area as far as time was concerned.

I had heard the transition from bike to run was the hardest and thought I was prepared for it. My legs felt so heavy and I felt like I had no energy left. It didn't help that it was a very hot, muggy morning. I kept waiting for that runner's high to hit as it usually does after the first mile or so. Unfortunately, it never hit and I could barely keep myself running. I'm sure I was partially dehydrated. They had only one aid station on the run at the halfway point and it wasn't enough. I quickly downed some water and grabbed a cup of ice to suck on. It was much harder than any run I have ever done. I was so happy to see the finish line.

Overall, I am so happy that I did the race and did a decent job for my first time. There is definitely room for improvement so I'm already setting my goals for the next time around. I can see why people say triathlons are addicting. There is a great sense of accomplishment in completing it and having all your hard work pay off. I would love to do another one before the summer is over but, if not, definitely next year.