Triathlon Fun

HICKORY KNOB TRIATHLON 2009

Course description: "Rolling to Hilly Moderate Course....a great one to end the season on!"

So naturally that's what we started with!

So me and my friend Sarah have been training for this triathlon for 3 months and today (Saturday) was the big day! It was a sprint triathlon which means a 500 meter swim (1/3 mile) 10 mile bike ride, and a 5K run.

And HOORAY!!! I did it with 21 minutes to SPARE!!! My 3 goals went like this. A#1, finish before 2 hours (that's when they said they'd start kicking you off the course cause you're just too darn slow). B#2, Don't stop, and C#3, Don't be last. Check Check and Check!

Let's start with the swim. Me and Sarah entered into the Novice category and got some lovely green caps to wear in the water. Everyone was SOOOO nice. Crazy novices all laughing and making up cheers while bobbing in the water waiting for our start...

It was FREEZING. Unlike the warm weather I'd imagined I'd be racing in, the temp we raced in started at 49 degrees and maxed at 51...I thought jumping into a lake which was 71 degrees would be a relief...but no...it was quite a shock. (which might explain the hyper crazy cheers and laughing from all of us before.) Sarah's timing chip fell off her leg and she had to dive blindly into the murky water to get it...AMAZINGLY she got it. (if not, she would have been disqualified and owed them $40 bucks--not a great start)

Getting to that first buoy I thought I might possibly maybe sorta die...but then...when I got there (after going way off course cause I forgot to look up for a bit...and crazy of all crazy things...turns out they don't paint lines on the bottom of the lake--huh? Who would have thought:) and looked behind me, I saw tons of green caps---YAY!! I might succeed. Getting to the second buoy and returning to the dock was MUCH better...lovely even. Climbing out was even fun. We had rope ladders and people to help us out. They even gave me the warning, "you're going to fly up so be ready" my arm ended up slipping out of one of their grip and I just sorta dangled there for a bit...a little break I suppose--that was nice.

So...on the course description they've labeled the distance from the lake to the bike racks as a "short steep climb". It was more like 10 miles uphill both ways with stairs. I finished the swimming part without dying though, and that made me so happy that it only seemed like 9 miles (it might have really only been .3.........just saying......)

First transition: I wasn't sure how cold I'd get on the bike so I put on a beanie, shorts, and my giant hoody. And I was warm, but as soon as I started biking...I noticed most everyone was wearing just their triathlon suits and were down and low looking all professional and fast...I looked more like a fancy red parachute. Now I realize I could have gone the route of aerodynamics like them...but I like to think I was being more charitable then that...I was helping those behind ME be more aerodynamic.....I like to give like that!

I LOVED the 10 mile bike ride. I think it was my favorite. Plus, a major bonus was that I didn't even crash--not once. Not going to lie, it was a major concern...what with all those gears and crazy shaped handle bars. (I just want to add here that Sarah had the saddest thing happen. She rented a road bike last minute instead of using her mountain bike, and the chain kept falling off until the race people suggested she walk it back. She wanted to finish so she ran the bike back from the 3 mile point and ended at the same time I finished the bike portion. Then we ran...she's so cool! Seriously, she basically ran a 10K with a bike for half of it! That's fast! I'm really glad she asked me to do this with her...cause...fun!)
Now you might think for someone to do a triathlon they would be good at at least one of the three events.....but let's just say I thought it was enough that I COULD swim, COULD ride a bike, COULD run. But my least favorite of the three definitely was running. I don't so much like running. I thought maybe it was my attitude, and I could just think better thoughts about it and enjoy it more...NOPE, still don't like it, but here I was, running/jogging a 5K...

I should add here how nice everyone was at the race. I mean seriously, everyone is your instant friend and everyone cheers for you and says "good job" and "you're almost there!" "Finish strong..." all sorts of nice and encouraging things. Just really nice people all over! Maybe it was the desperate look on my face or the pace I had settled on of "barely moving" that made them feel inclined to say those things, but I like to think they did it for everyone. The run ended and they announced my name (fancy). WOO WOO. 1:38...just yay!

The food they gave us for lunch was AWESOME...that might have been my favorite part. I mean a buffet of BBQ chicken sandwiches and beans and brownies and candy bars...on a cold and rainy day--soooooo yummy! So that's it! We did it. When I got home, Jess had got me a card and the boys had signed it and were all over me with hugs and kisses and it was soooooo fun. I loved it all!
Also--a HUGE thank you to my friend Natalie who answered every single tiny and big question I could think of. Also for sending us her triathlon suits to wear-they made us feel super legit and not like posers at all! THANKS NAT!

(I may look partially delusional in this picture...but it was my big finish so...here it is!)

A few things I learned:

When the course description says there is a 2 hour limit, they don't actually have someone following you on the course ready to tackle you down the moment 2 hours expired, at least that I saw...they could be very sneaky.

• I'm not nearly as competitive as I used to be. I'm sure it's lots of fun to be in front...I'm just happy for them. Cause how fun for them to be in front. But I'm perfectly content to be behind, exerting exactly the amount of energy I want to. (I think I'm more competitive with things I'm good at....that's more healthy anyway right?)
  

• Racing and being pregnant caused me only one problem. Keeping hydrated and having an itsy bitsy bladder is inconvenient.



• I love free shirts from events!



• Always train with someone. If it wasn't for Sarah I would SO have stayed at home instead of training all those mornings that didn't start off so well--what with the nausea and what not...but Sarah got me out! Thanks!

• I love, love, love to try new things...and I think it's totally okay to do those new things once.

(I wrote this the day of the race...it's the next day now and I've changed my mind. Maybe triathlons are like giving birth...immediately afterwords, you might not want to do it again right away...but the next day....you think it might be fun? Well, not exactly like having a baby...)

I think it would be fun to do this again! Okay! There it is! I loved it!