I did it! On Sunday I completed my first (sprint) triathlon at the east YMCA. I trained for about 11 weeks, taking a week off over the holidays. Most of my training focused on the biking, as it was the most difficult leg of the triathlon for me. I was quite anxious the night before the race and didn't sleep very well. I felt like I was in high school again, getting nervous before a big swim meet. I'm not sure why I got so nervous. I didn't really have many expectations since it was my first one. I guess that's just my personality.
The first heat started at 7:00 am and I was in the second wave at 7:30 am. My start time was determined by my swimming time that I put down when I registered. It was a little too early for me, but it didn't give me much time to get nervous. And it was nice to be done early so I had the rest of the day to rest.
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| not the most flattering pic, but just showing my number |
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| Nervous! Just ready to go! |
The Swim:
Overall, it went fine. I thought I would swim the 500 yards in about 8 and 1/2 minutes, but my official time was 9:11. That time includes me getting out of the pool and running by the timing system. A little slower than I would have liked, but I remember telling myself while swimming, "take it easy Emily. You've never biked and ran after your swim", so I just tried to relax and not force it. As a swimmer, it was difficult sharing a lane, wearing something different, and wearing a timing chip on my ankle.
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| my training buddy Jessika. She came to encourage me early in the morning, even though she didn't race until noon. |
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| in the far lane |
The Bike:
Actually, it wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. I think I had built it up in my head to being very tough, as I really struggled with my training on the bike. I think I was distracted enough by my friends and family and the other competitors that I didn't focus on the time and my burning legs. I was hoping to bike the 6 miles in 23 minutes and my official times was 22:08 minutes. My music also helped. The night before the race, I downloaded Salt n' Pepa "Push It" and that song came on at just the right time. :) I was pleased with my biking overall.
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| Thankful my hubby and his encouragement |
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| feeling pretty good |
The Run:
Oh, the run...definitely ended up being the hardest part. I know it was only 2 miles, but it was really hard after pedaling so hard for 22 minutes. My legs felt weird. I had practiced going from the bike to the run, but I had always cleaned my bike before I started running. I didn't want people judging me for not cleaning my bike. :) So, when my friend Jessika yelled at me to "Go!" right when I hit the 6 mile mark on the bike, my legs weren't quite ready to start running yet! The other challenging part about the run is that it was on a track. I had to run 24 laps. Luckily they kept track of my laps. I wanted to walk pretty bad around lap 9, but there were so many people encouraging me, I just kept going. I hit 1 mile and thought "I can do this"! I got lapped a couple times by a really fast chick. I knew she was a runner, so I didn't stress about it. I think she actually pushed me to keep going. I predicted I would run about a 10 minute mile, so overall running the 2 miles in about 20 minutes. My official time was 17:32 minutes for the 2 mile run. I was very excited to see that. That time explained my exhaustion after the whole thing!
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| I did it! |
Transitions:
Let's just say, this will be an area of improvement. It took me about a minute and a half to transition from the swim to the bike. Basically, that is too long. But, it was my first time and the transitions are tough to practice. Next time, I will just put my shoes on and go. I won't wear the capris next time. I will also just put my tank top on while pedaling. Luckily I had my friends and family to get my water and music set up for me.
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| Don't fall! |
Overall time: 50:25 minutes
Swim: 9:11 minutes
Transition 1:32 minutes
Bike: 22:08
Transition 2: 0 (the bikes were right next to the track)
Run: 17:32
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getting some ART treatment from Jonny's co-worker Dr. Turpin
Pretty painful, but much needed! |
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| My proud dad! |
Just a little note: My dad, who got me into this, beat me by 14 hundredths of a second! He is awesome. It was so much fun to do this with my dad and another good friend.
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| my studly dad |
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| Done! |
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| Working hard |
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| Look at that smile! |
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| How cute are they?! |
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| Dad getting some ART treatment |
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| We did it! |
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| I hope I'm still competing at 58 years old! |
And the moral of the story is..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" -Philippians 4:13
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