Gatorade Series, Race 3 (my second ever tri!)

[light_sabe_r]

300m swim, 10km ride, 2.5km run

Yup I did it. As those in the first triathlonites thread know I've been training to improve from my first tri in september with the goal of Swimming freesyle the entire distance, jogging the entire way instead of walking and NOT coming last...

WELL...

I DID IT!!!!!

And that makes me more pleased than ya know... if I had've had a minute shot of winning the damn thing. ^_^

Okay so here's the race report.

Since the race was in my old stomping ground of Cleveland, I stayed with my parents for the weekend. The night was RAINY! Funny how we're in the middle of a drought and everyone prays for rain yet it ONLY shows up when I have to get on the roadie the next day.

Okay, so I got up, had some bananas (from my dad. ^_^) and got my gear together and sped off in the car 5mins up the road by car to the start (Okay so I would've rode there if not for HILLS)

When I was signing in, I was signed in by one of the ladies I used to do secretarial work with! we chatted for a while joking and laughing about the fact I was actually gonna do this (cause I wasn't exactly ATHLETIC when she knew me) when I realised there was a line growing behind me and that I better let her get back to work.

I also saw my Japanese teacher and two of my good friends from highschool... ALSO marshalling.

So into the ACTUAL contest.

The kids went first... The first lot of competitors were RUNNING before I'd even jumped in the water! How cool was that!

Anyway When us ladies were called for the enticer I was so nervous... Jumped into the water and swam out to the buoy. The water was WARM. Just like the heated pool I train in with the one exception of being INCREDIBLY SALTY. BLECH...

Thanks god for goggles.

So with the starting hooter a flurry of girls in pink caps set out on their 300m swim and I got beaten up by two slightly larger women at different times. After the pummelling I took I did some backstroke to calm down... It's hard enough to keep my own pace and concentrate let alone do it and be beaten up as well! ;_;

I took KSH's pacing advice in not using the legs much at all in training... and it worked. I think i kicked like four times the entire distance! It was GREAT! My strokes were powerful! and I got out of the water about in the last beginning of the last 1/3 of the pack.

I was stuffed though... I spent too long in the transition trying to get the world to stop spinning... And the salt out of my mouth...

On the bike and after hearing cheers from one of my co-workers, my BF and my PARENTS?! I was off.

Second REAL ride on my new bike P!nk.... and she wasn't the only SUBzero there. ( a lot of the elites in the full tri had last year's version of my bike and I saw a few SUB zero Pro's too... No SUB Rosa yet... but that's AUD10000 worth of bike so I wasn't expecting to see that one yet...)

^_^ I kicked arse on the ride and loved it!

I made up for my transition bungle on the flats... I was nowhere near as fast as the guys sprining and overtaking me in the middle of the first lap. but I was proud I was doing 40kph with the tailwind too me. The head wind was a problem as my speed dropped back to 25kph

The second transition went better though. Dumped the bike changed shoes and RUN (again manic cheers from BF, Mum and dad, and work collegue)

I had my heart rate monitor on and I gotta tell you I must've had an adrenalin rush cause the heart rate was sitting at 190 and wouldn't drop...
190 is usually when I walk for a bit... So I was feeling it but wouldn't give in! "I'm not gonna walk! i'm NOT gonna walk!" I kept screaming in my head for the first km...

So I didn't... Only when I got the "charlie's angel theme" in my head (a regular jogging track) did I set pace and start to overtake two people in my category... One of who was walking it and then running then walking etc... so I overtook her a fair bit.

Coming into the final stretch I was starting to feel good... so I freaking sprinted over the finish... WOOHOO! (mum liked that bit. ^_^)

All in all a great race. I was STARVING afterwards though and stuffed my face at home on a cooked breakfast.

I've checked my time and it was 1:11 Not bad... could've been faster in transition and I would've probably gotten under an hour. (yes I was THAT slow)

In any case it wetted my appetite... I'm gonna do it again in april... Probably do a bit of SALT WATER training before hand though. That really was gross. I mean I swim in the pacific ocean on holidays and that's bad but this was just YUCK...


I'll post some photos soon... Gotta shrink them for web first

[mel1976]

Congratulations!!!

Well done light_sabe_r

I think I may have to join you at one of those tri's in 2007!

[crazycanuck]

Hey light!!!

We must have been racing at the same time!!! (i'll post mine later)

Sounds like you had a great time & met your goals.

Yep..Salt water doesn't taste great hey...

When's the next one?

c

[KSH]

Great race report... and congratulations on accomplishing your goals! That is what really counts in the end!

I know for me, when I go into a tri... my goal has been to run the entire run... I certainly understand how hard that can be! Way to go on running the entire way!

I took KSH's pacing advice in not using the legs much at all in training... and it worked. I think i kicked like four times the entire distance! It was GREAT! My strokes were powerful! and I got out of the water about in the last beginning of the last 1/3 of the pack.

Awe! I am so happy to hear that I gave out some useful advice that helped you. Powerful strokes are what matter... gliding through the water. Fast swimming doesn't = lots of splashing. Unfortunately, some people haven't been fortunate enough to learn this.

OH... the saltwater... we use to do this in SCUBA diving... eat some hard candy with a lot of flavor after swimming in the salt water. It will help kill that nasty taste in your mouth.

[HappyAnika]

Yay!!! Congratulations

That's great you met your goals. Thanks for posting the race report, I enjoyed reading it.

[Bikingmomof3]

Congratulations of doing so well in your tri and reaching your goals. You rock! :

[Thistle]

300m swim, 10km ride, 2.5km run


but I was proud I was doing 40kph with the tailwind too me.

Coming into the final stretch I was starting to feel good... so I freaking sprinted over the finish... WOOHOO! (mum liked that bit. ^_^)

Light you seriously seriously ROCK Awesome job! 40kph... i'm too scared to go that fast even if i could pedal that hard

I am so so so impressed!

[Bluetree]

Awesome job Light!!!

[Tri Girl]

CONGRATS LIGHT!!!!

Now you're a seasoned vet!!! You aren't slow, dear, so you have to stop saying it! You're a fantastic athlete and are getting better every time! I'm so very happy for you!

Sooooo....when's the next one?????

[Offthegrid]

Yippie! Way to kick butt on the bike.