swim, bike, run, and DONE!

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.

not the most flattering pic, but just showing my number

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. 

my training buddy Jessika.  She came to encourage me early in the morning, even though she didn't race until noon.

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.

Thankful my hubby and his encouragement

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!

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.

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

getting some ART treatment from Jonny's co-worker Dr. Turpin
Pretty painful, but much needed!

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.

my studly dad

Done!

Working hard

Look at that smile!

How cute are they?!

Dad getting some ART treatment

We did it!

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