I know, I know, triathlons aren’t generally the stuff of tarck, but I’m so darn proud of myself for 1) not drowning, 2) having a super fast bike ride where I passed a bunch of people even though I was the second to last person out of the lake, and 3) finishing the whole shebang (1/2 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride, 5k run) in under 2 hours that I had to share.
The water was an open swim in a lake (we needed to use wetsuits) and while 1/2 a mile isn’t long in a pool, it’s a whole 'nother game with hundreds of thrashing bodies, waves, and super cold water. I really felt like I couldn’t do it–something to do with me panicking and having problems swimming and breathing. But I eventually figured out how to do a modified breast stroke and then, when I calmed down enough, got into the groove with the freestyle. When I hit the sand I started crying because I was so glad to have solid ground under my feet. So that was the hardest part and the part I was most freaked out by. Check.
Next was the bike portion–13 miles of rolling terrain. Medium grade hills–long enough to make the calves burn, but not too long. I didn’t stop pedaling the whole way & passed a bunch of folks to make up time. Also got to cheer for the people I passed, give them a boost. Smiled the whole way. Was a gosh darn beautiful day–mountains, lake, green leaves all around, in the low 80s–couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Finally, the run. Ugh. I’m not a fan of running. I’ll do it, but it’s not my fave. Was a 5k and I’ve never done an organized run, so this was my first among a day of firsts. Jello legs post-bike, so slow going at first, but my friend and I trucked along, only stopping two or three times to walk a couple of feet and catch our breath. After the turn around point we ran the whole way back & sprinted to the finish. Felt amazing to see the finish line, and to have friends cheer us on. Plus we both finished under 2 hours (just barely) which was our goal.
Afterward, we ate veggie burgers and drank beer and hung out at the lake. Beer has never tasted so good. Not sure if I want to do one again, but I feel like a badass right now for having done it–still can’t believe it happened. 114!