My first triathlon

Saturday was AWESOME! I have to say, I truly enjoyed the entire experience of my very first triathlon. I apologize in advance because I'm going to get a bit wordy, but I want to remember it all.

Friday night, I laid out my bag and got my gear ready for the early morning to come. My alarm was set for 5:20 am. When it went off, it was still dark outside. I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth and finished packing up my stuff. I definitely had those pre-race jitters! Nate got up with me, so he could get everything ready to get the kids out of bed, put them in the stroller (and Simon in the backpack) and take them to watch the triathlon and cheer me on. It was a local triathlon and he walked there with the kids. He got the rack on the car and my bike on the rack for me too. Thanks hun!

It was a pretty chilly morning. It was in the 40s and extremely windy! I made sure to take a long-sleeved running jacket, gloves, and an ear warmer head-band, just in case. I ate my breakfast (a banana), brushed my teeth again and was on my way.

I got there right as the transition area opened. There were already lots of people there. I was so excited (and nervous)! I got my bike and started walking over. I got marked with my number (on both arms & both legs) and my age (on the back of one of my legs). Then, I was able to go to my assigned rack and pick a spot for my bike. The closest spot to the aisle is always a good choice. That's what I picked. My number was 387. We were numbered according to the swim time we entered and the numbers began with 336. So, I had the good fortune of being surrounded by some stellar triathletes. You should have seen some of those bikes! I tried not to be intimidated. They were all very nice. When they found out it was my first triathlon, they even offered advice and wished me luck!

Anyway, once I got my transition area the way I wanted it, I headed indoors to the pool area. But, I decided I would come back out to the transition area one more time before we were to start. Because, I wasn't quite ready to strip down just yet, as it was quite cold! I went inside to get my timing chip (which you strap to your ankle) and it was at that point that I bumped in to some of my other friends that were also doing the triathlon. That pumped me up! It was great!

Once I got my timing chip, I went back out, stripped down to my triathlon suit and bare feet, then headed back inside. I really wanted to warm up. So, I swam for about 700 meters, until they told us it was time to clear the pool.

There were 490 people entered in the race. They lined us up and had us get in the pool, one-by-one, leaving five seconds between each other and we swam in a snake pattern (down one lane, up the next) until the 300-meter-swim was done. You should have seen all those people lined up along the pool. My nerves were going! I feel like I did fine in my swim. It was strong and I was happy with it. I even passed one of the guys ahead of me. :)

After the swim, I ran to the transition area (and saw my fam for the first time - all cheering me on - it was such a great sight! Thank you!). I dried off my feet, took off my cap and goggles, re-did my ponytail, immediately put on my helmet and strapped it. Then, I put on my sunglasses, my socks and shoes, grabbed my bike and was off. I made a split decision not to put anything else on. I was feeling pretty warm after my swim.

The bike was a 12-mile course (a six-mile loop done twice). It went smoothly for the most part. My chain did fall off once. And, apparently, my seat wasn't tight enough because it slipped down. So, when I stopped to fix my chain, I also fixed my seat. I was so bummed about having to stop! But, it probably only took me a minute or so to fix those things. And, it was so WINDY! There were times when I'd feel like my body was a sail as the wind pushed against me. But, overall, I was happy with my results.

When I came in after my bike, I dismounted, ran my bike back to my spot on the rack, but had to cram it a bit into a little space. Then, I took off my helmet and replaced it with a hat, grabbed the strap with my number on it and began my run.

The run was an out-and-back 5K. I felt like I held a good pace during the run. I was worried that if I pushed it too hard I might throw up, so I just held it at a "feeling pretty good" kind of pace. It was a little hard to judge for me. Once I hit the turn-around point, I felt much better. Probably because that "almost done" feeling came over me! I was so psyched!

As I ran in for the finish, I felt so good! I was all pumped up on adrenaline. As I crossed the finish line, they handed me a medal for finishing. Pretty neat, eh? :) Then, I ran to see my family and give them all hugs. The girls were freezing! Liliana and Simon had fallen asleep. Nate said he woke Lili to tell her I was coming, so she stayed under her blanket, but stuck her arm out and rang her cow bell to cheer for me. I thought that was so cute! It was funny how I didn't feel cold at all. But, the longer I stood there, the colder and colder I got until my teeth started chattering and everything. I couldn't go back in to the transition area because there were a lot of people still competing, so they wouldn't let us in (which I totally understand and appreciate).

After my race, Nate gave me a necklace with a triathlon charm. It was so thoughtful and I love it! Thank you sweetie! Julia was very excited about giving me that surprise. After cooling down a bit, I was able to eat the pancakes they had going for all the participants and drink my vitamin water. I was on that adrenaline high for a while!

The whole experience was so amazing. I can't wait to do it again. In fact, there's another local one next month and I think Nate and I both will compete in it together. Won't that be fun? We sure think so!

Well, there you have it. A very long update on my very first triathlon. Thank you all for your love and support!

I can now say, "I am a triathlete!" Woo-hoo!


{Here's what our shirts looked like for the St. Patrick's Day Triathlon...funny,huh?}

{the girls all bundled up in the stroller. Julia was so cold!}

{Yep, that's our son in a pink blanket}

{series of events: swimming - I'm the one in the middle, running to the transition area, getting on my bike, starting the bike leg, finishing the bike, starting the run & finishing!}

{right after finishing with my medal, & with two of my friends who also competed}

{"we are women, we are strong, we are TRIATHLETES!"}

Just because I'm sure you're wondering...

My swim time: 300 M 4:51 (1:29 per 100 M pace) - 35th overall
(Nate had to remind me that the time didn't stop when I touched the wall, but when I ran in to the transition area - so I was happy with that time)
T1: 2:10
My bike time: 47:23 (15.2 mph) - 350th overall
T2: 1:07
My run time: 30:10 (9:44 min miles) - 291st overall

Total time: 1:25:39 - 312th overall.

I met or exceeded the goals I set for myself! And, I have to say, I'm totally happy with that! But, I do have some new goals for the next one! Stay tuned for another new adventure!