Tri'ed and Tested

Wow.
I did it.
I actually did it!
I completed my very first triathlon with a pretty good time (1:45:39) and I finished 7th in my division. Me, 7th.

What an experience. It was wonderful to have my sweet husband before the race, down at the water, as soon as I got out, and pretty much every step of the way. Sidney also competed, so it was great to have someone to keep me motivated.

So we got to Brunswick late Thursday night. We slept on the bus and rented a car on Friday morning. Friday we drove around and got some last minute gear and picked up our packets. I was worried about Sidney because he decided to compete last minute (he was originally registered, but when Janene had surgery he stopped training to be her support) and didnt know a lot about the logistics of the race. (During the run part of the race he said "Oh, I thought this was supposed to be a mile, its three?" lol). Friday night we were both anxious and nervous but I managed to sleep. We woke up at 5 am and I showered and got ready. We loaded the car and drove to Jekyll Island. My parents met us there and we wheeled our bikes into the transition area. Luckily, we all drove through the course on Friday so we knew what the bike course looked like, where the transition area was, what the beach was like, etc. We set up our transitions and our bikes, got our bodies marked and I got my timing chip. (Sidney had to run back from the beach to get his timing chip because he forgot). I had a lot of nervous energy and adrenaline, so I went for a little jog. We took some pictures and then the announcer told everyone to head towards the beach. We waited and watched the Olympic distance triathletes get their swim start. This one guy took off and was so far ahead of the others that I was sure he would be taking a nap in his hotel room by the time I got on my bike.


After some brief instructions, the water was clear and it was our turn. We went to the water in two's, in numerical order. I was around the middle of the line. I was excited and ran into the water feeling a burst of nervous energy. Once it became too difficult to run, I dove in to swim.




All of a sudden everything went wrong. My heart started to race and I was hyperventilating. I got a mouthful of salt water and I couldnt complete a single stroke. My wetsuit felt like it was suffocating me. I stood up and ripped the cord of my zipper down and clawed at the velcro closure at my neck. Sidney saw me struggling and waded over to help me, but instead pulled my zipper back on because he thought it fell off. I panted "No! I need it off!!! I CANT BREATHE!" and another wave of panic crashed over me. He pulled the cord back down and I cluthed at the shoulders and yanked the wet rubber to my waistline. Sweet relief came with a breath of air. I started to doggie paddle around the fist buouy and tried to get into a stride. However, the bad start seemed to push all my training out of my brain and I just did my best to make it towards the yellow triangle buouy that meant the swim was over and to head to shore. Every time I tried to control my breathing and get my stroke pattern going, I would bump into someone, get smacked my someone, or get a wave in my face. Luckily, the water was up to ribs and I touched the bottom and walked. I felt sheepish until I looked around and noticed that about 50% of the sprint group was walking too, including Sidney. It wasnt against the rules, and it was easier, so we did it. In my defense, I couldnt catch my breath and could only doggie paddle, so in order to avoid drowning, I swam when I could and walked most of the way. Finally we reached the yellow buouy. We turned our faces towards the shore and I ran out of the water with whatever stamina I could muster, feeling a little defeated at having screwed up so early in the game. Luckily my wetsuit was halfway off already, so I ran through the showers on my way to the transition and my bike.




Now, I just want to take a moment to say that I am officially a firm believer in the miracle of PAM. I read in a book that non-stick cooking spray is a priceless addition to any triathletes transition bag--so I stuffed my big yellow can in my backpack. Wow, were they right! Someone even asked me to borrow some. I sprayed PAM on my legs before I put my wetsuit on, and when I was standing by my bike to take it off, it slipped off like magic. I put on my helmet, ripped open a Hammer Gel, shoved my sunglasses on my face, laced my shoes and I was off.
The bike ride was a definite improvement from the swim. I passed several people and mantained a decent cadence and speed. Sidney was behind me most of the way and passed me around mile 10. It was beautiful today and the scenery was perfect. Since we drove around the course the day before, I knew landmarks that would keep me motivated (e.g. the campground was at the top of the island, the welcome center was almost the end, etc). Plus there were volunteers stationed every mile or so who would call out encouragement and praise as you rode by. I had a blast and it really helped me boost my confidence. I noticed some of the Olympic distance bikers, as they were whizzing past, were very serious and focused. I was laughing and smiling and talking to myself. I guess I'll get to that point of concentration eventually--I was just having a good time. Before I knew it, we were at the last mile and I spotted Sonny and my parents with their cameras.



We walked our bikes back to the transition area, dropped our helmets, took a swig of water and took off towards the run course.




At first, I was running pretty steadily, since my legs were used to the repetetive motion, but all of a sudden I hit a wall. I could not get my calves to pick themselves off the ground. I slowed to a walk. The rest of the run consisted of Sidney and I alternating between running, jogging, and walking as best we could. The turn around point felt like it was miles away instead of a mile and a half and we joked with other runners as we passed about catching a cab back to the finish line.
One thing that really struck me positively was the amount of support people had for each other. Everyone called out encouragement to everyone else and occasionally we even saw people we knew. On our way back from the turn around point, almost to the finish, Sidney and I started calling out foods we would eat when we got done so that runners that passed us heard "Cheese FRIES!!!" "STEAK!" and "FUDGE SUNDAY" screamed at them. At long last we saw the finish line and heard people cheering. I was a little ahead of Sidney and was losing steam fast. I told myself that I had to cross the finish line at a run, no matter what. However, I started to slow down a little because my legs just wouldnt give any more. Suddenly, about 20 yards before the end, I saw a guy yell "Dont let him catch up to you! Are you gonna let him beat you??!" and pointed to Sidney, who was close behind. I got a momentary surge of adrenaline and sprinted the last few yards towards the end. I collasped against Sonny and he kissed me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders and said "I am so proud of you...". It was a beautiful moment.




I learned a lot from this experience about the importance of training and how fun races actually can be. It really puts the training in perspective and makes it more bearable to know that the harder I train, the more fun the race will be, especially with the swim.

I am so grateful that my parents were able to come see me compete and for the support of Sonny's family. However, I am at a loss for words for how much it meant to me to have my best friend waiting for me at the finish line. He is my anchor and my motivator and I couldnt have asked for a better companion. I am one lucky triathlete :)