Swim Bike Run

I'm totally sucking in my gut

 So my friend Janet talked me in to doing a Triathlon this year.

I have never been able to swim so that seemed like the big challenge to me.  I still can't swim in open water because I need a wall to grab on to every 100 meters, but I spent the summer practicing and I can at least make it through the water.

 It turned out that the swim was actually the easy part.  It went pretty much how it's gone in practice.  Other than one woman who kept back stroking in to me on the last lap, it was smooth and I had a good time (for me).  400m in  15:27, that includes getting in and out (diving not allowed).







Transition was pretty good.  After we left I realized I FORGOT MY SHIRT.  I had the triathlon t-shirt so I used that but note to self: bring the shirt.

 I was already breathing hard from swimming and running through the tunnel and to the transition area so that made the bike harder than expected.  Also the first almost 4 miles were very slightly uphill.  So little that you barely notice it but , it's just that tiny bit harder.

10 miles in 48:52.  Tiring, but pretty good, I'll take it.

The RUN, which was where I was the most confident, was where I really struggled.  Coming off a bike and running is really hard.  It's so bizarre but your legs just don't want to go.  They don't even want to walk.  I felt like I was barely moving and it was hard to breathe and not fun at all.  I also really hated running without my iPod.

I was pretty sure I was last after the last woman I could see passed me half a mile in.  I kept up with her and actually caught and passed her once but she passed me back and then she never stopped running. My first mile was 15 minutes.  The second was around 14, the third was something like 13:20, so I did finally get my legs back, but man was I exhausted.


Caity found me a little before the end and ran along with me.  She is a fantastic cheerleeder.  Coming in to the stadium you can see the woman I could never catch up with, and me and Caity.










She sang to me the whole way around the track which was my favorite part, because I was really dead. 

 

Run time 42:59 for 5k/3.1 miles

Overall time 1:53:23.  It turned out I wasn't last, there were a couple people who were way behind me and I couldn't see them at all.  Janet beat me by about 9 minutes.   She's a faster swimmer and biker, and this was her second tri. 

I haven't decided if I'll do another one.  If I do it will not be while I'm training for a marathon (I'd run 16 miles 2 days before - really bad planning).