My 1st Sprint Triathlon! (w/photos!)

I did it! Yesterday I competed in my first sprint triathlon. Wow!!!

So, how was it? It was great! It was hard! It was WINDY! But, I did it! And, I AM a triathlete.

MORNING: I woke up a little before 5 am and went through my bag one more time. I grabbed my breakfast (I was too nervous to eat) and loaded my bike on the back of my car. And, I headed towards the community center.

CHECKING IN & SETTING UP: I had been there the day before for a first timers event. (More on that later.) So, I knew pretty much what would be happening and where everything was set up. I brought my flashlight (great idea as I had to pump up my tires in the dark parking lot!) and went over to get my markings. The guy marking my leg heard me say "31" instead of "41" so he had to rewrite it. It was really messy and unreadable. Oh, well! I got my area set up according to everything I'd read and the Saturday class. I ate my banana and went and got my ankle chip. Then, I walked the exit & entrance to the bike & run several times to make sure I could find my bike. I was 2nd from the end, and got really good at finding it.


Minutes before my start... the guys behind me must have been some of those who passed me.


SWIM: There were about 600 participants and I was number 487. I was told they'd put someone in the water every 5 seconds, which should have put me around 7:25. But, I didn't get in the water until 7:45. It was a LONG wait, and I was wishing I had more 'fuel' to eat. I stood around talking to one of the ladies I'd me Saturday and the guy who was next to me on the rack. He actually trains some triathletes, so he was a great person to ask questions! (Oh, and I learned that they close the transition area -something I hadn't read - so you have to get whatever you need out of there!)



Taking a quick breath.

 It was finally my turn to start & I jumped in. I'd predicted my swim team, for the 275 yards in the pool, would be 7:30. I hadn't practiced jumping in and was afraid my goggles would fill up with water, but they were fine. I hadn't warmed up at all since I knew there'd be a long wait until I started swimming. But, I immediately felt at ease in the water. That is, until the guys behind me caught up to me on the 2nd lane. For about 5 laps, they passed me one after another. And, they were bumping into me, pulling my legs under, and just messing with me! I was proud of myself for staying calm. I flipped over on my back twice, but just for a couple of seconds. I ended up swimming slightly faster than expected with a time of 7:24! And, I realize now that I actually probably swam 300 yards instead of 275 since you are also swimming the entire length of the pool. So, I was swimming faster than ever! Yeah!

Shoes are on... now for a quick snack...

T1: My first transition went well. I really had trouble 'running' from the swimming pool and it was a slight jog instead. My plan was to stand up and put my socks & shoes on, but my socks weren't going on easily. So, I sat down and got them on. I also grabbed a few Honey Stingers. I had a good time at just 2:41.

BIKE: I'd rode one loop of the 2 loop bike route the day before with the first timers group. And, Saturday had been kind of windy. But, race day was VERY windy! And, the path was hilly! (At least compared to the flat lands I ride on!) I am very proud of how hard I worked on the ride. I pushed & pushed and gave 100%. There were times we were riding directly into the wind and we were barely moving. And, we didn't get the benefit of the wind because we were behind some buildings when it should have been at our back. Overall, I'm very happy with my bike leg, especially since I haven't been riding very long. My time for 13 miles (which I showed as about 13.5 miles) was 59:21.

T2: I had a quick transition. I know I could have been a few seconds quicker by putting my cap on while running, but I was so tired and wanted a few seconds break. I also grabbed a big drink of water off of my bike and a couple more Honey Stingers. I had one of the fastest T2s in my age bracket at 1:14. (But, I didn't have to change shoes since I ride in my tennis shoes.)

At the start of the run... I was walking soon after this photo.

RUN: I was so tired by my run. It was hard to get going. I walked a lot more than I expected. I think I walked 5 times and they were pretty long walks. I had just given almost all of what I had to give! My run time was the 2nd slowest in my age group at 40:16. But, my fastest 5K to date is only 37something, so this was actually pretty decent for me.

The FINISH!!! A triathlete is born!

So, my total time was 1:50:38. I placed 26 of 28 in my age group. I placed 150 of 175 out of the women. As in every other race, I came in at the back of the pack. Yes, that is frustrating for me. But, I think I did an incredible job and I know I gave it my all. (Well, I might have held back a little during the run.) I need to keep working on all 3 sports and I will get better! Right now I'm a little frustrated that I have a half marathon I'm training for, too, so it'll be harder to work on speed, but I'll do my best!

That's it! That's the story of my first triahtlon! I hope, if you are considering doing one, that you'll get out there and give it a try. It is an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

First Sprint Triathlon is Coming Soon!

I have been trying to keep up with 2 blogs (actually 3), and it isn't working very well. But, I wanted to update this blog.

I was supposed to be running a half marathon 2 weeks from today, but that fell through about a week ago. Instead, I will now be participating in my first sprint triathlon on that date! Yes, in just 2 weeks, I will be a TRIATHLETE!

I had about 3 weeks (due to travel to Japan, illness, and lack of desire) recently when I wasn't working out much. Last week, though, I totally got back on track. I had an amazing week!

And, just a few days ago, I signed up for this triathlon! I am so excited! And, since this one has a pool swim, I'm not as nervous as I am for my May triathlon.

I had an amazing 1st brick workout today. (I've done a few at the gym, but none outside.) I rode 11.5 miles in 55 minutes. The pace wasn't great, but it was really hilly. And, I LOVED it! I felt like I was flying! I went up to 20 mph, and it was amazing. I then ran 2 miles. My time was about 23 minutes, which is FAST for me. It is my fastest 2 miles ever, I think! Amazing!

So, I'm so excited to be facing my first triathlon!

Catching Up With Me

I've been working out hard since I got back from our Christmas trip.

Friday - 'most' intense run for me - changed from a 1:1 ratio to a 3:2 AND did 20 mins on the stair climber going up a total of 63 floors
Saturday - longest ride ever - rode bike for 10 miles
Sunday - fastest sprints ever - ran 1/8 mile in 1 min (& even under!) 4 times (got to under a 6 min/mile pace...probably not a good idea for me, though!)
Monday - had to make myself REST, though I did walk with leisurly with daughter & her friend & her friend's mom for about 25 mins

Well, I rarely feel sore anymore. In fact, I didn't feel sore after any of these workouts. But, today, my glutes are sore! Not a lot, but noticeable.

I wanted to run this monring, but didn't get to because of multiple factors. I WILL run today, though. I'll either go with my daughter to the gym or let her ride her bike while I run.

I also WILL restart my program to accomplish 200 crunches & 100 pushups. I'm going to drop the dips & squats for now... I think I'm more likely to stick with it if it is more manageable! I also WILL track my food today. And, I WILL cook dinner tonight (though I don't know what yet).

So, what are your plans today? What WILL you do to be healthier?

Photos from Last Week's Komen 5K

my face, painted

after the race at the lake house

the tags on my back - in celebration of Lillian Hunter & in memory of Evelyn Kaechle

850 Calories!

I had an amazing day today. First of all, we went to the doctor to have my daughter's wrist x-rayed after our bike incident. No broken bones! Yeah!

After I dropped her off at our co-op, I went and worked out HARD for 40 minutes with my personal trainer. We spent about 30 minutes on my legs and did some new exercises that were incredibly hard. Then we did about 10 minutes of HARD work on my arms!

Next, he took me on a bike ride. Part of the time we were on a bike/jogging trail and part of the time we were on the edge of a fairly busy street. He was teaching me about cadence and proper form. With cadence, you are supposed to choose a steady rhythm to pedal. Then, you change gears to stay with that cadence! You should pick a pace you could do for hours. We rode for 40 minutes and covered almost 7 miles.

After that, I taught my two classes at co-op and then we headed to AHG, American Heritage Girls, which is very similar to Girl Scouts. While my daughter was there, I went running with another mom! We ran for 30 minutes which I'm guessing was about 2 miles.

After AHG, we went to Christian roller skating night with some AHG friends. We were gone from before 8 am until about 8:30 pm! Long day!!!

But, it was worth it! I burned almost 850 calories! The most I've ever burned before was 600. And, I actually didn't eat that much. I had to 'make' myself eat dinner and had grapes for dessert.

I did have to stop and buy some ALEVE on the way to the skating rink as my hips & legs were starting to ache. And, no, I didn't skate! I was tired!

I soaked in the tub when I got home and it's a little before 10 and I'm getting ready to go to sleep.

(Countdown to Half Marathon: 169 days)
(Today's Training: weights (40 mins); bike (40 mins/7 miles); run (30 mins/2 miles)

Bike Wreck!

Yes, I just got my new bike on Friday and I had a wreck today.

My daughter and I were riding our bikes around the neighborhood tonight. We were both in the street and she decided to ride on the sidewalk. She went up one driveway and I sped up a little to pull alongside her. Well, she changed her mind and didn't tell me. She zipped down the next short driveway and "BAM"... right into the side of me! We both tumbled to the ground. I landed on the street and she landed somewhat on top of me.

I got a 2 inch long scrape on my forearm and a small scrape on my wrist. My daughter hurt her wrist, though we hope it'll be fine. She broke her other wrist last November, so I hope that isn't the case this time!

I also dinged up my bike just a bit. The wrapping on the handlebars has a little chunk taken out of it. That's the only damage I've seen so far. I rode the bike home after the wreck and it seemed to be working fine. I guess I'll take it in and have it checked out, though.

Sorry I still haven't taken photos of my bike! Someone asked what kind it is. It is a Scott Speedster S30. I bought it at a chain (Sun and Ski Sports) which is nice because I can take it into any of their stores at any time and have it checked out. Also, they honor their regular 30 day return/90 day credit policy... though they said it was only if it hadn't been in a big wreck.

I worked out a lot today, but I ate really poorly. I think it was emotional eating. My arm was really stinging for about an hour and I was just upset to have crashed my brand new bike. I've eaten quite a bit of junk today. And, that was after burning almost 600 calories today! Yuck! I'll have to get back on track tomorrow. And, I'm hoping my arm doesn't get too stiff and I can stick with my workouts!

(Countdown: 171 days until Half Marathon)
(Today's workout: ran 3.6 miles, upper/lower strength training, 2 mile bike ride, 600 calories BURNED!)

Breaking in My New Bike!

After my 5K on Saturday, I drove up to our lake house. I thought I'd shower, eat some lunch, and then have a nap, but I ended up going out on the jet skis with my husband. Then, my daughter wanted to go bike riding, so I hopped on and we went for a ride!

I just got my bike on Friday, so Saturday was my first ride. I told my daughter that her bike is no comparison to mine. (She's 9.) My wheels are so much bigger and I have gears to shift through! I had to go really slow and keep stopping for her - especially on the hills. We rode almost 4 miles. Then, I went in and took a nap.

I went on another ride Sunday afternoon. This time by myself. I ended up going almost 7 miles. I have quite a few hills and enjoyed challenging myself! And, I enjoyed 'flying' DOWN the hills.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I went on my first bike rides in MANY years this summer when I borrowed a bike while in New Mexico. That time, my neck and my 'seat' hurt during and afterwards.

This time, my neck still hurt. But, I took the bike in today and had it readjusted. Hopefully it'll be better! And, I got some gel shorts that my saleslady recommended. They were GREAT! I rode 2 days in a row with minimal discomfort! She had recommended a $100 pair, but I told her I didn't need that much yet. So, her 2nd recommendation was on sale for $45. Much better! And, they work great.

I forgot to take photos but I'll try to do it soon!

(Countdown: 172 days until Half Marathon)
(Today's Exercise: nothing ... We ran errands from 3 - 7:30 and then had to do dinner and finish up some school work. There just wasn't time - or I didn't make time.)