PRE RACE
Harlie got sick in the middle of the night, Phil and I both were actually okay with this and didn't let it drag us down but she did get sick 4-5 times in a few hours causing us to get little sleep the night before and do a few loads of wash. Around 6:30am we were driving to the race and in the park. It was dark outside because the sun hadn't come up and when we pulled in, the lake water was "steaming", our temperature gauge told us it was 41 degrees outside and the water was so much warmer that it was literally steaming. Walking to the transition area, I was thinking of how glad I was to be there with my best friend and husband, Phil. Getting my transition area ready took longer than I expected but I was happy with my set up and felt that I had prepared well. Phil's brother and his girlfriend showed up about 10 minutes before the race started, this was a reminder of the support network we have and how sometimes these races aren't just us but the people we carry with us and the side conversations we have throughout the year. My mom the photographer showed up and she is just like a news reporter, jumping around getting all kinds of random pictures. Instead of where's Waldo, I felt like it was where's mom? And I'd find her off in some corner taking some pictures. Phil's parents were also there, along with Aunt Mary Lou and Janice.
RACE
Heat 1 to 3 go and I then realize it's my turn.. I had to quickly get my swim cap and goggles on. At the last minute I realized I forgot to stretch (I'm not huge into stretching anyways but I like to do a little) so I did a quick stretch... amazingly I don't remember seeing anyone stretch which seems really odd before a big race like that. The race begins.. me and a bunch of women are swimming in the freezing cold 64 degree water. I didn't realize that being in the middle of the pack would be so frustrating because I couldn't really get around people to pass. I got 6 minutes in and was feeling impatient, I had to check my watch to see how much further I had to go in the water. At this point I would have been about 1/4 of the way done. But still feeling strong, just a little cold. As I was swimming I realized I really needed to pay attention, it was hard to see the buoy so I had to watch for it, as slight panic occurred when I thought I would pass it and not see it to turn around.. thus going the long distance. When I came back and got out of the water, I remember two things - Aunt Mary Lou laughing (her laugh if very distinguishable) and someone commenting on no wet suit.. crazy me without a wet suit. In the transition area I realized just how cold I was as fingers and brain would not work together. I had a very hard time getting my biking gloves on, I probably should have ditched them but wasn't thinking straight at the time. I also had a hard time with my shoes but that was just bad luck. Otherwise I planned well and was off.. slow but steady. During the bike ride, I was surprised how cold my legs were.. and how they didn't want to warm up. But I was happy to see the wind was against me on the way out which meant I would zip back. I did go at a slower pace on the way out (about 13-15 mph) because I knew I would drain myself if I went too hard. Then on the way back I zipped back at an average 17-18 mph. I got to see Phil coming out on the bike ride as I was returning, it was fun to see him and be able to exchange a smile. I was happy to ride back in with a time of about 55 minutes on the bike. I also noticed that at the end of my the bike ride my arms muscles had had about enough, they were fatigued. I transition to the run and at this point my feet are a bit warmer. My legs were feeling strong and not too locked up from the bike ride. I knew that about a mile in I would be feeling normal. However, I did not expect my hands to get really cold on the run as my legs had warmed up. I kept pushing myself knowing if I had a steady but heavy breathing that I was going at a good pace. I also had my own timed watch on and it said that I had plenty of time to complete the three miles. On the way out they had music and dancers so that was a fun distraction. On the last mile, I had plenty of time to make my goal and actually considered slowing down and taking it easy. But knowing this was the big race, I went at full throttle making my best time for 3 miles. At the finish line, Wendell was there to give me a hug and a smile.
POST RACE
Watching Phil finish his race was pretty fun to watch, and it was great to be able to cheer him on. When we were done, Phil and I went over to the post race events. He actually got 3rd place in his division. I got the joy of sitting in the hot tub and warming up. About 30 minutes into it we both decided we were too tuckered and left. Sitting around and listening wasn't exactly the most exciting thing to do.
REWARDS
Phil and I had our own little post race rewards ceremony that started with a small jug of chocolate milk (for me). We got to eat our peanut butter oreos with ice cream. Of course we proudly wore our tri shirts and posted about our race to facebook and my blog. We rested up going to bed at 9:30pm and then on Monday we got professional massages and ate a delicious steak w/ mashed tators for supper.
All in all, I'm glad we did and am excited to see what we come up with for next year. For now, I plan to slow down a bit and relax, maybe just cruise through the winter. I already have one idea for next year... but need to do some thinking and planning.
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