This past Saturday Landon and I completed our first triathlon! It was definitely an experience I won't soon forget.
On Friday afternoon, as soon as we got off work, we loaded up the car with all of our triathlon gear and took a little road trip down to Austin. We kinda took our time getting there, stopping at the triathlon shop on our way out to buy me a helmet (and we thought about renting me a wetsuit, but all they had were men's wetsuits, which I declined, thinking I would be ok--BIG mistake! :)). Then, a few hours later we stopped for dinner at La Madeline's and finally pulled into Austin around 9pm. After a quick stop at the race site to look around and feel the water--it was FREEZING--we headed over to the hotel to get our bags ready for the morning and hit the sack.
Our alarms went off bright and early and we threw on our bathing suits, grabbed our bags and bikes and, after a quick breakfast at the hotel, headed over to Lake Phluggerville. The sun was coming up just as we were pulling into the parking area and it was cold. I was already feeling a little anxious and not quite prepared for the race, and man, was I wishing at that point that I'd just rented the men's wetsuit!
Once we checked in, we headed over to the transition area, where we got our bikes all ready to go and our water bottles filled and our clothes to bike and run in all laid out for later in the race.
Then, around 9am, we headed over to the water, where they were starting the Olympic distance racers and waited for our turn. It was FREEZING. As I stood there in my bathing suit in the 50 degree weather, knowing I was about to swim a half mile in 59 degree water, I felt absolutely crazy. Switching to the duathalon, where you only have to bike and run sounded mighty appealing at that point, but there was no way I could let Landon become a triathlete and me wimp out and only do the duathalon, haha! So, I convinced myself it wouldn't be that bad...
At 930am, the countdown for the men's sprint race began and before I knew it Landon was off! He did so good--he swam the 1/3 mile in about 8 minutes and come in near the front. I was so proud of him!!
My swim was another story, however. As I thought about the swim, while I was standing on the shore, shivering, I thought it was going to be pretty bad. I thought it would be cold and miserable, but that I'd just get through it and it'd be over. Well, when I got in the water, OH MY GOODNESS--it was worse that I could have ever imagined. It actually makes me laugh now, thinking back on it, because it was so horrible and I had no idea what I was getting into! As soon as I dove down into the water, it literally took my breath away. And I really couldn't breathe the whole time I was in the water because it was SO cold. About 5 minutes into it I had a flashback to the look that the man at the tri store gave me when I said I didn't want a wetsuit--he had every right to look at me like I was crazy! It soon became apparent--like within the first 10 seconds-- that I wasn't going to be able to swim normally, because every time I put my face in the water, I couldn't breathe. It was the craziest feeling. So, for the next 15 minutes or so, I backstroked and side stroked and breast stroked and probably doggy paddled, ha--whatever I could to keep myself moving and to keep myself from drowning! At one point, about halfway through, I had to give myself a little pep talk to keep moving because the man in the canoe was picking another woman up and man, that looked so appealing, but I knew I couldn't do that. So, very SLOWLY, I kept moving towards the shore. Finally, after what seemed like an hour--I felt my hands touch the bottom of the lake and I was flooded with relief--it was over--and I didn't drown! Hallelujah!! I didn't even think about the bike and the run at that point--I was SO exhausted, but SO glad to know I had made it. I managed to crawl out of the lake, walk over (there was no way I was running, ha!) to the transition area, and change into my bike gear. Every part of my body was tired--even my forearms were fatigued as I tried to put on my socks and shoes and helmet. Crazy.
For both of us, the bike was pretty good. While he was riding, Landon saw a group of girls that had crashed and were being taken of the course in a truck, so we're grateful that didn't happen to us! The only eventful thing that happened to me was that a whole group of us rode about 3 miles out of our way, uphill, against the wind--of course-- because the sign telling us to turn had apparently blown away or fallen down or something and there was no one telling us to turn. So, that sucked, but at least I didn't ride 8 miles out of my way, which is what happened to some women, which is how we found out we were going the wrong way. Grrr. But honestly, as aggravated as I was to have missed the turn, I was just grateful to be out of the water, because you can't drown on a bike! :)
When I got done with my bike, Landon had just finished the race--he did so good! He finished 7th in his age division--in the top half! Way to go babe!!
And, when I got to the transition area after the bike, he was there to help me get ready to run, because he's awesome like that. He said I looked really mad at that point--which I probably was a little perturbed becaue of how ridiculously bad the swim was and the fact that I rode three extra miles--all of which put me behind, but I honestly don't remember being really mad! Tired, yes, mad, no so much. Oh well.
Within a few minutes I was on my way out to the lake--glad to be running around it and now swimming through it! It was only three miles--though it went by S-L-O-W for some reason, but we both ran it pretty fast for us--faster than normal, at least. However, if you would have asked us, we both felt like we were going really slow. I would have guessed I was running a 12 minute mile or something, just shuffling along, but really I was running about a 10- minute mile, which is good for me, and Landon was running about an 8 minute mile, which is good for him. It was weird; we came to the conclusion that it felt so slow because our feet had been turning over so much quicker on the bike. We dont't really know, but that seemed to make as much sense as anything!
And, at the end of the day--or the end of the morning, rather, we were triathletes! Despite the absurdly horrible swim and bike mishap, at least I finished, haha! And, I'm so proud of Landon--he did so awesome and was so prepared and calm during it all--at least that's how he seemed to me, when I really wasn't either one. :)
If you would have asked me right after the race if I would do another one, I'm not sure what I would have said.
But, now that the memory of the swim has faded (slightly) and I have a wetsuit that's supposed to be arriving tomorrow, I'm ready to try it again--and redeem myself with a more respectable time! :)
After the race we hung around for a little while, ate some of the free food and then headed back to the hotel to shower and change and head back to Houston.
We drove into town right around 5pm and, after a quick stop at the house to drop off our bags and our bike, headed out for dinner and dessert and a movie with some friends. What a great was to celebrate and a fun way to end the night!
Our alarms went off bright and early and we threw on our bathing suits, grabbed our bags and bikes and, after a quick breakfast at the hotel, headed over to Lake Phluggerville. The sun was coming up just as we were pulling into the parking area and it was cold. I was already feeling a little anxious and not quite prepared for the race, and man, was I wishing at that point that I'd just rented the men's wetsuit!
