Long awaited Cedars of Lebanon Sprint Triathlon Recap

It's only taken me nearly 3 weeks but here it is...finally...the recap of the sprint triathlon I wasn't even sure I was going to do.

I decided that I couldn't just skip something I had signed up for. For me, that would signify that I'm a quitter. A quitter in many senses of the word. It would have not only been me skipping the race, but me throwing up my hands and saying, "I give up, this period of weight re-gain wins."

So I had to fight.

Surprisingly, I wasn't too nervous on race morning. I just approached it as leisurely as I could. I was just participating and hoping to finish, not "racing" anyone or myself. So it took the pressure off.

My typical race morning routine was off. I had spent the 2 weeks leading up to the race house/dog sitting so I had been out of my element for approximately 11 days. The night before the race was the first night I had spent in my own bed in over a week. My race tradition is I have a whole grain bagel from Brueggers with peanut butter and a banana, but I forgot to get a bagel from Brueggers on Friday. So I stopped at a gas station and got a Peanut Crunch Clif Bar on the way out to the park. I ate that on the way and ended up having my banana around 7:30 once I got settled in transition.

One thing that made me nervous race morning was that it had been raining the day before and morning of, which meant wet and possibly slick roads. I overheard some guys at the swim line-up mention that the first stretch out on the bike was downhill that goes into a sharpe right turn. Took mental note of that one.

Another thing that caused a bit of anxiety was the pool swim. Silly I know. Usually people get nervous about open water swims. Chalk it up to the fact I've been swimming and water skiing in murky water since I was 6 months old, but OWS don't phase me. When contemplating how I was going to tackle the swim, I wasn't sure how it would go - darting under ropes and with so many people in the pool at once. I didn't practice going under the ropes, but I should have.

Source: Team Magic Multisport

 

 

If you click to enlarge the above photo of the swim start, you can see me waiting in the blue swimcap (in the yellow circle).

I was in the middle of the pack on starting time, so my number was 625. I waited a good while and was able to see how the "pros" were tackling it. Touch wall, push off wall underwater, go diagonally into the next lane. Simple?

I should have been further up in the swim time. I passed people, and had trouble passing people I could have passed because of congestion. It was much worse on congestion than the OWS last summer at Wet Dog. I think I estimated my swim time around 6 minutes, and I finished in 4:55.

I walked the whole way to T1. I worked hard on the swim and I knew the bike would be rough so I wanted to save energy. I'm sure I looked silly and it certainly didn't help my T1 time (5:05), but once I got to my bike, I was quick. Baby powder in the socks helped this time!

Bike started out ok. My legs are always cold when I start on the bike in a race. I need to warm them up better - which I intended to do this time - but I didn't have time before they closed transition. The bike course was a two-loop 4.3 mile course. Easy enough right? It had been described as FLAT, which I was silly to even believe because, hello this is Tennessee. It was not flat. A lot of it was flat. But those 3-4 rolling hills (mostly at the end of the loop, back-to-back) killed me. If I was trained better I'm sure it wouldn't have been a big deal. But I wasn't trained so alas a lot of people passed me (some twice, I'm sure). But I didn't have to walk my bike and I finished without any incident. It took me 52:26 though.

I started the run out easy and my legs quickly acclimated and I was able to keep a pretty steady 3/1 run/walk pace. The run course is mentally tricky because you have to go left out of the transition area, go about 0.2 miles and then loop back past the transition area. The run course overall is pretty flat except for one hill at the end right before you run into finish.

My run time was 29:20, which I can't be mad about because the weekend before I ran 2 miles on their own and my time was right around 28. So not bad for swimming 200 yards ad biking 9.6 miles before running 2 miles.

I finished. I was glad I was done and also that I did it. I didn't use any nutrition on the course besides water and a little powerade. So I ate my honey stingers right after finishing in the transition area and packed my stuff up to go home.

Overall time: 1:32:55

Thoughts: I'm just glad I did it and I was able to finish. I would have had a lot of guilt and self-hate if I had decided not to do the race. So it was just good for me mentally to get out there and do it. My original plan for this season was to do an Olympic distance in September, but it's clear that isn't going to happen. My travel schedule at work ruined any focus I would be able to have on training for one. And two, personal travel has ruined my focus on saving for a road bike and I really don't think I can ride 25 miles on my current bike. It's too heavy - about 50 lbs! It certainly isn't a goal I've given up on, it just won't happen this season. I do hope to do one more sprint triathlon in August or September before the season is over. I'm continuing to run (joining a local C25K program) and swim. Biking has been neglected, but the summer is still young!

Have you ever done a race you weren't properly trained for? If so, how did it go? Did you surprise yourself?

To Tri or Not to Tri on Saturday

Hello, it's me again. Yes, I'm still alive. Yes, I've gained more weight. Yes, I could spend a lot of time making excuses and telling you how busy I've been.

But I won't.

What I came here for today is some advice. Now, of course I write this from a place after I've already discussed it with a few "in real life" friends, but I trust my blogging community so much I'm bringing it to you.

WAAAAAAAAAY back in December I registered for my first race for the 2013 Triathlon season - the Cedars of Lebanon Sprint Tri (200 y swim, 9.6 mi bike, 2 mi run), which is now THIS Saturday.

And although I started out ok, I haven't followed any sort of training schedule for FOUR weeks.

Sure, I've done a run here, swam a little over there, and a bike ride here and there in the last few weeks. But I would say I've been on a bike less than 4 times in the last 4 weeks and I've been in the pool maybe half that.

To say I'm not trained is an understatement.

I wasn't really worried until I hopped on the bike Sunday and it was SO HARD. The lack of training combined with the 40 or so lbs I've gained in the last 8 months had me walking up THREE hills. And they were piddly little hills. Now, I could blame it on the run I did the day before - 2 miles - since I haven't been running much more than 20 minutes a few times a week and my quads felt a little sore, but that's a cop-out.

So what do I do?

I'm really conflicted because I've never NOT completed a race I registered for. For awhile, I was confident the short distances at the race wouldn't be a problem for me, but MAN I've let myself go. After that bike ride on Sunday (during which I had my first bike crash), I just don't know if I CAN.

Which is better?

Do I go forward with my plan to do the triathlon knowing I'm not trained and I'm sorely out of shape, with the chance of either hurting myself or having to quit during the race?

Or do I bow out gracefully, plan some other moderate activity in place of Saturday and re-evaluate my health and fitness goals?


What would you do?

Ironman March Challenge Wrap Up

As a reminder, I committed to participate in Caitlin's (from Health Tipping Point) Ironman March Challenge where I will complete the Ironman distances in swimming, biking, and run/walking during the month of March.

I didn't give a Week 4 update, but you can see previous weeks' updates here, here, and here.

The last full week of the challenge, I hit a wall. Well, it actually started out great the first three days with a 1,000 meter swim, 14 mile spin ride, and 2.85 mile run respectively. Monday the 25th was my normal yoga class, then Tuesday I skipped the 6 am spin class I've been trying to make my "normal" class and just figured I would go to the 5 pm one. But then I started the juice cleanse Tuesday morning...

I was so weak by time I left work on Tuesday, there was no way I would make it through a 60 minute spin class. "I'll just go tomorrow," I thought.

Well after only 4 hours of sleep because of hunger induced insomnia (seriously, I was so stupid), I didn't feel like doing much Wednesday either. Then Thursday I missed the 6 am spin again and couldn't find an evening class, so I just went to yoga (my favorite instructor is going to be out for 3 weeks and it was her last class).

So I ended Week 4 with just an additional 1,000 meters of swimming, 14 miles biking, and 2.85 miles running to add to my totals. Not the best week for the challenge, but looking back it's not horrible for this point in my training calendar either.

For the last 3 days of the challenge, I started out at the pool Friday with a 1,200 meter swim, thus completing 4,100 meters this month, a few laps over the 2.4 miles required for the challenge.

Friday after coming home from the pool, I was still in my flip flops and had a little clumsy incident that involved a chunk of skin the size of a quarter being ripped off the top of my big toe on my left foot. So there's that now.

Saturday, I only got 5 miles of biking in. But the good news is I picked up my bike from being tuned up and it's riding great! I just timed the ride way too wrong and I hadn't eaten in several hours and didn't have any energy to do a longer ride. (All excuses I realize.)

Admittedly I have had a very lazy week and weekend, and that carried over to today with the holiday and the crummy weather we have, I didn't get out and do anything today.

So my final challenge totals were:

Swimming: 4,100 meters
Bike: 58 miles
Run/Walk: 19.49

So obviously I didn't complete all of the biking or running totals. After the showing I had the first two weeks, I really had no way to hit the bike totals, but if I hadn't hit that wall this week I should have hit the run totals.

All that to say, I do think the challenge was a success because it helped jump start my triathlon training. I went from swimming and biking very low totals to swimming 1,200 meters at a time and biking 20+ miles a week. So I'm proud of myself for that.

I have 6 weeks until the first race on my calendar this season, and being that it is a mini spring triathlon (200 yard swim, 10 mile bike, 2 mile run), I know I am ready for it and I can start focusing on my 2nd race (TBD), which will be a longer sprint triathlon, and maybe even an Intermediate distance race at the end of the summer.

I can't wait until May 18th and I'm out there again!

Ironman March Challenge - Week 3 Update

As a reminder, I committed to participate in Caitlin's (from Health Tipping Point) Ironman March Challenge where I will complete the Ironman distances in swimming, biking, and run/walking during the month of March.

You can check out the original Ironman March Challenge post and download the printable training plan on HTP.

So yesterday concluded Week 3. We have 10 days left (including today).

The goal again this week was to swim 872 meters, bike 25.3 miles, and run/walk 6 miles. Plus, I still needed to catch up on a lot of biking, let's see how I did.

March 15-21:
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 12 mile bike ride on the greenway near my house
Sunday: 1.75 mile run and 650 meter swim
Monday: Nothing - missed yoga due to a GMAT prep class went to
Tuesday: 10 miles in Spin
Wednesday: 2.25 mile walk/run as part of C210K
Thursday: Nothing - missed yoga because of a meeting that ran long at work and I was too lazy to go to the gym

So my weekly totals were 650 meters swimming, 22 miles biking, and 4 miles run/walking. Yikes I'm behind.

My week was a bit hectic. I had plans Mon-Wed nights and having that much on my social calendar just tends to throw me off. I was also REALLY sore from my weekend workouts and without my gentle/stretching yoga on Monday it was hard to motivate myself by Thursday to do yet another day of cardio. I know, excuses, excuses, but it is what it is. This next week should be MUCH better because I have NOTHING on my calendar in the evenings. I plan to focus, focus, focus.

10 days to do 1,962 meters of swimming, 73 miles of biking, and 9.56 miles of running!

Here's my plan for the rest of the month:

March 22-28
Friday:  1,000 meter swim
Saturday: 14-16 mile bike ride
Sunday: W3D3 of C210K (approx. 2.25 miles) and 600 meter swim
Monday: Yoga
Tuesday: 45 minute spin (10-12 miles)
Wednesday: W4D1 of C210K (approx. 2.75 miles) and 5 mile indoor bike
Thursday: 45 minute spin (10-12 miles)

March 29-31
Friday: W4D2 of C2K (approx. 2.25 miles) and 600 meter swim
Sat: W4D3 of C210K (approx. 2.25 miles) 14-16 mile bike
Sun: 45 min spin (10-12 miles) or bike

I realize my biking miles are VERY heavy in order to finish the Ironman distance. All I can do is try on that front. I'm confident I won't have any problems with the swimming or running (funny how biking is my weakest sport and the one I'm most behind on).

At least this challenge has kept me on task for triathlon training and really that's more important than being a few miles short of riding 112 miles in a month.

What do you need to start Tri-ing? Not Much!

I started writing this as a comment in response to this Swim, Bike, Mom post. After typing, and typing, and typing I realized this was much better posted as a blog post rather than a comment.

I don't wholly agree with SBM's "wear one thing" & "don't put anything else on" rule. I completed my first sprint tri last year at 6'0" and 240 lbs, which makes me about an 18/20, and most women's triathlon clothing doesn't fit someone of my frame size. What to wear on race day was one of the biggest "mysteries" to figure out during my training.

I didn't want to spend $150+ on a triathlon suit when I wasn't sure if I would actually enjoy tri-ing. Especially when I would have to order specialty size or go to a men's cut. In fact, I didn't want to invest much money at all in triathlon gear until I realized I did in fact love it. So I ended up wearing my plain black Reebok one-piece swimming suit and a pair of Men's XXL compression shorts for the swim, and then pulling on a pair of mesh basketball shorts for the bike and run.

My advice to beginners (still being a beginner myself) is to NOT go out and buy a bunch of unnecessary gear. You DO NOT NEED a triathlon suit/kit to complete a sprint triathlon, unless you have an extra $100-$150 laying around and would just feel more comfortable doing this. I just don't want anyone using the expense of the sport as an excuse to not train and complete their first race when they really want to.

Here's what my "gear" consisted of during my triathlon training and race:

-One piece no-frills swim suit (with supportive straps and full-coverage)
-Pair of compression shorts
-Pair of old school Speedo goggles I previously had (I paid $5 on clearance for them years prior)
-Swim cap (purchased half way through my training)
-Pair of  mesh basketball shorts (pulled over compression shorts after the swim)
-Hand me down bike from the 90s - with proper safety tune up
-Water rack and water bottle on bike
-Helmet
-Properly fitted running shoes
-Sweat and moisture wicking socks
-Garmin 405 GPS enabled watch (this is not mandatory, I just happened to have been gifted one the Christmas before my first triathlon season)
-Hard work, determination, a training plan, and a commitment

Now your mileage may vary. I didn't find the need for padded bike shorts on my training rides and/or padded triathlon shorts for my race because I was only riding twice a week and not that far most days. I may buy a pair this year because I'm planning on spending A LOT of time on the bike and I can already tell it may affect...ahem...me.

Also, I am small chested, so I didn't feel uncomfortable riding and biking in just my bathing suit with shorts pulled over. If you are a better endowed woman than I am, you could easily wear a sports bra under your swim suit.

My point is, you can get by with less if you need to. You do not need clip-in pedals, a fancy bike, or lots of fancy gear for a sprint tri.

I would love hear other people's comments about their experience on completing their first tri and sharing their best tips and practices!

Ironman March Challenge - Week 2 Update

As a reminder, I committed to participate in Caitlin's (from Health Tipping Point) Ironman March Challenge where I will complete the Ironman distances in swimming, biking, and run/walking during the month of March.

You can check out the original Ironman March Challenge post and download the printable training plan on HTP.

So yesterday concluded Week 2. We have 17 days left (including today).

The goal again this week was to swim 872 meters, bike 25.3 miles, and run/walk 6 miles. Plus, I wanted to "catch up" on my biking since I didn't get much in the first week. Well, my body had other plans this is what my week looked like:

March 8-14:
Friday: 2 mile walk/run as part of C210K
Saturday: 1,000 meter swim in 30 minutes. (I was damn impressed I was able to go this far. I'm chalking it up to my new fancy goggles.)
Sunday: 4 mile walk/hike
Monday: Active rest/Gentle Yoga
Tuesday: Spin class - counting as 12 miles (see below)
Wednesday: 1.72 mile walk/run as part of C210K
Thursday: Active rest/Yoga

I was on a roll until I hit the spin class on Tuesday. I knew the class would be hard. Spin is hard. But I love it just the same. I always say that it's the only group exercise class I'll get up at 5:30 AM for. Seriously, you don't see me going to Body Pump at 6 AM do you? :)

So, it was hard. 45 minutes is a lot longer than I've ridden or done cardio for since December. I knew it would wear me out. But I wasn't expecting what happened after I got off the bike to happen - I almost fainted.

I've had the symptoms before - twice to be exact. Once from having an reaction to Penicillin and then a milder version after the Country Music Half Marathon on April 2012.

While we were stretching after our ride, I started to feel dizzy. I tried to shake it off by stopping my stretch to no avail. The room started to get fuzzier, and I started to feel more like crap. I exited the room to find help (I didn't want to make an embarrassing scene in front of the class). And found the staff member overseeing the fitness area. I told him what was happening and he was about as unhelpful as a pile of wet rags. I repeatedly asked for medical assistance/first aid and he repeatedly told me they weren't trained for such incidents. His exact words were "well if you have a cut or need a band-aid or something". REALLY Middle Tennessee YMCA?!! You don't have ONE person in the building at ALL TIMES trained for first response medical care in case one of your members has a heart attack or stroke on the floor? What about if one of those kids that come in after school to play basketball drop from an undiagnosed heart condition? After he left me alone (yes really) to "go try and find someone" I started feeling normal again, so I just went back to the classroom to gather my things and left.

Although I felt tired the rest of the day, I didn't have any other symptoms. The next day while running, I felt a little off so I didn't push myself very hard and did walking intervals for the last half. My intent was to wear the heart rate accessory with my Garmin, but I forgot the watch on the charger Wednesday morning.

Honestly, I was scared to go back to spin. I don't know if it was just the extra histamines in my body from seasonal allergies attacking me post-exercise, if it was low blood sugar, or if there is a more serious issue I need to be concerned about. Bradycardia (when your heart rate drops to below normal levels - usually in the 40s or under) runs in my mom's family - both she and my aunt have been diagnosed with it, but it only presents symptoms for them when their body is under stress. Exercise = stress on the body. It's something I need to get checked out, but I am dragging my feet.

My original plan was to spin Thursday, rest today. Since I didn't want to risk spin again, I did yoga yesterday and gave myself extra rest. Then, I planned to get in the pool this morning (at 6 AM mind you) and I got there and the pool was closed? So frustrating! I realize they probably posted signs for weeks, but since I wasn't planning on swimming during the week this week, I probably didn't pay attention to them. Why don't they send email reminders to the members when parts of the facilities are closed???

So it's been a rocky week that has pushed me further behind on the bike portion of the challenge.

My weekly totals are 1,000 meters swim, 12 mile bike (1 spin class), and 7.72 mile run. My totals overall are 1,250 meters swim, 17 mile bike, and 12.64 miles run.

I don't know if I'll "catch up" on my bike totals. I will try my darnedest if I feel alright at my next spin class (maybe Sunday), but I'm not going to risk my health.

Here's to 17 days and 2,612 meters of swimming, 95 miles of biking, and 13.56 miles of running left!

Ironman March Update - Week 1

I committed to participate in Caitlin's (from Health Tipping Point) Ironman March Challenge where I will complete the Ironman distances in swimming, biking, and run/walking during the month of March.

You can check out the original Ironman March Challenge post and download the printable training plan on HTP.

On to my update for the first week (March 1-7).

The goal was to swim 872 meters, bike 25.3 miles, and run/walk 6 miles. Since I am just getting back to the gym from winter laziness/ankle sprain 2013 this is what my week looked like:

March 1-7:
Friday: nada
Saturday: 250 meter swim (first time in the pool since September and my goggles broke)
Sunday: 3 mile hike/walk
Monday: Active rest/Yoga
Tuesday: 5 mile indoor bike
Wednesday: 1.92 run/walk on treadmill
Thursday: Rest

So obviously my totals are 250 meters swim, 5 mile bike, 4.92 run/walk. And I'm starting out behind.

I'm not too concerned since I'm just now gearing up back at the gym. I'll hit the pavement tonight for another approximate 2 miles, then swim tomorrow (and hopefully get out for a hike in the afternoon), and probably do a spin class Sunday.

I'm going to try and add a little more to the outlined weekly totals so I don't have to play "catch up" all during one week. Overall I'd say the challenge has kept me motivated to keep moving forward with training for my mini spring Tri on May 18th. Anything to motivate me at this point is a good thing!

If you are interested in participating in the Ironman March Challenge you still have time! Check out the original post and commit today.

Ironman March with @caitlinhtp

I signed up for my first Triathlon of the season waaaaaaaaay back in early December. I find the earlier that I sign up for a big race, the more I tend to slack in beginning my "official" training. Mix in the fact I was sick for the first 6-7 weeks of 2013 and had a sprained ankle I was recovering from, it's been hard getting back on the horse.

I even wrote out a training calendar for the month of February. It's now the last day of the month and I didn't even attempt to follow it.

I'm getting better about getting into a real schedule again. I've made it to yoga this week and out running twice. I have another yoga session and another run planned already for the week.

But, if I want to be confident at my May 18th mini tri AND be ready in late summer for an intermediate distance (1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run), then I need to GET ON IT.

Enter fate.

Yesterday Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point posted her challenge to herself to complete an Ironman OVER THE COURSE of the month of March. Yep, 31 days to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles.

It's just the right level of a challenge to get me back in the saddle. I'll be going back to the Y for access to the pool and spin classes (oh how I miss thee).

If you want to join in, visit Caitlin's blog and print the handy PDF tracking sheet. She's even already done the math for you to break the mileage out week by week.

If you're going to do this, let me know here or on Twitter @emtucky.

A Little Joy Ride

Until yesterday, Nashville hadn't seen the sun in 9 days. It was agony. The days were cloudy and rainy and cold. The trifecta of winter here in the south. We've been so spoiled this year, the extended period of missing sunlight really had me down.

When I checked the weather forecast for this weekend I was extremely giddy to see it was going to be 55 and sunny today.

Excited for 55 degrees? Yes. I was.

I haven't been able to do anything except be on a bike the last 2 1/2 weeks because I sprained my right ankle on Jan. 2nd.

Happy New Year to me!

So, I knew I could get out on my dusty old bike I haven't ridden since the early fall and take a short jaunt on the greenway near my house. The greenway had it's own plans.

Flooded. In 3 separate places. And considering the trail to get around was super muddy going around the first two floods. I didn't attempt the 3rd.

I still got in about 40 minutes of riding by circling back and going out to the road and riding through a neighborhood.

I don't know when I'll be able to run again, but if I could get a day like this in every week. I'd probably stay pretty content for a few more weeks at least.

First Triathlon Recap: Wet Dog Triathlon

Remember that triathlon I was getting ready for?  Wonder what happened? Oh yeah, I killed it. (Of course "killing it" is in relative terms to my own self.)

The epic less-than-24-hour whirlwind time-span leading up to, actual, and post event was, well, epic. It started Friday night with my bike racked for it's first trip out of Nashville (and first time using the bike rack for a long car ride) and a pre-getting on the road stop at Mirko for some carb loading.

Amazing pre-race support from office mate.

Whole wheat penne with meat sauce and meat balls...so yummy.

We arrived in Decatur around 8:30 pm and we checked into the Best Western of Decatur. High class accomodations in Decatur going on! After messing with what we thought was a broken AC, I finally settled into bed and fell asleep around 10:30 or 11.

Alarm was set for 4:45 am for a 5:15 depart time. I got up and did my normal pre-race routine - coffee made, getting dressed, teeth brushed, peanut butter and bagel prepared, and gear gathered. It felt weird leaving for a race not with my running shoes on, but with flip flops. Loved that feeling actually.

Got to the race site right around 5:35 or 5:40 and I went directly to pick up my race packet. There were no lines and it was in and out. They handed me 2 bibs and my timing chip. It felt so official. I had no idea what the 2nd bib was for. So I asked. I thought the volunteer said "one goes on your front, and one goes on your back" but clearly the 2nd race number went on my BIKE, which thankfully I figured out in the transition area before embarrassing myself. :)

Pit Crew Member KG and I got my transition area set up. At this race the transition area was first come, first served so I choose the 2nd rack on the side closest to the bike exit. After racking my bike and laying everything out we found our way over the the body marking area.

Arriving to the race site.

Before shot with the bike.

Body marking fun

Transition all set up (that's my green and pink flamingo towel, naturally).

The thing I found about this race was even though it was tagged as a "beginner" race there was limited signage/direction so figuring things out was generally just taking your best guess or following the groups of people. Luckily, I had been researching triathlons for months leading up to my race and had volunteered at a race back in May so I was familiar with the general layout of a triathlon and tasks to take care of before the race start.

Around 6:15 I headed down to the beach area to check out the water. They hadn't gotten the buoys out yet so they weren't quite ready to let people in the water to warm up yet, but I hung around the water and chatted with some other racers. The water seemed calm to me and eventually they got the buoys out to let us in to warm up.

I wasn't really nervous before the start of the race until I visually saw how far out the buoys went. The swim course was an out and back 400 meter swim. I quickly squashed the fears down and tried to focus on just getting out there to warm up. I swam half way out and waded around a little, but that's pretty much it.

The finally called for racers to line up according to their race number (lower numbers were the first starters and fastest swimmers). At this point they were running late, but I'm not sure how late it was since I didn't have a watch on. I lined up in my general number range and started chatting with a fellow first-time racer, Sheila (hey there!). She was doing this race in preparation for a triathlon she's doing with her cousin next month in Erie, PA. Go Sheila!

Proud of my body markings.

Meet Conehead Emily

In the swim line waiting to start.

After a short wait, which I have no idea how long it was, into the water I went. The. swim. was. awesome. I felt really strong and since I overestimated my swim time by 7 minutes or so, I passed a lot of people that seemed to just be out there doggy paddling it (not hating - way to get it done!) I had to do my normal self talk of not rushing out of the gate too fast, but by time I got to the turn-around I was actually surprised in how short it felt.

Coming out of the water you had to run from the beach through the park entrance to the transition area. This probably added about a minute to my swim time, which was 11:19.

Off to the swim

That's me in the swim (middle, closest yellow cap in picture)

Coming out of the swim.

In transition number 1, I attempted to dry off a little, rinsed the sand off my feet and dry them to put on my socks and shoes, pulled on some athletic shorts and threw my helmet on. I assure you although it is quick to read about all the steps I took, I was sloooooooooooow in T1. It took me 4:03.

The first mile and a half on the bike was a little rough. In hindsight, I should have warmed up my legs up. It was a hard start, and I felt like I was really working to not go at a very fast pace. Early on I decided to save my legs for the run and just do the bike at a leisurely pace. So all those people I passed on the swim? They got right back on me during the bike. Another issue I had during the bike was the fact I didn't think through my hydration system. I had frozen some water and Gatorade bottles, but I didn't think how I would unscrew them while on the bike. Also, since I don't have a double bottle rack I borrowed KG's bottle holder that straps onto the handle bars. But it took two hands basically to get the bottle in and out. After the turn around I dropped my still half full bottle of water. Ooops #1.

The bike did go quicker than I though, but it was a very flat course. KG later informed me on my way back into transition, I didn't dismount at the right point, essentially entering transition ON my bike. Oops #2. Because this wasn't a USAT sanctioned race, they didn't do anything about it, but it's definitely something to keep in mind for future races. My bike time was 42:52. Actually a little faster than I estimated for myself.

T1

Bike start

Bike finish

Transition number 2 was kind of weird. Since I bike and run in my running shoes I didn't have any clothing changes so I just racked my bike, took off my helmet and downed some water and stood there for a second. I definitely could have done it faster, but it ended up taking me 1:24.

Despite drinking in transition and the water stop outside of transition at the beginning of the run, I felt THIRSTY starting the run. I had set my Garmin to 3/1 minute run/walk intervals and I knew I was going out fast, but I was able to keep to my 3/1s. The run was along the river and on a gravel trail with well marked roots. It was also primarily flat. The nice part was that there were about 4 water stations during the 3.1 mile course. This was really nice for me, who felt really underhydrated. I plowed along, but it really didn't feel that bad. Mostly, it was mentally difficult because the course twisted and turned so just when you thought it was time to turn around, you were really just going around a corner. There was a lot of fellow racer support during the run, which I appreciated. Since I had no idea what time I started, I had no idea how long the race had taken me at that point.

Starting the run.

Although I certainly wasn't last, I was in the back of the pack, but there were still a few people cheering runners in at the finish. Including Pit Crew Member KG. I was all smiles as I crossed that finishline. I was a triathlete.

Still smiling as I round the finish.

Crossing the finish line.

So excited to be a triathlete!

During races where I am particularly pushing myself to earn a new accolade (a PR, first time finish, etc.) I always think int he middle of the race I may cry at the finish line because I am so grateful to be at this point in my life that I can do exercise for 1, 2, or even 3 hours at a time and ENJOY it. However, the finishes always seem anticlimactic for some reason. Either way, I was glad to be done and to still have a smile on my face!

Of course, every race finish deserves an epic post race meal. And this one deserved a happy shopping trip to H&M in Huntsville.

Po Boy Factory - Crawfish Po Boy, Jambalaya, Fries (two kinds), and Fried Pickles.

So, I'm officially a triathlete. Yes! Where to from here? Of course in the days immediately following completing the race I begin to have thoughts of...well maybe I could do that race in September? What about doing an International (Olympic) distance next year? Could I do a half-Ironman in 2014? Will I ever be crazy enough to do an Ironman?

Slow. Your. Roll. Emily.

Honestly, in the first 7 months of this year I've completed 3 half-marathons and a triathlon. I could do that sprint tri in September, but I think I honestly need a break from endurance racing. I'm not signed up for any long distance events until December, and I think I am content in keeping it that way. My bank account and body need a break from the cardio fest it's been having. I want to learn how to focus on strength training. Also, I think if I back off of a strenuous training schedule maybe I can focus on losing these last 45 pounds I want to get rid of from my body. These two things can only make me stronger when I DO return to racing this winter and triathlons next season.

But honestly, I couldn't have done it without the support and encouragement of friends and family. This wasn't a solo journey in the least. Friend Jenne went on my first swim with me and taught me how to breathe in the pool (yes, really I had to learn to breathe), plus accompanied me on a-many-more swims. Of course KG took time out of her weekend last week to go to Decatur with me, help carry equipment and took all the pictures in the post (she took a total of 92 pictures!) not to mention spotting me on my first OWS before race day. And my long-distance coach, Heather, who I got to ask crazy triathlon related questions to and she always happily answered and gave me advice. I can't even begin to list everyone that gave me encouragement, good luck wishes, congratulations wishes, etc. You all SERIOUSLY rock.

In the end, it was an amazing experience and I am hooked. If you have ever thought about doing a triathlon I highly recommend you to find a beginner race you are comfortable with and start training today. (I'm no doctor though, so make sure everything is A-OK before beginning any exercise program.)

Triathlon, I'll see you next year!

After shot with the bike.

A very wet BRICK workout...without a swim!

Well today was fun. Just a week out from my first triathlon next Saturday, I wanted to get a bike ride and short run in this morning. The weather had other plans for me.

Before I even racked my bike up, it was raining. By time I got to the Greenway it was pouring. Not much I could do but get on the bike and bite the bullet to get soaked to do it anyway. Because really there's a chance these could be the real weather conditions on race day. At least it wasn't 107 degrees!

The rain when I arrived at the Greenway

I road approximately 9 miles in 55 minutes. It's a hilly route, so I'm hoping the primarily flat race course means I can knock a few minutes off that time next weekend. After the ride, I racked it up, put on my Garmin and took off running.

I actually felt pretty good on the run portion. I did 5 min run/1 min walk intervals for 2 miles. My left calf started to cramp towards the end, but I was still able to keep pace. The 2 miles took me a little under 27 minutes to do.

When I got done with the run, it started to pour again. I took off my shoes and stretched in the rain.

The rain when I got home.

Dripping wet

The back of my shirt - dirt from the bike wheels spraying me!

All in all it was a great workout. Despite serious lack of training, I feel ready for the race next Saturday. I'm approaching it as just another long workout.

I will do one more brick tomorrow - an open water swim and then a run afterward. Then this week I plan to do short workouts in all 3 sports leaving Thursday and Friday to rest.

Ready or not let's swim, bike, run!

Bike Adventures

Saturday I went for my second bike ride on my new-to-me bike! I've stuck to paved greenways, but so far I am loving to ride.

Saturday I rode a little over 8 miles on a flat trail. I was only out for about an hour, but because I'm still getting used to riding that's about all I can ride at once before the bike seat makes riding less than comfortable. I need to look into a better gel seat or some bike shorts with the gel inserts.

I also should look into a helmet. Yes, I've been riding without one. Eventually, I'll want to bike from my house to the greenway (about 1/2 a mile or so), so a helmet will be required.

Here are a few pictures from my ride yesterday.

Hey, it's hard to take a pic of yourself on a bike!
Car windows doubled as mirrors can work.

Overall, I am loving my bike and riding it. It's something you can do when it is hot out (yesterday was 90+), but it doesn't feel that miserable because of the natural breeze of zooming down the pathway. I know there are runners out there that won't admit it, but biking is so much more fun than running. Except when hills are involved. :)

But man, just like running, this is an EXPENSIVE hobby. As I mentioned, I still need a helmet and I'd like to get a gel seat. Also, I need a bike rack for easier transportation. Until the money Gods shine down on me, I'm left with lifting my bike in and out of the back of my Element.

I can't wait to have more bike adventures and build up my riding endurance.

New (to me) Bike!

After seeing my picture of my bike adventure in Colorado, my aunt offered up one of her two bikes she had stored in her garage. She didn't use them and had no plans to ride the bikes. So yesterday I picked up my new ride - a Schwinn Cruiser Supreme.

It's a little dusty and needs some TLC, but I think once I get it fixed up and maybe some new tires it will be as good as new! It's in great shape. From what I can tell the breaks work great and there are no rust spots on it. I'm not sure how old it is, but I'd guess it's from the 90s. Almost vintage ;)

I can't wait to get it back to Nashville and fixed up to ride!