My First Triathlon

"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just finish the race - it's up to you."
~Dave Scott


Wow! I finally did it! I completed my first sprint triathlon. I definitely get what everyone has been talking about.

Race Morning
My friend Stef and I left Pewaukee at 3:30AM to a very rainy 2-hour drive to Manitowoc. About a half hour or so outside of Manitowoc the sky cleared and you could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. We pulled up to the race grounds around 5:30AM and went over to get marked and registered. It was only about 60 degrees or so and I finally started to get nervous. There really wasn't a lot of information given as to where or how they wanted us to set up, but we just asked some of the racers setting up around us and they were more than willing to give some newbie advice. While setting up we met a fellow first timer Jen who looked just as lost as we did. Misery loves company so we hung out together till race time. The race itself was pretty small. There were only about 350 people or so and there really weren't many spectators.


The Swim
The swim was held in the harbor and we had an Easterly wind, which made the water completely flat. Thank God! The chop on Lake Michigan can get really bad. We were so lucky. The water temp at race time was 67 degrees. It was a little cold at first and just about the time I got out I was just getting warmed up. The swim was a beach start with an out and back loop. The water was really shallow and we had to walk 50-100 yards before we actually started to swim, so much for worrying about completing the swim. For the swim they sent us in waves of 25 people at 2-minute intervals. I finished the swim with a time of 8:02, which I was very happy with.

T1
I ran to where my bike was and started to put on my bike shoes. In my confusion I forgot to dry my feet before putting on my socks and shoes. This was a mistake because for the rest of the race my feet were sopping wet. Ugh!! I got my bike and headed off on the bike leg.

The Bike
I swear I was still trying to figure out where I was because I had a heck of a time clipping into my pedals. I was so thirsty at this point that I grabbed what I thought was my water bottle and took a few big gulps. In hindsight that was really dumb. I had not grabbed the water. I had gulped the Gatorade. That pretty much sent my stomach into a churning mess for the rest of the bike. The bike course itself was beautiful. We biked along the lakeshore for about 3 miles or so before turning inland onto come nice rolling country roads. All through the bike every time I was going up a hill it felt like my rear tire was in quicksand. I kept looking back at it to see if there was something wrong with it. There had to be!! After the 5Th hill I realized that the problem wasn’t the bike it was yours truly. Apparently when you weigh 280 pounds gravity has an increased pull or something like that.

T2
I finished the bike and came into T2 totally spent. I almost fell over after my dismount from the bike and waddled over to rack my bike and get ready for the run. I am so glad I had Yankz laces cuz I don't think I could have tied them at that point. Off to the run I went.

The Run

The run was 3.1 miles out and back with only one water stop at the halfway point. Just after starting the run Stef passed my going the other way. She shout some words of encouragement and it really boosted my spirits. all throughout the run fellow racers were telling me to keep going and other really nice things. It is really strange, I was in so much pain and at the same time I was having the time of my life. I allowed my mind to wander to other things. I thought about my family and the community of bloggers that really helped me to where I was. With only a half mile to go my quads started to cramp something fierce. I knew that if I stopped it would be all over so I just kept moving forward. I was running like a drunk. With each step my leg would give a little and then I would catch myself with the other. This went on till the finish. My final time was 2:10:05.29. This time really doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that I finished my first triathlon. It wasn't pretty, but I got there. There are so many bloggers that helped me get to this point, but one I really want to thank is Duane from Couch Potato To Ironman. He is a true inspiration to us all. Thank you Duane!





Stef and myself after the race. Could that smile on my face get any bigger?

Stef and Jen