Dilettante Sprint TRI RECAP!

Harmony, Stephanie, Jessie, Me, Maggie and Vangie!
Getting everything ready for RACE DAY!

Awesome, FUN, I want to do more...that's how I feel!  I love mornings like this...friends, race...hang out and chat about how great it was!

This was a great race and everything went better than expected...that's always great. 

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A few weeks before the race I had asked the race director, Porter if he needed help setting-up!  I was sure my amazing friends would love to help...he did indeed need the help and my very COOL friends were there to do it!  It was very nice to get to meet some of the other participants and get a feel for the land.  I highly recommend helping out at races if you can!  We also went for a swim to get a feel for the root beer like water...creepy, but it was great getting a feel for the water!  THANK YOU friends for helping out! 

Blue Wave Aquatics (My masters swim team) Representing! 
Sue, Stephanie and me!

The water was great...especially if
you kept your eyes closed underwater!

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Race morning was easy going.  Harmony and I got everything ready the night before and packed up so we wouldn't be so rushed in the morning.  Didn't sleep much which is unusual for me, but it worked out ok, I was ready to get up before my alarm clock...and there was no rain...WIN!  Had banana and peanut butter toast and drank some water.  I can barely eat anything on race morning, strange...but I force myself to eat something because I know I need it. 

We look so rested...

Maggie, Jessie, Diana and I
Lets Do This!

The race had ZERO parking spots left in the main parking lot so we had to drop everything and then go park in the overflow lot.  The transition area was a first come basis so I was glad there was still room up front by my friends and the exit to the bike and run.  I took forever tying to figure out the best way to lay everything out...I'm weird like that.  I way over think things, over prepare and bring things I don't need...it's not good!  I was getting my wetsuit on and a nice TRI gal who has done way more than me told me not to wear my neoprene swim cap or booties...that WAS great advice because the less you have to deal with when you get out of the water, the better!  The water was warmer than I had heard so there really was no need for them.

Transition Area!  My friends and I built the racks..we ROCK!

We headed down to the beach for our meeting and I got in the water and swam a little...adjusted to the water, got warmed up...I'm so glad I did this.  Then it was time to start!  All morning I was feeling good and not nervous, until my wave was about to start!

THE SWIM

1st Wave

I was competing as an Athena so I was in the last wave which I was bummed about, but it ended up being good...for the most part.  I was CALMER than I thought in the water which was a great feeling.  I started in the RIGHT, FRONT!  It was PERFECT!  We counted down and it was GO-TIME...I started swimming and felt great!  Made sure to use my sighting skills (here) which helped out a ton.  I was never in the pack at all and got in front of my wave quickly...first BUOY came and  went and I was feeling good!  I was breathing normally, keeping my eyes closed underwater and felt like I was moving!  I ran into a couple of the slower swimmers from other waves before the 2nd buoy but swam around them.  Came around the 2nd buoy and was almost done.  Ran into a few more packs and just went in the middle of them and had to stop for one group...darn'it!  But before I knew it I was done!  I felt like I had a killer swim.  Masters SWIMMING has helped me A LOT! 

Swim Stats

.25 mile

6:56 (2.16 mph)

Overall Rank: 11

Division Rank: 2

Transition #1 went well.  Got the wetsuit off, stood on my bath mat, got socks and bike shoes on, helmet and gloves and was off! 

Transition #1

2:32

I love my bike!  I want you to know...I'm not fast, I never pass anyone (well very rarely) and ALWAYS get PASSED...UNTIL I started doing this triathlon.  I passed tons of bikers, I was moving fast and LOVING IT!  I was feeling good and loved having the intersections cleared so I didn't have to stop!  I was curious to see how my legs would feel for the run, but didn't worry to much about it because this is my training day and I needed to push myself and see how I would feel on the run.  There was one big hill and a few minor ones.  I realized I hadn't put my glasses on that were on my helmet and felt for them, but they were gone...shoot!  Either I lost them on the course or they had fallen off at T1.

Then came mile 4. I saw a gal walking and realized quickly that it was my friend, Jessie (who had borrowed my hybrid a few months ago for this race), as I came from behind and yelled out her name, she turned and told me she had a flat...I looked and it was flatter than flat!  I felt awful!  The bike had been tuned up recently, but flat tires happen all the time.  I debated on stopping, but didn't and I felt so bad, but there was nothing I could do.  I didn't have a pump or a tube for that bike.  Ugh...hated just leaving her there, but I knew she would be ok.  This race was important to me because I really needed to see how I would do and feel so I can be prepared for REV3 Portland and I knew she would understand.  Made me realize I have to get a pump on my bike and also practice replacing a tire.

 

I turned onto the main road that would take us back to start our second loop.  I ran into Harmony who was doing great, but had her sunglasses sticking out of the top of her helmet and told her, but she must not of heard me.  Next up I saw my other friend, Vangie who was doing AMAZING.  It was so great seeing them on the bike course!  Now it was hill time, I lowered the gears and just kept pedaling and I did great.  HILLS are HARD!  I need to work on those...I go about half my average speed on hills.  Not sure if that is normal, but it's really slow and I can improve...I know it.  Got over the hill and finally passed a gal and I said..."We only have to do that one more time"  her reply was "I was trying not think about that"...woops...sorry!  This gal (blue shirt lady), and I been passing each other up until this point but after that hill...I never saw her again.  The second loop flew by and I was warmed up and kept passing people.  Throughout the race I was watching for higher numbers, because those were the people in my division and I never saw any!  I was only passed by 2-people during the whole 14-miles and was ok with it because they had TRI-bikes and TRI-suits...so clearly they were experienced (well that's what I tell myself)!  I was feeling great and was proud of what I did.  Now it was time to get off and finish the last leg...the RUN!

Bike Stats

14-miles

47:49 (17.8 mph)

Overall Rank: 44

Division Rank: 2

Transition #2 we had to run further than I had thought...my legs were wobbly, but I kept running to get my bike racked.  I ran into Jessie who had gotten the flat and she asked if I had a pump, which I didn't...I felt so bad.  As I was racking my bike I saw that #4, my friend MAGGIE was already running...That was a great feeling, I was so proud of her!  She was doing great, I just knew it.  Found my glasses by my stuff...perfect!  Took my bike shoes off, running shoes on, helmet off, took my garmin off my bike, hat and garmin in hand and was off.  Almost ran the wrong way, but was corrected...THANK YOU volunteers.

Transition #2

1:23

Ok, the part I had been dreading...my least favorite!  I just had to keep moving for 3 miles, I could do this, I have done many times before.  Was trying to get my hat on and was having problems and almost stopped...but decided it really wasn't worth it, got the garmin on and finally got my hat on...all without stopping.  My legs were tired, but I knew soon they would find their rhythm and we would finish the race.  I was running by 2 gals with trisuits and one of them was wearing a trisuit from a Tri Club I am looking into and chatted with her and the other gal.  I passed them and then it was time for the hilly part of the run.  The hills weren't too bad and I was thankful for that.  Running hills after the bike is always hard!  2 gals passed me and were keeping a great pace.  I kept going and had a mile to go when one of the tri-suit ladies, Sonya came from behind and encouraged me and told me to "keep the pace, keep going, we have a mile left".  We ran the rest of the way together!  Made all the difference.  We chatted and I found out she is doing REV3 Portland HALF IRONMAN!  What...small world, I love it.  She had done a Half Ironman 2-weeks ago and these are all training for a IM at the end of the summer.  Ahh...I loved talking to her.  We talked about how we got into Tri's, she told me I was a strong runner, I told her not really, but thanks!  But I guess, maybe I don't give myself enough credit...I was doing ok!  Her friend had finished and came back to us and ran us in, which helped a TON!  I thought we were taking a left into the finish but we had to run all the way around, ugh...I hate finish lines like that...you think your almost done but no...further to go.  Her friend, Stacie (I think) kept pushing me and it totally helped!  It seems at the end I always die...like in the last few seconds when I should be pushing it!  But I pushed and finished and the clock said 1:35...I knew I had beat my goal because we started 9-minutes after the clock started!  I was stoked with my time! 

Run Stats

3.1 Miles

27:46 (8:57)

Overall Rank: 64

Division Rank: 3

I crossed the finish got my medal and ran into Stephanie and Maggie who had both done a killer job. Maggie placed 3rd in her age group...1st triathlon and she places...that's awesome! Stephanie killed the swim and LOVED the TRI like I knew she would! I'm trying to get her to do REV3 with Harmony and I...but her IT band needs to cool it so she can run the 10k! Praying it gets better so she can join us...it would be a blast! 

See...I was getting worried!

I was waiting for the results which kept coming out, but I was not on them!  I was starting to get worried that my timing chip didn't work?  Shoot...that would be awful because I would have none of my splits or swim info.  I asked the race director, Porter if Athena's were not part of the results and he said they weren't and asked if I would like to see that list...HECK YA!  They pulled them up and the gal asked...do you see your name?  Are you #3, but I wasn't...not #2 either...I had come in 1st in my division!  WHAT...I have never placed in anything before!  I was totally stoked and I had come in 3-minutes before the 2nd place. 

Final Time

1:26:26

Overall Rank: 39/187

Division Rank: 1/14

Thanks Harmony for taking a picture of me
cheesing it up when I got my 1st place award!

WINNERS!  Woohoo! 

Clearly I have found it...I found something I really love and might be kind of good at it. It will be great to train more and improve. I'm excited and scared for REV3 Portland...mostly because it will be so much bigger and way more people, I think? Either way it's going to be a great RACE!

Sue and I (Masters Swim Friend)

Me, Diana, Harmony
Packing up...

You must wear your medal all day long...Well that's our rule!

 Looking forward to more Sprint Tri's and seeing how I like the Olympic Distance...still hoping for a Half & Full Ironman in the future!  For now....I will take it one SPRINT at a time!  Thanks for reading!