On Sunday, September 23, 2012 I participated in my very first triathlon and true to form, rather than starting with a Sprint distance, I went right for the Olympic. This race was at Tempe Town Lake and consisted of a 1500m swim (that's about a mile), a 26 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run. I decided to do this event because I've always been a person who works out and stays fit, but generally doesn't practice or train for anything specific. I blame it partly on good genes and partly on laziness. With an event like this I knew that I HAD to train and I was determined.
Tempe Town Lake - The Start of the Olympic Triathlon
The Swim
I've always been a swimmer. My mom was a lifeguard and I grew up around pools. As a teenager I did some life-guarding and even taught swimming lessons. What I never have been is a fast swimmer, so I decided to join the Phoenix Master's Swim Club. It was an eye-opening experience. I knew I was slow, but compared to these people I was really, really slow. Men and women of all shapes and ages were making me think I belonged in the kiddie pool! However, week after week I kept going. I did the drills (even though I had no idea what they were talking about for the first couple weeks) and I swam lap after lap. It was frustrating for me because running is something I can just do and swimming is something that I have to practice and practice and practice. I even did a practice lake swim (and had a full-out panic attack), but tried again a couple days later with the new attitude that my goal wasn't to win the swim, it was just to finish it and still feel good for the ride and the run. All that practice paid off! I didn't win the swim by any means, but I swam front stroke the entire way (even sprinted the last 100yards) and felt fantastic coming out of the water. Finishing that swim was a huge boost of confidence that I needed to motivate me on the bike!
Coming in for the end of the swim (that's me in the red cap).
The Bike
Again, I've always ridden a bike. I used to commute to school and to work all the time...but that was a short and leisurely commute. I needed to learn to ride a road bike (it seems easy, but the clipped in pedals, skinny tires, and aerodynamic body position is more difficult than I estimated). A very awesome friend who also happens to be a multiple Ironman competitor lent me a bike and inspired me to do this. The bike was great but I started noticing with the training that my back would ache after long rides, but I ignored it and figured it was just part of getting used to riding. Finally, a few weeks before the race I decided to get my bike properly fitted at a bike shop and discovered that I was badly arching my back. A few simple adjustments made the ride feel so much better and I wish I had done it sooner, because I'm still trying to heal the tightness I created in my back. The bike segment of the race is as much technical as it is physical - learning to change flats, good body position, proper equipment, and using the ride time to refuel and rehydrate. In the end, the bike leg was my favorite and I cut 20min off my expected time! I especially loved it because the race route consisted of 6 mini loops, which means I got to ride past my amazing cheering section six times :D
The Start of the Bike Leg
The Run
I'm a runner. I love to run. I do not however like to run for no reason. I run when I play Ultimate Frisbee, I run in races, but I have a really hard time training for a run (especially by myself). The biking and swimming were my weakest parts, so I spent the bulk of my training on those and then focused on transitioning from the bike when I did the run training. The unexpected part of the run were the "lead legs" - I was told that after the swim and bike, my legs would feel like lead, but it was unreal. Both of my feet were asleep and my legs were tired and the result was a sensation similar to carrying 10lb weights as shoes. It was a 6 mile run and it took me almost 4 miles to finally feel my feet and pick up the pace. I felt really great coming in the last 2 miles and even past a friend coming up over the Mill Ave bridge. As I ran over the bridge I just couldn't stop smiling. I was playing the race over in my head and I was so very proud of what I was about to accomplish. The pure joy of it all provided me with an extra jolt of energy as I turned the last corner, heard my friends cheering at me, and cruising in to finish the race... 15min ahead of what I expected!!!
Finishing Strong at the End of the Run
Both the training and the race were challenging and totally rewarding. I was pushed to my limits physically, I met new friends at Phoenix swim club, I found a new love in biking, and I realized how my diverse training at Boot Camp helps me in so many different activities. I can't wait for the next one ... maybe even a half Ironman ;-p
Finished with a Smile
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