I "TRI-d" and I did it!!

The big race was on Saturday. My summer included 12 weeks of training. A summer's worth of pool laps, evening bike rides and runs, brick work outs, and a mini-race.

My goal: complete a sprint distance triathlon and feel good doing it.
SUCCESS!!

So I'm continuing to process the training journey and trying to let the details of the race soak in.

The Training

The SWIM:
This was by far my biggest concern for the race. I am the least comfortable with this sport, and it makes me the most exhausted when I put in a swim workout (half the time it's the stress and anxiety involved). I posted earlier this year that one of my personal goals was to learn to swim. So in February I started lessons at the YMCA.

This is certainly the sport in which I made the most improvement. At first, I could only swim half the length of the pool consecutively. Yesterday, I swam 1/4 mile in "open water" (It was a small lake, but still, I think about the words of Bob Wiley -- I was out there, way far away from the dock). Learning to swim was full of unexpected obstacles for me. For a while I just referred to it as breathing class rather than swim class because attempting that basic function in life was very tricky in the water. Not only does breathing affect your efficiency, but it also affects your comfort level in the water. Ask anyone who doesn't swim well what they're afraid of, and I bet the most common answer will be "not being able to breathe."  Once I discovered I could take a breath whenever I wanted (right or left side) while swimming, relaxing into a rhythm became easier. Thus, going farther was possible. I still have trouble pacing myself and my front crawl needs more work.

The BIKE
My favorite, for sure. Let's face it, it's a sport where you get to sit down most of the time. (Which has it's pros and cons...enter chamois. That's what I'm talking about, my "sits bones" thank you). It's mostly about putting in the miles, which means putting in the time. Sprinkle in a few hills and you're good to go. I did have to learn how to drink water and ride at the same time, though. For a girl who likes to keep a good grip on the handle bars, this was another hurdle to pass in the great scheme of things. We test rode the race course midway through the summer and it was a lovely ride through Wisconsin's countryside. Mostly flat, and absolutely gorgeous.

The RUN
This sport is another struggle for me. Hmm, I just realized only 1 out of 3 sports sound good to me, and I signed up for this race anyway. If there's anything to be said about a triathlon, it may be that the sum is greater than the parts. The cross-training certainly helped avoid any boredom, which is my main beef with running. I am by no means fast, and I'm sure there's more of a science to pacing and such, but my goal was just to run (read: jog) and not walk. A few weeks ago some knee pain had me taking a lighter load for a week, but in general, I found myself enjoying my run workouts. I used a free podcast program (NHS couch to 5K -- look it up on itunes. It's good stuff, and occasionally I laugh at the British phrases that catch me off guard). The music may leave a little to be desired, but I find it positive and motivating, which is what I need.

My training calendar was from Eric Harr, and reading his book was highly motivating. Actually, true confessions, George is hoping that my consumption of triathlon literature now dissipates. There is so much to read and learn out there, I really was completely fascinated with all things triathlon this summer.

THE RACE

First pictures.  Stories later.

Swim  11:07   T1 4:28   Bike 1:00:09   T2 1:22    Run 33:32  TOTAL 1:50:36