So Tri forFun is a sprint tri; 400 yard swim, 11 mile bike and 3mile run, and yes, for the non initiated that's all in one day. That's half of what I did for the Wildflower Olympic Distance in May, so you'd think this time around it would be easier-hah! I finished in an hour and 24 minutes; a respectable time I guess but a disappointment to me. I was aiming for an hour and 15 at the latest. But now I know what I need to work on for the next tri in July, so I'll take comfort in that. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Race Report:
Friday: Took day off from work. It's called tapering. Supposedly if you train *really* hard you're suppose to take some downtime before the race so you'll race fresh. So using the excuse of tapering to get out of housework, laundry and grocery shopping I managed to take a long nap yesterday and read a cheesy romance novel. I like tapering a lot! Kurt and I did head over to check out the race course, to make sure I knew how to get there and more specifically to check out the lake temperature. The lake water was somewhere between kind of okay, and slighty *brrr* so I decidedto be tough and not swim with the wetsuit.
Friday night: started to pack up race "stuff" so we could get out of the house by 5:30 AM and at the race site by 6. Couldn't find tri suit or lucky socks. Accused Kurt of having a laundry obsession and informed him that throwing laundry on the floor was a perfectly acceptable manner of keeping track of ones clothing. Didn't bother to dignify his answer with a reply. True athletes are often misunderstood. Found clothes in dryer still damp. Packed up backpack with bike, swim and running stuff. Couldn't find Spongebob Squarepants beach towel for transistion. Accused Kurtof giving away beachtowel to Goodwill. Again did notbother to dignify his answer with reply. Found beachtowel under cat. Finally had bags packed, bike ready, clothes set out and realized I didn't have any fig newtons. Fig Newtons are a VITAL part of race day nutrition so made an emergency run to store for Fig Newtons and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Hid Fig Newtons from Kurt.
Saturday morning 4:50 AM-Woke up with cramps. Sorry for the TMI, but just ONCE I would like to do a triathlon without the pleasure of experiencing PMS on race day. Ya think with 31 other days in the month to choose from it could be arranged but, noooo…Ate peanutbutter and jelly sandwich for breakfast, and downed a couple of advil. Discovered the cruel fact that tri suits are just a little too confining for those CERTAIN TIMES OF THE MONTH. Ugh. So opted for comfort over style, and wore tri shorts, race bra and ratty tshirt.
Saturday 6:30 race site-Got truck unloaded and Kurt played Sherpa and followed me to transistion with two bags, as I brought the wetsuit along *just in case*. Transistion was chaos; all the bike racks were filled which meant I had to find a space on the ground. Thinking wistfully of Wildflower (oh how the mightyhave fallen!) and their rows and rows of racks, I found a grassy spot to set up transistion. Got everything unpacked, set up, then realized I had forgotten the Fig Newtons. Oh well. I got registered(no goodie bag or anything-bummer) numbered, then went down to the beach to get in the water. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr…who added ice cubes to the lake? Still I was determined to go without the wetsuit. I swam a bit…brrrr…listened to the race instruction, swam a bit more…brrrr…then gave in and one minute before the first wave went off sprinted back to transistion and put on the wetsuit. Finally it was my turn to get in the water. I put myself in the back of the pack and stood talking withanother lady who was doing her very first triathlon and was so nervous about the swim. I tried to give her what encouragement I could. Suprisingly enough I wasn't nervous about this swim. I figured if I could dog paddle a mile and survive, then I could absolutely swim a quarter mile. So I was feeling good and confident when the buzzer went off. I strode purposefully into the water, then dived in getting ready to swim and realized my swim goggles were still firmly placed on my forehead. Doh! So treaded waterwhile I made a quick adjustment then FINALLY I was ready to swim. Not. It was like rush hour on 280 out there. I'd take a stroke and run into someone. So thenI'd have to back off, switch positions and try again. I resorted to half freestyle, half doggy paddling and half treading water as I was trying to get a clear path to the bouy. Given my lack of success at swimming in open water I think I'm going to write a book called "Freestyling is for Wimps: Flailing Your Way to the Finish Line". At any rate I got out of the water in 9 minutes and was on my way to the bike.
The bike course: Transistion was quick and easy and I was out on the road in two minutes. I do apologize for running over several towels and other tri paraphenalia on my way out of transisiton but come on people; if you fling your wet suit off in the middle of the path, people are just going to go over it. Bike course reminded me of home: flat and windy. But despite the Kansas like conditions, I made good time. However, I discovered an unfortunate truth about myself in that I don't know my right from left. When you pass someone on the bike you're suppose to say "on your left", except of course if you are on their right or, if you're me and are directionally challenged. I SWEAR Iwas not trying to confuse people by saying "on the left" and passing on the right. Right. Left. Whatever. How about MOVE YOUR BUTT, DAMMIT! And to the two ladies riding abreast chatting about the classes you're going to take this summer: for cryin' out loud-it's a RACE. Park your bikes and go chat over lattes.
The RUN: So I was feeling good on the bike and making great time as I came into T2; tri talk for the transistion when you get off the bike and try to run on jello legs. But once off the bike my legs felt like lead. Running was DEFINITLEY going to be a problem. I slugged back some gatorade, ate half a reeses peanutbutter cup and wobbled out the run exit feeling like a newborn colt. I never did find my running legs out there. And i want to know who was the sicko who decided to add 5 hills to the run course! It was likethe Wildflower run compressed into 3 miles. Half way into the first mile I was beat. So I walked up the hills (recovery!) and did my best to run the rest of the way, but it was way past time for a soak in the tub and a nap! Kurt was at the finish line this time(yay!) taking pictures of my not so grand finish. I did the course in hour and 24 minutes, kind ofdisappointing after a good swim and bike, but I just wasn't into the run. But now I know what I need to work on for the next Tri for Fun in July. Besides the early finisher gets the muffins AND the correct size of tshirt!
Swim...
Bike...
Run...
All done!
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