I Can Tri 2011

Our last one!  On Sept 10th we did our 5th and final Triathlon for this year.  Both of us were more than ready for it to be over with.  5 competitions in a season was a little too much.  Not to mention, with my finger injury and Amy’s being sick, neither of us was really feeling up to competing.  But we did, and endured through it!

You could definitely feel the fall weather in the morning.  It was a little chilly when we got there, but it warmed up nicely by the time the race started.  This was a traditional Tri (swim/bike/run) which I was excited to do.  We had only done one other traditional this year, and I was wanting to see if I could perform better. 

Goal: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

400 Meter Swim: 10:19

This was the one part I was the most nervous about.  With my finger accident I wasn’t allowed in a pool for 2 weeks of the 4 I had to train, and then I had to take special provisions with bandages and other things.  It made things really uncomfortable when I finally was able to get into a pool.  (hitting the edge of the pool with my finger was HORRIBLE).  I had a couple of good workouts right before the race, and it helped.

The pool was awesome.  They had large lanes that made it easy for passing, and people were really good to move out of the way.  I felt great getting into the pool and through the whole swim.  I was a little slower than I had hoped, but I’m blaming that on the transition timing strip being around the front of the building.  Overall, I felt great hopping out of the pool.

Transition 1 : 1:40

Not a great time, but much better than my last one.  It helped that I wore my shorts in the pool.  Next time I race I’m picking up drawstring laces for my shoes.

9 Mile Bike: 32:13

Once again I borrowed my neighbors bike.  It was great!  This time there was a generous hill to get up at the beginning of the loop.  It was great having a nice bike to get up that hill.  Totally looking into a new bike for racing. 

5k Run: 27:45

Best time yet on the 5k in a Tri!  The run sucked!!  The hill on the run was twice as steep as the bike, and we had to do it twice!  I was proud that I didn’t have to walk.  The only bummer was I was a little unclear of where the finish line was, so I didn’t sprint the last little bit.  Oh well, I was still happy with the time.

Final Time:  1 Hour 12 Minutes 29 Seconds!! (3rd Place in my division!! 12th overall!)

What a way to end the year!!  It was a great experience, and this was a nice race to end on.  It was very family friendly and well organized.  Thanks for suggesting it Amy!

I can’t believe I shaved over 10 minutes off from my first Tri!  I have learned so much and enjoyed pushing my limits.  There were so many times I wasn’t sure if it was worth it, but I’m glad we made it through this year.  Now I ‘m trying to figure out how to stay motivated through the winter.  Definitely cutting back on the number of races next year.  It was hard work, and hard scheduling workouts and races.  Not to mention EXPENSIVE.  I learned a few lessons on registering smart (if you are doing a number of races get an Active.com membership), and what gear is really necessary (good running/swimming shorts). 

Whew!  What to do next….oh yeah, Dan and I registered for the SoJo Half Marathon in October.  That’s right, Alicia is jumping from a 5k distance to the Half Marathon.  Bring it on baby!