And It's Done
The sprint tri has come and gone, and what a learning experience it was.
All morning the adrenaline pumped. By the time I jumped into the pool, I was a mess. I started out okay, but after the first two laps, I had caught up to three people in front of me. I couldn't go around them with people on the other side of lanes coming at me. I became so frustrated and discouraged, angry at myself for not having the guts to find a way to get around them. I truly think I could have finished faster if I had. I did finish at the ten minute mark, so I'm happy with this since it was my first tri, but I know I can do even better.
The bike was difficult. Pouring rain soaked me through almost as soon as I started out. Going east was good since the wind was blowing out of the west, but once I made the turn to head back, the easy going became a chore. I tried to make a strong finish once I had the straightaway, and I did pass some people who had taken off before me, so that was encouraging.
The run, ahhhh, the run. All along I've said running is not my forte. Today, I finished faster than I did for the Jingle Bell Run in November. I couldn't have asked for more than that. I actually settled in on the run and found a zone that made it seem even enjoyable. Maybe that was the high that happens after exertion over a long period of time.
Overall, I made my goal of finishing. I almost made my second goal of finishing under 1 hour 40 minutes. I finished at 1:41.56. Now I have a PR and can train to beat it next time out. Next time will be at the end of June, I think. First I'm going to do a relay with some friends from work; then I'll do one somewhere not too far away on my own.
One area I really need to work on is the transitions. Way slow. Downright embarrassing slow. But that's what it's all about--learning. I learned I am strong enough to swim, bike, then run. I learned I should have timed myself in the swim to get an accurate position in the line-up and not get stuck behind other slower swimmers. I learned the transitions can add time to the overall, which isn't so great. I learned riding in heavy rain actually feels kind of cool. And I learned running is something I'm getting better at. All in all, not a bad day.
All morning the adrenaline pumped. By the time I jumped into the pool, I was a mess. I started out okay, but after the first two laps, I had caught up to three people in front of me. I couldn't go around them with people on the other side of lanes coming at me. I became so frustrated and discouraged, angry at myself for not having the guts to find a way to get around them. I truly think I could have finished faster if I had. I did finish at the ten minute mark, so I'm happy with this since it was my first tri, but I know I can do even better.
The bike was difficult. Pouring rain soaked me through almost as soon as I started out. Going east was good since the wind was blowing out of the west, but once I made the turn to head back, the easy going became a chore. I tried to make a strong finish once I had the straightaway, and I did pass some people who had taken off before me, so that was encouraging.
The run, ahhhh, the run. All along I've said running is not my forte. Today, I finished faster than I did for the Jingle Bell Run in November. I couldn't have asked for more than that. I actually settled in on the run and found a zone that made it seem even enjoyable. Maybe that was the high that happens after exertion over a long period of time.
Overall, I made my goal of finishing. I almost made my second goal of finishing under 1 hour 40 minutes. I finished at 1:41.56. Now I have a PR and can train to beat it next time out. Next time will be at the end of June, I think. First I'm going to do a relay with some friends from work; then I'll do one somewhere not too far away on my own.
One area I really need to work on is the transitions. Way slow. Downright embarrassing slow. But that's what it's all about--learning. I learned I am strong enough to swim, bike, then run. I learned I should have timed myself in the swim to get an accurate position in the line-up and not get stuck behind other slower swimmers. I learned the transitions can add time to the overall, which isn't so great. I learned riding in heavy rain actually feels kind of cool. And I learned running is something I'm getting better at. All in all, not a bad day.
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