TGIARD (Thank God It’s a Rest Day).
I started out this crazy weekend with a sprint triathlon on Saturday.
It was only a ½ mile swim, so I opted for no wetsuit because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle. Air temps were 55 degrees, water was 75 degrees.
Here I am so excited because I found Jill at the start.
I love that picture because it shows my good posture. I also like to play a game called “count all of the tendons in my neck.”
Here I am trying to act all cool like I am not freezing my balls off. Nothing breaks me down like being cold.
The fun really started when I hit the water. This has never happened to me before in a race, but I completely and totally lost my breath. I could not stop hyperventilating. Not because I was nervous or scared (I don't mind the open water at all), but because my body was so shocked by the cold water. I spent the first five minutes trying to just breathe and not DNF. Every time I put my face in the water, I found I couldn’t hold my breath. It was odd and sucked. Finally, I found my groove just in time to get kicked in the face HARD. Good times.
Swim ½ mile (about 800 yards): 15 minutes
{The rest is a blur. Hopped on my bike trying to make up some time}.
Bike 12 miles: 37 minutes (19 mph)
Run 3.1 miles: 26 minutes (8:20 pace) <WTF?
My transitions were long and sloppy. Not my best race. At all.
But still 4/56 in age group. Not sure how I pulled that off.
Best part of the race was the mega giant bottles of water (50 ounces!) given out at the finish. I hate it when races give you about 2 ounces in a Dixie cup afterwards. Bastards.
Ken was the best cheerleader for me. When I got out of the water and off of the bike he’d tell me how many people were ahead of me. He just took care of me in the way that makes you feel cherished and special.
So, after the race my weekend was just getting started. I came home and rode two hours on the bike (about 33 miles)….then the big test of my mental health and well being (not to mention physical fortitude) was a 91 mile ride on Sunday (5 hours, 46 minutes). I rode most of the Boulder Ironman Course (the race will happen for the first time next year, but they have the course posted online).
Number of flat tires: 2
Number of times I had to call Ken:2
Number of degrees outside: 90
Number of ounces I drank: 150 maybe?
Number of feet climbed: 2,700
Number of times I peed: 0 (yeah, bad news)
Number of calories eaten: 1,300
Number of times I got lost: 2
Number of times I bought a ham and cheese Hot Pocket at the gas station and threw it away after one bite (GROSS): 1
Things were looking good by the time I finished (the blood is a blister from the day before running with no socks on):
Here’s how the week shook out in terms of training:
Swim: 9,000 yards (~5.1 miles)
Bike: 172 miles
Run: 13.6
Total mileage: 190.7
Total time: 16 hours, 16 minutes
Ever had a panic attack, trouble breathing, etc. doing an open water swim?
What’s the best food/drink you’ve ever had at the finish line (or aid station) of a race? When Ken and I did the 5-day Ride the Rockies bike event a few years back, we climbed up to the top of Wolfe Creek Pass. At the summit, they had heavily salted backed potatoes for us. That might sound odd, but it was the best snack ever.
SUAR
