My First Triathlon!

This previous weekend was my first adventure in the land of Triathlon! Scary and so much fun!

Honesty I'm not even sure where to begin....

Triathlon is swim, bike, run so let's start there but backwards! Running! Well my body and mind came into an agreement several years back that as long as my arms are pumping my legs will too. So thankfully my marathon training and mind over matter easily took over at this point so yeah!

Biking?! As anyone who knows me....I am terrified on my bike! Long story from my past but seriously biking scares me. What's the funniest part of this whole triathlon? If I had to personally gauge my own performance of "all" the legs  I seriously owned my bike! What an exciting experience for someone who is petrified. Number one I think exhausting yourself on a swim makes your upper body incapable of holding stress therefore immediately you have a more relaxed ride. The bike ride involved two loops. The first loop was all about enjoying the ride and getting back my oxygen. The second loop hell yeah if I didn't manage to start passing people and hell yes if some of those weren't on the hill! Yes! I know it's rude to count people your passing but I kept it all silently inside. The bike stage was "über" awesome till transition time! Transition to bike to run. Some "asshole" who was set up to the right off me tossed his bike shoes all over my towel and the a-hole on the left put his bike where my bike belonged so I walked up and down and stood in front of my transition trying to find my stuff for a min of 3 mins. I was so freaking livid once I realized where my stuff was.... Well we will end that portion of the story there but I will say I am so glad I never meant those two "especially" the shoe person. As an after thought I really wish I was mean person and I threw the shoes laying on my towel "somewhere" other than nicely placing them back where it should have been in the beginning.

 

The "swim" oh my freaking god! Anyone considering a Tri and the stories you hear.... From my experience totally true! I literally had my ankle held three times in the beginning to the point that I actually stopped at the beginning of the race to let the masses pass me so I could paddle in luxury. I "used" to consider myself a decent swimmer but not at all anymore! The swim was freaking brutal. The mental games I played with myself for the swim... "And your suppose to be doing an Olympic length in three weeks? How many people behind you? Look at how many are in front of you? Freaking move your ass? Use your arms! Save your legs! Be thankful your legs are taking over soon?Focus! Breathe!"  I said "FOCUS" yep that pretty much sums up the swim.

Now lets talk about the highlights! On my first lap of the run there was my daughter screaming and cheering. Shoeless and in a dress running down the path with her Mom making sure I was okay. Second and final lap of the park before the great finish and awesome moment of all if my Mom didn't tag in along side me to run a portion of my final lap with me. Telling me I was doing awesome and cheering me on! What an incredible way to finish your first Triathlon!

I'm super excited to have completed my first Triathlon for myself but at the conclusion of yesterday my highlight was seriously the out pouring of response from friends, family and even people I don't really know. Providing support and just being general awesome cheerleaders.

Triathlons of the future.... Well supposedly I'm doing an Olympic in three weeks which I'm completely not prepared for! I will figure out that part? With that being said.... You only live once and I'd really like to leave this world knowing I was a successful Ironman competitor! God help me! I don't know how but I really "want" and we all know if you really want something then you make it happen!