Leaving my comfort zone… one mile at a time.
Leaving my comfort zone ... one mile at a time.
I HATE being underprepared/underplanned for anything in my life: work, races, vacations, etc.
So you can only imagine the level of fear and self-doubt that lay over my head this past week like the little rain cloud that used to cover over Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.
What was causing this cloud of self-doubt? Lack of training for the Max Performance Triathlons Escape The Cape Sprint Tri.
Read MoreFLAT and FAST run course. Oh hellz yeah - sign me up.
That may or may not have been a tipping factor in squeezing in just one more sprint triathlon in my 2014 race calendar. ;)
The Max Performance Triathlon Buzzard's Bay Sprint Triathlon on September 14 was a late add to the race calendar and I am glad I did.
I was supposed to have my first Max Performance Triathlon race experience in August at The Sharon Sprint Triathlon, but had to back out due to injury. Boo!
Race director Tim then offered me a complimentary spot at Buzzard's Bay Tri and I jumped at the chance.
(Note: While I did receive free entry in to the race, all thoughts are my own. Ain't nobody got time for lyin'!)
With the race occurring one week following my first half ironman (Pumpkinman), I was nervous about signing up for the Sprint Tri (since I wasn't sure I would survive the half), but decided to bite the bullet anyway.
The wife and I were able to sleep in until 5am since the race started at 9am. ;) Woo extra hour of sleep compared to the prior Sunday. :P
We loaded up the car and were on the road by 6 since the directions said it would take about 75 minutes to drive to the race.
Since it was 6am on a Sunday, we missed any sort of traffic and had an easy trip towards the Cape. :)
The beach was windy when we arrived. Sunny, but windy. All I could think about was the upcoming battle: the wind vs. me on my bike. I was sending out "tailwind" vibes ... hint: it didn't work. ;)
After checking out the beach, we headed to packet pick-up.
Since I am usually a slacker when it comes to checking out a race course in advance (I know! I know! Must change that), I took the time to check out the swim, bike and run courses on the large board inside the packet pick-up tent. Nothing as nerve-wracking as the previous week so I was happy about that.
The Buzzard's Bay Sprint Tri consisted of a 1/3 mile ocean swim, 14-mile bike and 5k run.
Once we got my packet (Go Bib #81), it was time to make our way over to transition. As we walked, I quipped to the wife how shocked I was that this was my 3rd triathlon of the year and 5th overall. I never thought I would do one let alone more than one. Pretty proud moment for me.
Until I was in transition listening to the athletes around me rattle off their Ironman totals and their times at the previous week's Pumpkinman Half Ironman. Oy! I didn't belong there. I wanted to run away and just drive home. But I quickly gave myself a mental slap to the face. Time and pace didn't matter. I belonged there because I wanted to be there.
With transition ready and plenty of time before the 9am kickoff, the wife and I headed back to the beach. I also wanted to get into the water and feel it out. I hadn't done an ocean swim in ages.
But first we take a selfie.
As we walked towards the water, we saw all of these rocks aka ouch on the poor feetsies.
I knew it would be a painful walk in and out of the swim course. I had a little chat with my feet and told them to DIG DEEP and not feel the pain. Umm not sure if my feet heard me or not, but I was going with it.
Right before the race meeting I put my pair of Oofos sandals down by the swim finish as there was a 1/4 mile run from there to the transition area (again found out about that morning of). Had I known earlier I would've brought a second pair of sneakers.
Note to self: always bring two pairs of sneakers to a tri. Just. In. Case.
The Max Performance group did a great job organizing the swimming waves. Volunteers each held up a cap color on a sign and we group together in a big 2-by-2 line. It really made it organized at the Start. The first group went off at 9 and my wave would be following at 9:04am.
We walked into the starting area 2-by-2 so the timing company could keep count of the number of athletes that entered the water.
The race started with us in the water edge up to our ankles. The countdown commenced and we were off.
***
Swim - 1/3 mile
The director, Tim, had changed the swim course (reversed it) so that we were swimming with the current (thanks Tim!). It was GREAT being back in the water. Swimming is one of my favorite parts so I was sad that it was only 1/3 mile. ;)
We made two right turns while out in the water. I made sure to hug towards the buoys, which kept me out of the way of many of the other swimmers.
I learned during Pumpkinman that I need to keep the top of my wetsuit un-velcroed. So instead of dealing with wetsuit/breathing issues this race, I got into my groove faster and felt stronger.
I took the second and final right, sighted the shore and gave it everything I had as there was another yellow capped swimmer right on my tail. Hello competitive side.
Once I could touch the bottom with my fingers, I stood up and started running towards the timing mat. The timing mat was up on the beach a ways, which meant running over some of the rocks. Thankfully there was some mesh covering a little of the path, but overall it still slowed me down coming out of the water.
There was a small kiddie pool where the beach met the asphalt so I made sure to wash my feet off before slipping on my sandals.
Why can't wetsuits be a little more flattering?
Thanks to the wife for catching this beauty.
Total Time: 10:16 Pace: 1:45/100 yds Overall Place: 62/294 Division: 3/21
***
Mini Run
I would call this more of a shuffle than a run. I did my best to just keep jogging forward, while not slipping in my sandals. I am so thankful I had them with me otherwise the 1/4 stretch would've been MUCH more painful.
I did my best to wiggle my wetsuit down and remove swim cap/goggles while on the move. Hello multi-tasking.
Total Time: 3:05.5 Overall Place: 138/425 Division: 7/27
***
Transition 1
I had a little problem getting my wetsuit off and wasn't sure if it was nerves or just my brain moving two steps ahead of my body. Either way I took a breath and worked on completing one step at a time.
Wetsuit off. Feet dried. Socks/bike shoes on. Shirt changed. Bike helmet on. Race belt attached. Portion of KIND Bar eaten.
I was sad to realize I left my Sparkle Athletic skirt at home. I felt naked without it.
Total Time: 2:09.6
***
Bike - 14 miles
Well bike we meet again.
I knew I wouldn't have sparkle skirt compliments on this race to entertain me while people passed me. Instead I focused on thanking every single volunteer I would encounter the rest of the race.
It was a great way to pass the time and put a smile on someone else's face.
I wish I was the type of person to post PROOF photos in a recap because my official race photos from the bike are hilarious. I am smiling like I have loved biking my entire life. Haha. Okay it entertains me more than anyone else.
The bike course was really beautiful. It was another instance where I wished triathlons allowed you to have your phone on you because I wanted to snap pics left and right. It was a picturesque New England day/scene and I wanted to capture it to share with all of you. Oh well. Luckily I still have them locked in my memory.
I can certainly tell you 14 miles on the bike passes quicker than 56. :P The final couple miles were directly into the wind. I felt like I was biking in place. I was wondering if I would actually make it back to transition. It wasn't something I had really practiced.
I just kept trying to keep the legs moving as best I could.
Seeing runners coming towards me gave me hope that I would make it back to transition.
And I did.
Hello dismount.
I really tried to focus on shifting during the ride. I am still learning when to use low gear, what to do while climbing, etc. At least I can take every ride as a learning experience. Like don't forget your fuel in transition. I was supposed to take the rest of the KIND bar on the bike with me, but left it on my towel.
Total Time: 45:51 Pace:18.3 mphOverall Place: 164/294 Division: 6/21
***
Transition 2
Since I needed more fuel, I took another piece of the KIND bar and a swig of water before heading out on the run.
Having everything already on from the ride meant I simply had to switch out bike shoes for running shoes.
Total Time: 1:30.6
***
Run - 3.1 miles
Hello my love. My legs were feeling a little shaky coming out of transition. I had done a 5-mile trail run the prior day and tweaked my right hamstring so this race I would be battling two sore hamstrings. Umm yay!
But I knew I could push through for a 5k ... especially a flat one!
The wind I experienced on the bike was still there on the run. Thanks for sticking around wind.
I wasn't sure what my legs would have in them, but decided to give it all I had since I would have some rest days coming up. :)
The course was beautiful as you weaved around the quant beach town by the water. There weren't too many spectators around so all I could focus on was my breathing and the breathing of the folks around me.
I am still getting used to the multi sport feature on my watch so I spent some time trying to figure out what my pace was. At least I like math. (multi sport - something I need to work on in BRICK workouts in the future)
But we passed Mile 1 and I saw a sub 8-min/mile pace and was ecstatic. There are some days I can in tune with my body and can feel my pace and other days where I can't. This was the latter. So I trusted the Garmin and pushed on.
I briefly slowed at the halfway point to take in some Gatorade. The run on the asphalt along the beach offered no shade and the sun was out in full force. Just after the water stop you headed out on an out-and-back portion of the run, which allowed for some smiles and head nods to other runners.
I also like seeing what triathlon teams people are part of because it is all new to me. I wished I had more friends on the course as I witnessed the guy in front of my high-fiving and cheering on all of these folks he knew.
We did the turn around on the out-and-back portion and I may have told the volunteers, who were both glued to their cell phones, to liven up for the runners. I know I needed some extra encouragement. I made sure to say it as nicely as possible. :)
Home stretch time. A time again when I wish I had my phone out so I could selfie or chat with you all.
But I pushed on to the final mile. It was a straight shot to the Finish Line. We passed through a wind tunnel with mobile homes on either side. Folks were sitting out and cheering for us. I loved that.
I decided it was time to start focusing on the people around me and try to pick some of them off. Yes mental games I play with myself when I just want to sit down and have a beer with the spectators.
There were a couple of girls in my sight that I really wanted to pass.
I dug deep and pushed forward.
And you know what - it worked!!
I managed to pass two of them and caught up to another girl right at the Finish Line. More on THAT girl in a moment.
I was wicked happy to pass the Finish of my 5th triathlon and collect my Buzzard's Bay water bottle full of water!
Total Time: 24:10 Pace: 7:48 min/mile Overall Place: 100/294 Division: 3/21
***
Awesome experience! I had a great time and was really happy with my results.
Until...
I found out I missed out on 3rd place in my division by 0:0:0.1. Yes a fraction of a second away from the podium.
3rd in division: 1:27:01.2 Me: 1:27:01.3
OUCH! And the girl who came in 3rd in the division was the one I caught on the run at the Finish Line. It was like a real life photo finish. :P
Since I am never usually close to placing, it was a tough defeat. But I am still happy with my time.
Big thanks to my wife for taking all these photos and keeping everyone up to speed on the race through her #wifetweets.
It was also a pleasure seeing friends at the race:
Christine from Tedy's Team, who took 2nd female overall
John, who might be one of the most inspiring people I know
Before heading home, I cashed in my ticket for free BBQ.
I chose to split a pulled pork sandwich with the wife. Aren't I nice? ;)
I wish we could've stayed for awards and raffle, but I had to get home to pick my parents up from the airport.
***
Overall Tim and the crew at Max Performance Triathlon put on a great race. Lots of volunteers along the course. I do wish there were additional folks at the water stop since it ended up being used by the runners twice during the course and extra hands would've been helpful.
The swag was a tech shirt, little towel that could be used in transition and a water bottle. I do wish there was a pint glass or a medal involved. The screen printing on the tech shirt didn't seem to be done too well.
Also no beer or low-fat chocolate milk at the end. You know I like both at the end of a race. :P
But I would definitely sign up for one of these races again and recommend them to fellow Boston area friends.
***
What is a deal breaker for you between signing up for a race or not?
I. Freakin. Did. It It's still surreal.
Well I ruined the surprise ending. What? C'mon ... we know this story is like the movie Titanic. We all know the ending, but we tune in to hear all the good stuff of how we got there. Well I guess there isn't a lot of "good stuff" when a movie ends in everyone dying. Oh lord I am off track...
So the morning of the race began with a 4am wake-up call. I thought wow I got to sleep in compared to the 2:30am wakeup calls for the Run Disney races. :P
The alarm went off and I went through my normal morning routine on my phone: checking
Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tumblr/Instagram/Time Hop/Email
Once that 15 minute ritual was over - it was time to face the day. Oh and that tiny way out of my comfort zone race.
I jumped out of bed and immediately ran over to get my outfit on - thank you OCD for having it all laid out the night before.
The morning was a blur. I tried to answer text messages and check my mental list over and over before heading down to breakfast at 5am. Thank you Comfort Inn for opening the complimentary breakfast at 5am rather than 7am for the racers.
Our plan was to be checked out of the hotel and on the road by 5:15 and you know what - we did it. Go us!
I was terribly nervous on the drive over the race as all sorts of situations buzzed through my mind.
The hotel was a quick 15 minute ride from the hotel and there seemed to be limited traffic until the final mile before the race, which was to be expected.
We easily parked - thank you volunteers - and made our way to transition.
As I brought myself over to transition to get body marked (number and ages on the body) I noticed other folks had the timing chip on their ankle, but I never got one.
<<Insert panic attack #1>>
After simply asking someone about it, I realized I had to get it day of. Phew!
I decided to set up my transition area before getting my timing chip. As soon as I walked into transition there was my friend and fellow Team Got Chocolate Milk team member John! Oh was it good to get a hug from that man. He is a huge motivator and inspiration of mine.
Normally I would have a nice pic of my transition area to post here, but I was a tad too nervous to snap one. #BloggerFail
The wife and I headed over to get my timing chip and I ran into my friend Robin. She is a rockstar Weight Watchers Success Story, Ironman and overall badass. I bothered the crap out of her during my training. :)
It was great catching up with Robin and a nice distraction. I headed into transition to grab my wetsuit, goggles and swim cap since it was 6:18 and transition would be closing at 6:30. We decided to head down the hill to use the port-o-potties near the water before the 6:45 mandatory race meeting.
I was able to catch up with other friends racing as well including my former Weight Watchers member and training buddy Darcie.
We listened to the announcements from race director Kat before her daughter sang the National Anthem. There was a little forgetfulness on the lyrics, which is understandable, but the whole crowd picked her up and finished the song singing together. :)
Once that was all said and done the elites were getting ready to kick off at 7am. Eek! My wave started at 7:11am.
So I had the wife snap a final pre-race photo and I sent out my final social media messages before handing the reigns over to the wife.
I do need to take a moment to thank my wife for keeping everyone up to speed during the race and rocking the #wifetweets!
I looked over and there the clock read 7:06am. Shit! Time to get into my corral. I gave the wife a final kiss and was off.
The nerves were erupting and overtaking my entire body.
I was standing in the water with the other ladies in my corral just thinking: "Enjoy this!" "You paid to do this." "You will be okay."
Then the horn went off...
Swim - 1.2 Miles
The start of the swim always makes me nervous as a bunch of folks are plunging in at the same time heading for the same goal.
I immediately felt like I couldn't breathe. I tried to pull down the zipper of my wetsuit, but it didn't help. Instead I unvelcroed the top of my wetsuit and everything felt okay. Phew! I told myself to get in my groove. And it happened.
The swim was a 0.6 triangle that we would do twice. Once I made the first left, I felt alone in the water. Like the other racers had fallen away... until I bumped into the age group in front of us. :P
But I felt like I was swimming a consistent race. After the second left, we were heading back towards the shore before doing the triangle again.
As I came to the shore, I looked up (the wife said she spotted me doing that) and noticed that another age group was starting the race JUST as I was coming around for my second loop. Really people? Poor timing on my part.
The second loop started out blindly as the sun was hitting the sky at a really awkward spot for us trying to spot the buoy.
I decided to cut to the inside and hug the buoys to try to avoid the mass of swimmers. It seemed to work well for me until I realized there was another pink cap that was pretty much in stride with me the whole way. She was on my left hand side. (I later learned that that person was a Chocolate Milk teammate. Ha!)
But it helped me stay on point.
I realized during the race I was spotting well and limiting my zig zag swimming that sometimes happens during Open Water Swimming.
Once I took the final left, the entire focus came on the shore. I couldn't believe that the swim was coming to an end. Not that I had any idea of time since my couldn't see my Garmin at all in the water.
I had heard that the water would be super weedy while leaving the water and it was true. I was all caught up in my arms and legs as I tried to get out of the water.
As I started to pull down my wetsuit, I hit my Garmin and saw a 34:xx on the swim. I was elated!!
Total Time: 34:34 Pace: 1:39/100 yds Overall Place: 109/425 Division: 3/27
**Can I just add how STOKED I was to see 3rd in my division in the swim? Clearly doing my swim workouts in meters when they were meant to be in yards (aka extra swimming) paid off!
***
Mini Run
I had decided I would take my wetsuit off before the run/walk up the mini hill to transition. It was a cool experience to get myself up the hill with all of the spectators on the side. I saw the wife, as well as, my best friend and niece. It was what I needed with 1/3 of the race over. :)
I knew I would run/walk/hustle up the hill. I wasn't about to waste energy on something like this this early on in the race.
Thankfully the hill was all grass without any stones so running up barefoot wasn't a problem.
Total Time: 1:36.8
***
Transition 1
Once again thanks to John who helped me figure out which rack was mine. I quickly got to my station and did the best change I could. I decided to wear my cycling jersey and my camelbak on the ride. I wanted to feel as comfortable as possible on my weakest leg. I had already put open luna bars in the back of my cycling jersey before the race so that was set.
I chatted with John about the swim and even saw my niece while I got my bike ready. She tried to get out of her stroller to see me. I wanted to just stop there and hang with her, but I pushed on.
Thanks for the pic John!
John caught me chatting with a woman in my lane asking if my niece was my daughter. :)
Total Time: 2:23.3
***
Bike - 56 miles
The portion of the triathlon I wish I could skip. :P
It is no surprise that the bike leg is my weakest and my least favorite so I really tried my hardest to get out there with a positive mindset.
I immediately wished I had music with me. I know it is not allowed in triathlons, but boy it would help.
It really was a gorgeous course so I tried to soak that in as best as possible.
I have mentioned the bike is my weakest leg so I really tried to get myself in the positive mindset.
Which immediately went away as about 6 people zoomed by me on the bike. Sweet - it is going be like that all morning.
And it was.
Here is where I won the bike course: my Sparkle Athletic skirt.
I lost the number of people who passed me, but 9 out of 10 of them complimented me on the skirt while they did it. So at least I had people to say "Thank You!" to. Hahaha.
One woman nicknamed me "Pumpkin Diva!" Ahh I loved it.
I definitely got dubbed Best Dressed my many a passerbyer as well.
At first being passed frustrated me, but then I kept telling myself: "Do you. Be you. Do your own race. Let them do theirs."
The rolling hills were thankfully not as big as I thought they were while driving the course the day prior. But they definitely took some out of me.
The bike course featured two loops.
The volunteers and cops did a GREAT job holding up traffic since the roads were open during the whole race, which originally freaked me out.
They were nice and complimentary.
So I knew I would be on the bike for hours and I wondered how one handled the bathroom situation. Well Robin had said you just pee on your bike. Ummm excuse me?
Well I tried it. And it didn't work. Haha. I tried multiple times since I had only seen one port-o-potty during the bike course. I knew if I got off the bike I would NOT want to get back on.
I held it.
I am proud to say while on the bike I was able to drink from my water bottles on the bike while moving AND eat while in motion.
I have been biking for just about a year so I am still learning.
I laughed out loud at how excited that made me.
I saw the 30 mile marker and BAM! I got all excited then realized I still had 26 miles to go.
So on the second loop, which featured just as many hills I tried to really enjoy the Maine scenery.
Multiple times I wished I had my phone on me to capture the sights. There were so many quaint cottages I wanted to capture, but wasn't able to. :(
And really I missed updating you all with my mid-race ramblings.
While my times might not be amazing race-wise, I was so proud with how I was doing on the bike.
Until I hit Mile 40 and thought UGH 16 more miles. That is when my positive mantra started failing. :P
So out came my singing - Frozen, Disney songs and some Taylor Swift.
Not sure how the folks passing me thought about that.
Additionally while out on the bike, I saw 5 people on the side of the road with flat tires and busted bikes.
Boy did I ask my angels above to look out for me in that time. I just asked: "Please don't let that be me."
When I roared past Mile 50 I knew I was in the home stretch.
But for me 6 miles still felt like forever. haha.
I was really proud of where I stood. I was well ahead of my sub-4 goal. I kept my Garmin on my wrist the whole time so I wouldn't be constantly looking at it. I was however doing a lot of math in my head with my cyclometer.
The bike course shut down at 12:30 and by my calculations I would be off the course by 11:22. Phew! An hour to spare.
As I took the final mile into transition, I saw folks heading out on their run. Oh was I jealous.
The roads were ROUGH coming into transition so I just wanted to be on my feet again.
I could tell my family was so happy to see me as they were just as worried about the bike portion as I was. I was waiving to Joanna, my niece, in this photo. :)
A big part of the bike that scares me is the downhill. Going fast down the hill gives me some serious anxiety and pictures fly through my head of me hitting something and heading over my handlebars, etc. But on that day I decided to trust myself and the bike and use the speed. I knew I would need it to get back up the hills since this course was seriously rolling the entire time. So Bravo to me for overcoming that.
Total Time: 3:24:56 Pace: 16.4/mph Overall Place: 361/425 Division: 18/27
** My goal was to hit at least an average 15/mph so I was wicked happy to see something better than that. And as you can see by my places, I have some serious bike improvement.
***
Transition 2
All I could think about was peeing. Haha. So as soon as I re-racked my bike and switched to my run gear I was in line at the port-o-potty in transition.
Thanks again John!
Best decision of the race was hitting that port-o-potty! Haha. I can tell you that far into the race the skirt was a tad annoying. :P But I made it work.
I quickly threw off the cycling jersey and camelbak and replaced it with my Team Chocolate Milk t-shirt and race belt.
Total Time: 3:13.4
***
Run - 13.1 Miles
I grabbed the Essentia water they had for us and chugged it. So refreshing. As I took the right turn out of transition I saw my whole support crew. I was wicked excited to see my dad since I hadn't seen him when I came out of the water. He was driving up that morning from Boston and I really didn't want him to miss anything.
Woo! I was wicked excited to be on my comfort zone ... the run! I knew that even if I had to run, run/walk or walk I was in a place where I felt confident.
I think I was a tad excited to be out there since my first mile was 8:07 min/mile pace. I knew I couldn't keep that up the entire run so I would have to slow it down.
I hadn't looked at the run course so I didn't know what to expect. The run was also two loops so I had the first loop to see what it was all about.
Guess what?
The rolling hills were still there. Haha.
As was an out and back course. I was happy with the out and back as it meant lots of other faces to smile at, cheer for and wave at.
It was funny seeing so many folks that had passed me on the ride still complimenting me on my skirt. ;)
I am happy to say the first 7 miles were all sub 9 min/mile pace, but then around Mile 8 the pain in my left hamstring really started to bug me. This is an injury I have been dealing with since May and I knew it may flare up.
I was happy to see my BFF and the niece at the Mile 8 turnaround. I needed that familiar boost.
So starting at Mile 8 I started a version of the run-walk method. It bothered me how much of a mental game it became at that point, but I tried to will myself through it.
I saw the sub 6 time slip away, but reminded myself that this was my first Half Ironman so I really couldn't beat myself up over whatever my time was.
During my second loop, I saw a lot of familiar faces on the course so I had folks to talk to and check up on.
I had promised myself that I would walk through every water stop (all 10) and I did.
In those final few miles, I opted to walk up the hill and run the downhill. In the moment, I was angry at myself, but I had to be kind.
When I saw Mile 12, I knew it was the home stretch. The was the end of my 20th half marathon and the final mile of a long 70.3 mile journey.
The race thought it was funny to put a large hill during that final mile. Har har. I tried to use the spectators to push me up and over the hill. No literally I asked to jump into a baby's stroller to get me up the hill. But for some reason they refused.
Once I made it to the top of the hill, it was "all downhill from there." And it was. I made the final turn into the Finish shoot and there was my BFF and her daughter. They ran with me for a few yards before I made the trek down the grassy hill.
I saw my wife and dad and may have uttered: "I am going to puke" since it was straight down a grassy hill. ;)
There was the Finish Line seconds away from me.
Then it was over.
Total Time: 1:59:22 Pace: 9:03 min/mile Overall Place: 180/425 Division: 10/27
***
The After
Official Time: 6:06:03.4
I was wicked happy to see the first medal volunteer I could to place the medal around my neck. Oh it was glorious.
Thanks Barry for my special 2nd personalized medal!
The race also gives you a Finisher's t-shirt after you get your medal. I was in such a daze that I didn't understand what they were saying, but I gladly took my shirt. :)
I can say the Finish was surreal. So much time and months were spent training and worrying about the race and then it was over.
Thankfully I had these amazing people waiting for me with hugs and love.
How cute was she??? She did NOT give me a good look when she first hugged me. Apparently I smelled. ;)
Once the BFF and the little lady departed, we headed straight towards the beer tent. I have priorities folks. :P
The beer tasted sooo good. :) It was great recapping the race with my dad and wife.
I even got to see two Got Chocolate Milk teammates: Jaquelin and Kevin!
While we enjoyed our beers and listened to the awards ceremony, the wife enjoyed the thanksgiving dinner I got with my Finish and I caught up on social media.
I missed all of you while out on the course.
There was only so much time I could spend there before I needed to get some real food.
We headed back to the transition area so I could collect my belongings, got into the car, drove my dad to his car (spectator parking was 1/2 mile away) then headed to Shipyard Pub for lunch.
We enjoyed a great meal and some more celebratory beer before taking the drive back to Massachusetts.
***
Now the immediate question is: Will you do it again?
Honestly, I don't think so. I just wasn't a fan of the bike portion and it is over half the race for me.
Maybe if I move to a flat state, I would try it again, but as of now no.
Next question: Will you do a Full?
Oh hellz no. Again see the bike portion. I just couldn't imagine getting out there and going on a 7-hour bike ride some Saturday.
During the course of training for the Half Ironman, I did a ton of double workout days and a lot of early mornings. I missed social events and time with my wife. I don't want to do that again.
Again things can change, but that is my position now.
***
Overall, Pumpkinman was a great time. They did an awesome job with volunteers and aid stations. The spectators were sparse for the bike portion, but decent for the run. The volunteers were upbeat and I made sure to thank every single one I saw while out on the course.
Am I happy I took the leap outside of my comfort zone? Abso-freakin-lutely!
Can I successfully check this off my bucket list? You know it.
Now point me in the direction of the tattoo parlor ... time to add the 70.3 to my foot tattoo.
***
Have you done a Half Ironman? What was your favorite part?
I swam then I biked then I ran.
All in a row.
All by choice.
And you know what?
It was fuuunnnn!!
The Iron Girl Webster Sprint Tri was a BLAST from Start to Finish.
Okay there was some slight cursing during the bike (I'll get to that later), but for the most part I was alll smiles!
The triathlon ended up spanning over three days rather than just Race Day! On Friday, I shared my triathlon prep post and on Saturday I had the honor of participating in the Iron Girl Expo with Got Chocolate Milk. I never thought I would be asked to participate in a Q&A panel at a triathlon expo or co-host a shakeout run, but both were a blast!
With a 4am wake-up call on race day, I tried to spend the night before relaxing in bed, enjoying my Zensah compression shorts and socks and just calming the pre-race jitters.
Can I stress how quickly 4am seems to come? :P
I leaped out of bed since I knew we were on a tight schedule to make sure we made it out West on time.
We were on the road by 4:49am and in the parking lot for the race at 5:52am. Booya! Yay for no traffic on the Mass Pike.
The weather was in the low 60s with clear skies. Perfect racing conditions.
The parking lot was just over a mile from the Start so the race provided port-o-potties at the parking lot (HUGE WIN!) and shuttles to the Start. They were moving regularly and had amole busses available (ANOTHER WIN).
Finish shoot I would see a few hours later
I headed straight to the transition area to be numbered up and to set up my gear.
This race was my third triathlon (all Sprint) so I looked at my transition set up from previous races as an example. I laid everything out then stood back and made sure the things I needed first would be in front - aka bike gear, snacks in the middle and run gear farthest back.
As I mentioned this would be my first tri using the bike shoes so it would be a learning experience either way. :)
Transition closed at 6:30 so I gave the layout one last glance over, grabbed my goggles/swim cap and headed out to meet the Got Chocolate Milk ladies.
The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. The beach was full of ladies and their support crews. I took a quick dip in the water to see how the tri kit would feel while swimming. Remember I haven't swum in the tri kit yet so again new experience for me. :P
I love chatting with people before a race. It pushes the pre-race jitters out of my mind since I am busy focusing on the other person or people. So things like this amazing group photo get me motivated and ready to jump in the water.
Only thing was the picture was at 6:45am and my wave wasn't starting until 7:30! :P
But, I took my opportunity to get last-minute advice and inspiration from Chrisann, a Got Chocolate Milk Captain and Iron(wo)man! Biggest piece of advice: Have Fun! I can definitely do that.
The wife and I moved closer to the Start Area on the beach so we could hear the National Anthem and start cheering on the earlier waves.
The Iron Girl Webster race manager, Sarah Frey, came over to chat with me while on the beach. I have to say it was a really nice gesture and a pleasure. I had nothing but positive things to say up to that point about the race. The IRONMAN group knows how to run an event properly. Volunteers were nice, helpful and everyone seemed happy!
It was also cool to hear more about her background in triathlons, etc. What can I say I love hearing people share their journeys!
Before I knew it was time for me to line up. I gave the wife a kiss for good luck and headed to the Start Line. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, but I tried my hardest to keep the positive thoughts going. I also had to remind myself that I chose to be there. ;)
***
Swim - 1/3 mile
We started the swim in the water. I moved myself closer to the front of the group to hopefully avoid some of the extra kicking and punching that can happen when a group of people start swimming at the same time.
There were 5 minutes between each wave, but I swear it was really 30 minutes. It felt like a lifetime between getting in the water and the 10 second countdown.
But then we were off.
Can you see me? ;)
I could definitely tell a difference racing without a wetsuit compared to with a wetsuit since it gives you a little extra buoyancy. But I felt strong. I have been working on sighting - keeping a target in your sights while swimming - and it was paying off. I was definitely swimming in a straighter line than the two triathlons last year.
As we took the first of two left turns in the water, I swam straight into the wave before us. I stopped for a moment to get gauge the situation before swimming a tad to the left to get out of the mass of orange or red cap swimmers. Thankfully that gave me a nice lane to get back into a rhythm.
I was trying to swim using more of my arms than my legs. Sarah Reinertsen told me in her Ironman she exhausted her arms as much as possible since you don't really need them the rest of the race. I tried to take that to heart.
With the second left turn done, it was straight to the Swim Finish on the beach. I kept my eyes on the Swim Finish Arch whenever I needed to re-sight.
I kept swimming until my fingers grazed the bottom of the Lake then I stood up to run out of the water.
Crossed the Swim mat and officially entered transition.
I was 1/3 of the way there! ;)
There were some small rocks and gravel during the run/jog from the water to my stuff.
Total Time: 10:55 Pace: 2:03/100 yds Overall Place: 55/583 Division: 10/83
***
Transition 1
After hobbling/jogging over the rocks/dirt/asphalt to get to my bike. Step 1 was to put on my shirt with my number on it. I didn't want to forget that. Second was putting on my helmet. I should've taken the time to readjust my ponytail a little more for comfort but I was caught up in the moment.
So folks take the time to get comfortable in your gear - it's what transition is for. ;)
I wiped off my feet with my towel, put on my socks/bike shoes, adjust my Sparkle Athletic skirt, grabbed my bike and I was out the gate. I took a quick swig of water, but should've eaten my mini Luna bar then. My mistake! I need to remember to fuel before the bike.
It was odd running to the "mount" spot in my bike shoes, but thankfully it wasn't too far.
Time: 2:56 Overall Place: 100/583 Division: 10/83
***
Bike - 12 miles
Friends, I recommend looking at the course map before the race. :P I had NO idea there was such a HUGE hill and other rolling hills during the bike course.
We headed out of transition for the 12 mile loop. This was my first race in bike shoes so I was really hoping to see an improvement from my previous races where I wore sneakers.
I felt like the motion was more fluid. I am still not comfortable on the bike enough to take my hands off the handlebars so I didn't bother putting water bottles on my bike (yes something I am working on), but I should've checked whether they allowed camelbacks or not and should've brought it either way. I originally thought it's 12 miles I can make it, but I definitely needed it. Another learning experience.
Mile 1: 3:39 Mile 2: 3:57 Mile 3: 3:51 Mile 4: 3:48 Mile 5: 6:20 Mile 6: 3:07
Sooo do we have any idea which mile the largest of the hills was located? ;)
There were many women walking their bikes up the hill, but I made a deal with myself that no matter how long it took me to get up it - I would ride the entire way up. I grunted, I swore, I breathed heavily, but I did it!
And it felt AWESOME! Tiring, but awesome.
Mile 7: 3:36 Mile 8: 4:15 Mile 9: 3:16 Mile 10: 3:28 Mile 11: 3:21 Mile 12: 3:33
Rolling hills for most of the course gave me a LOT of practice on shifting gears, which I needed.
I also need to work on not being so scared when going fast on the downhills. I always imagine me flipping over my handlebars and crashing so I slam on the brakes. I need to get a little more confidence, which I assume and hope will come over time.
At least while ladies were passing me on the bike, they had my Sparkle Athletic skirt to compliment me on. ;)
I did come off the bike feeling excited. I really felt stronger and more knowledgable than I did a year ago. I need to keep reminding myself that I am newest to biking and every chance I am on the bike is a learning experience.
I was proud of my shifting and staying in my own race rather than getting upset when folks passed me ... which happens a lot.
Total Time: 47:35 Pace: 15.1 MPH Overall Place: 172/583 (can we tell it’s my weakest area) Division: 24/83
***
Transition 2
Well you know a transition won't go as well when you go into the wrong lane. Yup, took my bike down the wrong row before realizing it and hauling booty to the correct one. Oops!
Gotta thank the wife for catching this action shot a I changed from bike shoes to sneakers. I was shaking so much that I was having trouble tying my shoes, which slowed me down. But I stopped took a deep breath and tried again - success! I chugged some water and headed out. Again this is where I should've had another mini luna bar, but I was sooo excited to get to the run part (my fav) I skipped it. Another life lesson.
Time: 2:12 Overall Place: 262/583 Division: 44/83
***
Run - 3 Miles
Hello old friend. As someone that hated running for most of my life I never thought I would get excited for the run portion of a triathlon. But it really is my happy place and comfort zone.
The run was an out and back (which we passed when coming in on the bike) so there were a TON of people to high five and cheer on. I was having a blast.
I LOVE cheering people on so this was 3 miles of it. The course had some inclines, but nothing terribly challenging.
My legs felt a little heavy right off the bike, but quickly got acclimated.
I can only simply say the run was like a party. It was such a great energy and excitement knowing we were 2/3 of the way done. You know I was secretly wishing the run portion was longer ;) but I didn't let on to anyone else about that. Ha.
I wish I had my phone because the run portion was weird to be mid-run selfie-less. Priorities right?
There were volunteers clearly directing us where to go and offering up water/Nuun in a water stop that you saw on the way out and back on the run. So two stops for the price of one.
There was an incline during Mile 2, but it came with a down hill.
The run was through a little neighborhood so you could see the water in between the houses.
I just couldn't stop smiling.
As we took the final right down the Stretch. You had the bikes coming in on your left, you had runners coming towards you on the right as they headed out on the run. It was awesomely motivating commotion!
Then there it was ... the Finish Line shoot. As you came down the shoot you could hear the announcer say: Dani Holmes-Kirk ... you are an Iron Girl!
It was freakin' cool. I mean I will never hear you are an Ironman so this was the closest I will get and it was awesome.
Total Time: 23:16 Pace: 7:46 min/mile Overall Place: 47/583 Division: 7/83
***
After receiving my medal from an adorable young lady, I immediately headed to refuel with some Chocolate Milk.
Oh it was heaven in a little Nestle Nesquick bottle. I needed the carbs and the proteins so these tired muscles could recover!
Since the Chocolate Milk booth was RIGHT at the Finish Line, I could refuel and continue to cheer on the Finishers.
I had actually heard Chrisann's name announced when I was heading out on the run. She did amazing.
I want to thank Natalie from Got Chocolate Milk for all her help over the weekend. :)
Right next to the Chocolate Milk tent was the post-race spread for the athletes. Mmmm mini cinnamon rolls. I had two and enjoyed every bite!
Photo Courtesy Iron Girl Webster
***
Overall, I am really happy with how the day turned out. I tried new things out: tri kit, bike shoes, wearing a Sparkle Athletic skirt for bike/run and focusing on staying in my own race.
I also learned things I need to work on: proper fueling/hydrating, the bike - just all of the bike, and transitions.
Oh and the biggest thing, not getting caught up in rankings. Not one of my close friends or family asked where I placed. They just wanted to make sure I finished and I had fun doing it. Why I put this pressure on myself? I don't know, but I am working on it.
I also want to thank Chrisann and her Iron Maidens for welcoming me with open arms into their group for the weekend. Talk about one inspiring and motivating group of women!
I owe an extra WOO to Chrisann who went back on the course to run in with the final participant.
I was cheering them on and caught this action shot after I started walking back to my car. Marge, pictured above finishing her first triathlon, battled bike malfunctions, but kept moving forward which meant dragging her bike 30-40 minutes until she found the on-road bike mechanics. How about THAT for heart?
*** Iron Girl did a GREAT job putting this race on. I will recommend it to any lady I meet looking for a good, welcoming, supportive and fun triathlon.
But with no adult beverages onsite, I did have to wait to cheers until I got home. ;)
Did you participate in Iron Girl Webster? What did you think of that hill on the bike course?
FORGIVE ME BLOG READERS FOR I HAVE SINNED. I allowed too much time to pass before posting this recap. Almost a month.
FOR SHAME.
***
I need to start by thanking the Hartford Marathon Foundation for offering me a complimentary entry into the Women's Sprint Triathlon in Farmington, Connecticut on September 8th. But as you all know I do not let a complimentary entry sway my thoughts on a race!
It was pretty clear after finishing my first triathlon - Boston Sprint Tri on August 4th - that I was hooked. So I was happy to get another triathlon in before the season came to a close.
Now I registered and got all excited and THEN realized the race would be a good 2.5 hour drive from Boston ... on the day of the race.
The race began at 7:30am.
I will let you take a moment to do the math.
Got it?
If not, that meant a nice 3:30am wakeup that morning.
Yay!!!!!
Not. :P
Okay it wasn't the ideal pre-race conditions, but we had no other choice. We couldn't leave the pups the night before so day of travel was our only option.
The alarm went off at 3:30am, I leaped out of bed and immediately the pre-race jitters set in.
Thankfully I am a tad OCD and everything was already packed and ready to go the night before to help make the morning a smooth transition.
We hit Dunkin Donuts for some much-needed caffeine and we were on the road.
Shockingly we hit zero traffic. ;)
We arrived at the Winding Trails in Farmington, CT with plenty of time to pick up my packet, get numbered and set up my transition station.
My transition area worked so well at Boston Triathlon that I decided to duplicate it at the Women's Triathlon.
The transition area was set up by bib #s, but in each lane you could put your bike wherever you wanted. So I just picked one as close to the front as I could, but I pretty much ended up smack in the middle of my lane.
I did a once over and headed out of the transition area to hang with the wife until it was time to suit up.
It was amazing to walk around and see a race entirely made up of women. It felt great, comforting and welcoming.
There were women of all shapes, sizes and athletic abilities taking part. For many, it was their first triathlon. There were women wearing just bathing suits, women whose bikes had baskets/bells/kickstands and some who were clear Ironman finishers. It was a wide variety, but everyone was cheering each other on.
I also throughly enjoyed that during all the announcements when they talked about spectators they mentioned wives of competitors. Yay for being super supportive of the lesbian racers. It just made me smile. :)
Before I knew it it was time to head back to the transition area to pick up the wetsuit and head to the beach.
While standing on the beach, a blog reader came over to introduce herself and say hi. It was such an awesome feeling. I love meeting people who actually read these posts. :)
I decided to take a quick dip into the water before heading to the Start area.
And it was time.
The nerves were high. I was so busy doing Dopey Challenge training that I hadn't been on the bike in over a month or in the pool all that much so I had no idea what to expect. I just wanted to go out there and give it my all.
***
Swim - 1/2 Mile
For this race we started IN the water. I was in the first corral of ladies in the water. I tried to put myself farther up in the pack since I learned at the last tri that I needed to do that. I was a stronger swimmer than I gave myself credit for.
The gun went off and we were in.
But from the get go something was wrong. I couldn't breathe. It felt as if someone was trying to choke me. I tried to loosen the neck area of the wetsuit slightly to see if that would help, but I couldn't get in a groove.
I felt as if I was swimming in place. I had no idea what was going on so I just kept trying to move forward.
I ended up breathing almost every single stroke, but I figured I would do anything to try and get to the Finish.
Thankfully we were in a calm pond which I can say helped.
I got to the halfway mark and wondered how the heck I would make it the rest of the way. I just thought about my wife on the beach and swam towards her.
I could tell my sighting had gotten much better from the first triathlon to this one. My wife said I was the only swimmer in my group that came straight towards the Finish Line after the halfway point. Woo! I think I was probably the 10 or 12th swimmer out of the water so I guess I was moving faster than I thought.
After coming out of the water, we had to run all the way up the beach, along the outside length of the transition area and THEN entered the transition area. It was a long way to run barefoot, but I did the best I could to get that wetsuit down to my waist as quickly as possible.
There were a good number of volunteers (lifeguards) out in kayaks on the water which put me at ease in case I really couldn't breathe at any point.
Total Time: 17:42 Overall Place: 44/442
***
Transition 1
Time: 2:07
Since I was still trying to catch my breath, I took my time during the transition. I was worrying about that so much that I fell right over while taking off the wetsuit. Yes I need to focus on one thing at a time. :P
I was able to grab some Gatorade, some pieces of KIND Bar, switch into my Team Refuel singlet and lace up my sneakers. I also made sure to really dry my feet off before putting my socks on since I ended up with very wet feet last time. ;)
(See how we learn something from each race!)
I slapped my helmet on and I was headed out of the transition area.
Yes this should've been faster, but I was just happy that my breathing had started to return to normal.
***
Bike - 12 miles
Now for some reason I thought this was going to be a flat course. Not sure where I got that impression but boy was I WRONG!!! Holy hill Batman. I am a weak biker anyway, but throw in hills and I wasn't sure what I was doing.
I definitely know I will be getting some clips for my bike so I can wear my Spin shoes before my next race because I was losing some force having my sneakers on.
All I could do was push forward though. I had the cyclometer on my bike and my goal was to try and stay between 17-19 mph the best I could.
I pushed faster than I had before and tried to use the downhills to my benefit. The roads were open to traffic so we had to stay as close to the right of the road as we could.
I was actually able to pass some people, but was definitely passed my more. :)
It was one amazing experience coming back towards the transition area as both sides of the course were lined with spectators. The cheering was loud and the faces made my smile grow. I felt like a freakin' rock star. All these people were cheering for lil old me. It was awesome!
Plus just as I was about to dismount the bike, I caught a glimpse of the wife - just what I needed to see since I hadn't seen her when I left the water earlier.
I know that the bike is the portion I need to work on the most, but I was pretty pleased with how I handled my first hilly bike course.
I didn't really see too many volunteers out on the course itself for some stretches, but they were there at key turns and when we exited and entered the lanes near the transition area.
Total Time: 40:09 Overall Place: 88/442 (can we tell it’s my weakest area)
***
Transition 2
Time: 1:07
Much more respectable transition time the second time around. But really all I had to do here was ditch the bike/bike helmet, throw on my visor/sunglasses and put on my race belt with bib.
***
Run - 5k
As I left the transition area, I ran by the wife and said "I can't breathe." Not sure what was going on with me that day, but as I headed out for the run - I once again just tried to focus on my breathing.
Since triathlons don't allow headphones, it was really easy to tune into my breathing and correct it.
I had just a 5k between me and the end of my second triathlon.
Now again I somehow was under the impression that this would be a flat easy run.
FALSE!!!!
As I rounded the second turn, there was a large trail incline in front of me.
It is at that point, that I realized I was in for a rough terrain trail 5k rather than an easy run.
I stopped to retie my sneakers, buckled down and focused on trying to pass any runners I could pass in front of me.
I got my breathing under control and just tried to enjoy the scenery around me. We were in one glorious forest.
Every volunteer I passed, I said "I was lied to about this being a flat course" and all they could do was laugh.
Thankfully my GPS was pretty spot on and before I knew it we were less than 1/2 a mile to the Finish.
I tried to speed the body up as best I could.
With a few hundred yards to go we emerged from the trees and there was the Finish Line.
I gave it the rest I had and it was over. The 5k was done.
Water stops were well covered, but other than that it was really just the runners on the trail. Not sure what I would've done had I gone down with a cramp or injury while in the woods since I didn't know where the next water stop or volunteer would be.
Total Time: 24:45 Overall Place: 15/442
***
I’M A TRIATHLETE ... AGAIN! :)
I completed the course in 1:25:48 and couldn't have been happier.
As soon as I crossed the Finish Line, they announced my name (Ahhh I love when races do this) and was given a gorgeous wooden medal.
Cool, right?
I found the wife and she presented me with an actual cycling jersey for me to use next year during training rides.
Can I pull it off?
We then headed over to refuel with some chocolate milk. It was like they knew I was coming! ;)
After my chocolate milk and water, it was obviously time to grab a celebratory beer courtesy of Old Burnside Brewing Company! I love when races are sponsored by local craft breweries. Drink local friends! :)
As I walked away from the beer area, I noticed a massage tent with no wait. YES!! Whenever these are at races by the time I finish there is a huge line so I had to jump on this opportunity.
It was GREAT to get stretched out by a professional! I wish I could have this treatment after every workout.
Thank you Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers for providing this service!
Before I go any further I want to thank my wife for being my #1 supporter, calming me down along the course, getting up at 3:30am, driving hours to the race and being an overall wonderful sport in this crazy racing world I am in. :) I couldn't do this without her.
We had planned on meeting up with my friend Martinus from 300PoundsAndRunning.com for lunch so we headed back to the transition area to get my stuff and headed back to the car.
I wouldn't find out until hours later that I had actually placed in my division. Whaaa??? I KNOW!!
I had finished 31st overall out of 442 and 3rd in my division.
How cool is that? I was shocked and amazed. Since I had left, I missed receiving my prize. A prize? Yay!
So I actually sent $8 to the Hartford Marathon Foundation and they sent me the prize. An amazing hand-painted marvel.
Overall, I was extremely happy with how the race turned out. Do I know exactly what happened with my breathing during the swimming portion? No, but that is something I will work through on my training in case it happens again.
I really loved the Women's Triathlon atmosphere and would highly recommend this race to any of my friends.
I hope to return next year to take on those rolling hills of Connecticut again! :)
***
So when can I do my next triathlon? ;)
Oh did you want more of a recap?
Well then let's do it! :)
I think everyone knows I was a tad wicked nervous for my first triathlon. I mean check out my T-minus 12 hours post for the jist.
I mean Hello look at all the numbers attached to this one race.
So let's get right to it!!
***
5am - Alarm Goes Off
I sprang out of bed. I knew I had laid out all my clothes the night before, but there was still so much to do before we had to leave the house. I let the dogs out so they could take care of business while I hectically got ready and attached the bike to the bike rack (which I thankfully put on the car the night before). Sometimes being slightly OCD can help one out on the morning of the race.
After leaving the house without my Garmin on the morning of the Boston Marathon, I made sure to check that I had that about 17 times before we left the house.
I had my big bag of stuff for the transition and I made sure the wife had her back-up ready with extra clothes, snacks and any other odds and ends we would need that morning.
We met my dad on the porch and...
5:40am - We are out the door
I was told by my Triathlon coaches (and fellow Tedy's Team members) Jackie and Cat to be on site by 6:15am for the 7:45am start time because there is so much more to account for before the race than a regular running race.
Since my dad and wife were getting up so early for me, I made sure we stopped at Dunkins on the way to the race. They deserved and needed the caffeine. :P
In the car I felt oddly calm. This is extremely weird for me before a race, but I was hoping to take it as a good sign. Also I knew as soon as I was on the site of the race, it would be a whole different ballgame.
6:15am-ish - We pull into a parking space
Annddd cue the butterflies. As we pull into a parking space, I start to see the other athletes with their professional bikes and looking like they knew what they were doing. In my head panic. I wanted to turn around and leave. But wait a minute. Not happening. I freakin' worked my butt off to be there too so self pull up your spandex shorts and get out there.
(Timing after this is a blur so time to go general with titles ;))
Pre-Race
The air was crisp, the sun was shining and the water looked calm - one gorgeous Boston morning! We really couldn't ask for better weather conditions.
I headed over to the transition area to get my bike checked and to set up my area. Thankfully I had watched some transition videos on Youtube the day before so I had a better idea of what I was supposed to do. I also took a picture as people suggested so I could go back after the race and see what I would change - if anything.
After racking my bike and getting everything in place, I realized that Ace Wheelworks (where I bought my bike) had tents set up and were putting air in people's tires for free. So I went back in and got my bike. I didn't want any chances of getting a flat just because the tire wasn't filled up enough. Tires perfect and back to the transition area Roxie went.
I stopped a volunteer to ask exactly how the transition would work - where do we enter from the swim, how do we exit, etc. I wasn't taking any chances of doing something incorrectly and getting slapped with a penalty.
Well by this time there was still well over an hour before the race so I went with my dad and the wife to find a location for them to set up camp for awhile. Since Tori was two weeks post-knee surgery, we needed to make sure she could sit as much as possible.
I nibbled slowly on my KIND bar, which was delish (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt)... Mmmmm!!
I went to hit up the port-a-potty and finally ran into people I knew. Yay! Chelsea and Ally, who I both knew through twitter but had just met on Wednesday in person, were also first-time triathlete folks so it was great to share this experience with them.
Chatting with them and seeing familiar faces calmed my nerves before heading back to see my crew.
The transition area closed at 7:30am so I needed to make sure I got back in there in plenty of time to get my wetsuit, swimcap and goggles for the swim. I also had to pop my ENERGYBits then or I wouldn't have them and that wasn't happening.
Around 7:15ish, I bid farewell to my dad and wife (trying not to cry) and headed into the transition area. I was walking over to my bike when I noticed a familiar face. It was my friend Howley, who I probably hadn't seen in a good 6-7 years. She was there doing the tri relay as friends needed someone to do the bike portion. Again, seeing a familiar face distracted me from the nerves.
I made it back to my bike, grabbed my necessary tools, gave the transition area one more check over and was off to the beach for the pre-race meeting with the officials.
I decided to walk through the water to get to the pre-race meeting. It was starting to get hotter while in the wetsuit and I wanted to see how the water temp felt. It was calming to be in the water. I was ready for the race to start, but we still had a good 40 minutes or so until my wave would set off. I was in the women's 25-34 heat which was Wave 5 of 10.
Thankfully I found Chelsea, Ally, other Zoom Multisport friends and Cat from Tedy's Team on the sand near the start area. It felt good to be near people I knew. Are we sensing a theme here?
Before I knew it, the National Anthem was playing and Wave 1 (Elite Athletes) was getting in position. There would be 2 minutes between Wave 1 and Wave 2 then 6 minutes between the rest of the waves. There were 10 waves in total with novice being the final group.
I thought about putting myself in the novice division, but felt I was a strong enough swimmer to be with my age group.
Swim - 1/2 Mile
Robin had told me to line up near the front of the wave because of my practice swim times, but I ended up being about 1/3 of the way back. I readjusted once I saw the division included the mid-to-late 20s as well. I assumed they would all be faster than me so I wiggled my way back. (Hindsight? Stupid decision)
All of a sudden they were counting down, in my head I just said: "Like Tedy said - it's the party! Have fun!" and we were off.
It is a running start, which means you run from the sand into the water to about your knees/low thighs then start swimming.
As soon as I started swimming, I instantly got kicked in the face. I thought - okay got that out of the way - let's get it. I had remembered Robin saying in the Ironman she swam on the outside to avoid getting kicked so I did try to find myself a little niche in the water to avoid people ... which was challenging.
I felt as if I was swimming in place. I didn't feel like I was making good time. I tried sighting as best I could, but still found myself drifting while swimming.
But, at no point did I feel tired. BONUS!
I am thankful I did a test swim in the water before the race so I had an idea of what to use for guide points.
Before I knew it we were making the final turn (we swam in a trapezoidal pattern) to the shore. I kept reminding myself to swim until my hands swept the bottom of the water THEN get up and start running.
My dad was able to catch me "gracefully" exiting the water. Man those rocks felt like needles under the feet.
Total Time: 16:35 Pace: 1:53/100 yds Overall Place: 175/630 Division: 12/52
***
Transition 1
Time: 1:51.1
This was my first attempt at taking the wetsuit off quickly (should probably practice that more for next time).
I tried to make the switch as methodical as possible. I used my mini towel to wipe off my wet/sandy feet and quickly put on my shoes/sneakers. Yes I raced sans clip medals/bike shoes because I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike yet.
I also made sure to click my bike helmet on as soon as I put it on since you can be penalized for an unclicked helmet.
I actually more my bike/run outfit under my wetsuit so I didn't have to do any wardrobe change. It was actually a great idea because the weather was heating up but the damp singlet kept me cool on the next two legs of the race.
***
Bike
By far this is my weakest part of the race and the one I dreaded the most. The goal for this leg was to not fall off the bike. Do you like how I set big goals for myself. ;)
But seriously after talking to Robin (sensing another theme with this ;)) we decided that my goal was to keep my bike pace around 17-19 mph.
The bike portion was 9 miles, which is short for most sprint tris - but perfectly fine for me.
I merged onto the bike portion (it was a loop which you had to complete twice) so I had to be aware of other bikers completing their second loop.
The bike portion and run portion were on the same road with the runners separated on the right by cones. There are so many rules about passing and not drafting on the bike that I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
I remembered them saying if you were going to pass you had 15 seconds and had to get 3 bike lengths ahead of the person/person being passed had to drop back 3 bike lengths.
I did my best to follow the rules, but really I was just focused on not falling.
I slowed down on the turns as those scare the crap outta me (again fear of falling). But I felt pretty comfortable out on the course since it was nice and flat AND I was able to cheer for some people I knew already on the run portion.
I just kept looking down at my cyclometer to make sure I was staying on point ... and shockingly I was!!! WOO HOO!
I also had to wipe my nose/mouth still from the swim, but I haven't mastered that taking the hands off the handlebars thing yet so I finally wiped my nose as I slowed for a turn. Sexy I know. :P
As I finished up the second loop, I was instructed to go to the right back to the transition area. I realized that my friend Cat was right in front of me.
They even had a line drawn on the ground telling you where to dismount the bike. Score!
I know I would've biked faster with 1) more practice and 2) actual bike shoes/clips - but that is for later events. (foreshadowing?)
Total Time: 28:57 Pace: 18.2 MPH (just what we wanted!!!) Overall Place: 388/630 (can we tell it's my weakest area) Division: 30/52
***
Transition 2
Time: 1:21.2
I followed Cat right into the transition area...
This was a pretty simple transition for me since I didn't have to change shoes like most people. I just made sure to put my race belt, which displayed my bib for the run, on first because you NEEDED it to finish. I popped a couple sport beans, fixed my hair, put on my Sparkly Soul headband, took a hit of Nuun Hydration water I had mixed, put on my running shades (thank goodness I made the last minute decision to bring them) and was off.
***
Run
I started my Garmin late because I had no idea when the run was actually supposed to start. Oops. Thankfully I asked someone once on the course what they had and realized I was about .1 mile off from everyone else. Okay doing that math would also help distract me during the run.
I had been looking forward to the run all day (did I seriously just write that? :P) and felt great to be on the pavement.
There were cones separating the runners and the bikers on the street. The cones seemed to leave a really narrow running area so I ended up passing people on the left and entering the bike area. Thankfully bikers were giving enough room for runners to do this successfully.
It was great having the run be and out and back set up because I was able to high five some friends on the course, while simultaneously cheering for friends doing the bike portion.
Win-win-win! :0)
My goal was to keep a sub 8:15/8:20 pace. I didn't know how the legs would feel for the 4.4-mile run and the weather was getting warmer and warmer so I wanted a realistic pace. (Also how is this my "realistic" pace? How times change!)
My shoes and socks felt damp still from my not-totally-dried feet so it felt a little heavy lifting the feet. Also the timer that goes around your ankle felt like a police ankle bracelet (not like I've ever worn one). I could feel it on my leg, but tried to zone it out.
There are no headphones on this course so I had been training without music for a couple weeks and it paid off. I was really able to zone out on the mileage and focus on taking the whole experience in.
SouthBoston is a beautiful part of the city and it was a perfect day. I had a great time cheering on other runners as we moved along.
There were two water stations on the course so I made sure to drink water at both AND take an additional cup to pour on my head.
At the turnaround point, I started getting sad - the race was going to be over in less than 2 miles. Wow! My firs triathlon would be in the books. I had no idea of my time, but I knew I was having a blast and didn't want it to end.
So I soaked in every step I took.
Around Mile 3, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I saw a lot of people walking and thought I could too. But my inner voice screamed HELL NO! I was not about to start walking.
I was going to give it everything I had on that course then I could walk. So I just kept trucking along. I smiled at other runners, I cheered for people struggling and I freakin' ran. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
There it was - the Mile 4 marker. We had just .4 left.
It was time to give it all I had. I just willed my legs to keep moving forward and to NOT let anyone pass me. I was going to pick people off it I could, but I would hold strong.
Total Time: 36:16 Pace: 8:15 min/mile Overall Place: 255/630 Division: 15/52
***
I'M A TRIATHLETE!
As I approached the Finish Line, the announcer said "Dani Holmes-Kirk from Somerville, MA" and in my head I said "is officially a triathlete!" :)
I couldn't stop smiling.
I swam. I biked. I ran.
Final Stats
It was everything I could've imagined and more.
Could you tell I was a little excited?
I can't even put into words how excited I was crossing that line and picking up my Finisher's Pint Glass. Not a medal, but better than nothing!!
I immediately started thinking about how I would do things different the next time, but quickly banished those thoughts. It was time to relish in the now.
I owe a big thanks to my dad and wife for getting up at 5am and coming to watch me in person. Bigger thanks to my mom who stayed back home to make sure someone was with the pups.
I spotted my favorite sign from the course and the designer let me take a pic.
Please note I am smiling because I love the sign NOT because I did what is written on the sign. :P
I was able to get some water in my pint glass right after receiving it, but then bottled water was nowhere to be found. Are you serious? I grabbed a banana, but looked all around and no water anywhere. Planning FAIL!!
The post-race celebration was sponsored by Michelob Ultra (BOO!) so we decided to head home. I would recommend a local race go with a local brew (Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc) to celebrate rather than a blah beer like Michelob Ultra. I bought Slumbrew so I could have my own party at home. :)
I headed back into the transition area to clean up my stuff. I was really pleased with how I set up my transition area.
I wish I had been able to meet up with more people afterwards - thankfully I did see some ZOOM folks and Tedy's Team folks - but I forgot to take any group photos. Oops!
I really can't thank ZOOM Multisport enough for welcoming me into their group. I thank Robin, Hank, Tara, Darcie, Jackie, Cat, Greg, Lisa and so many others for letting me text or FB you with numerous questions/pictures/thoughts during training and race prep.
So the question remains: will I do this again?
HELL YEAH!!
I'm ready for the next adventure as I go from morbidly obese couch potato to Boston Marathon Finisher to Triathlete to ???
My name is Dani and I am blogging out of the Boston Area. I started this blog in May of 2011 after suffering a back injury and subsequent back surgery in December 2011-January 2011. This space was to serve as a way for me to release the inner feelings I was carrying around and maybe help some other people going through similar situations: eating disorders, depression, weight loss and more.
