I've been a nervous wreck for days...and race morning was no different. I didn't get a great night's sleep and struggled to wake up when my alarm went off. I had realized in the car ride over to Betterton that I forgot my visor. I've worn that visor for every major race I've ever done. It's kind of my lucky charm. So I was definitely disappointed not to have it for my first Olympic distance tri.
We got to the race site in plenty of time, but I still had to wait in a long line to pick up my packet. I set up my transition area quickly...getting good at the set up...still need to work on the actual transitions though!
The week before the race, I had been emailing with a group of athletes from Mid MD Triathlon Club. We planned to meet right by packet pickup. I saw Cary, who I actually met when we worked together at Trammell Crow. I was so glad that the Cary in the email chain was the same Cary I knew from before! It was nice to see a friendly face. As more MMTC people showed up, I calmed down somewhat. It was nice to talk to people who had done this before. I also ran into Cecile and Vivian from my Spin90 class.
The water temp had jumped to 79 degrees so wetsuits were allowed but you would be disqualified. I didn't quite understand that so I opted to NOT be disqualified. I have never done an open water swim in just my tri suit, so this was going to be a new adventure. I got last minute kisses from my family and walked with the MMTC people in my age group over to the dock.
We jumped in and had to tread water until it was time for our wave to go off because we couldn't touch. This was actually really benefical to me because I took the opportunity to do the breathing bobs that Pam had stressed to us in the open water swim clinic.
As we rounded one bouy, we were swimming into the sun so I couldn't see anything. This part of the course is where I did the most zig zagging during the swim. Other than that, I feel like I kept a pretty straight line. I had to stop swimming and walk at one point because my hands kept hitting the sand bar. I realized that it was easier to just get up and walk...and most of the people around me were also walking. It was only a few steps before I was able to drop back down and swim again. I was pleasantly surprised by my endurance in the swim. I definitely finished the swim feeling great and knowing that I had done a good job. That's a first for me!
After banging my shin on the underwater steps trying to get out of the water, I jogged down the pier and towards the transition area. I think I remember smilling a lot as I got out of the water. I was so pleased with my swim!
Every now and then I would get hit with a cross wind. I could actually feel my tire move when the wind hit me. But other than that, there was very little wind on the first half of the ride. What amazed me about this part of the race is how many times I got passed. I felt like I was holding a solid pace right around 20-21 MPH and I was getting passed like I was standing still. But these were all people who were in a higher age group than me and who had obviously just made up the time difference. I reminded myself just to focus on my performance.
As we turned onto 298, I realized that I had not had anything to drink since the start of the race. BIG mistake on a hot and humid day. So I picked up my Gatorade...and realized that I hadn't opened it. I couldn't get the leverage to turn the cap hard enough to break the seal while riding. I put it back in the holder and grabbed my water bottle. That was much easier to manage. However, my body was starting to show the signs of the heat and lack of proper fuel. I was struggling with some of the inclines...which I really shouldn't have been since they weren't even big hills.
But after climbing the hill on Earl Nicholson, I knew I was going to be in trouble unless I got something besides water in me. So I pulled over to the side and stopped to open my gatorade. I love athletes in races like this. A woman who passed me asked if I was OK. I started to say yes and explain why I was pulling over, but I realized all she needed to know was that I was OK. I thanked her and said I was fine.
Right about this time, we made the turn onto Rt. 20 and right into the headwind. I was not fine. The headwind was not nearly as strong as what I rode in last weekend, but I was really struggling at this point. I would get a surge of energy (mostly when the wind calmed down) and hit a decent pace of around 18 MPH...but then the wind would kick back up and my pace would slow considerably. I know that I lost a lot of time in this second half of the bike. I really need to work on riding in the wind if I'm going to ride on the Eastern Shore!
When I finally made it back to Rock Hall, I was alone on the road. There were no bikers in front of me and I couldn't see anyone behind me either. I figured I was getting pretty close to last place. I saw Stephen and the girls. Ella said "Mommy why did you take SO LONG?". I just laughed and kept on going. It was just the humor that I needed at that moment. I hopped off the bike and jogged into the transition area with a smile on my face. Thanks Ella!
Here she is jogging next to me as I left the transition area to start the run:
The run was HOT. When I had a headwind on the bike, I kept thinking, well at least we'll have a breeze when we're running...but that wasn't the case. The air seemed heavy and there was no breeze at all. One of the houses had a sprinkler on for the runners. I told the man that he was my hero.
I don't remember much about the run except pain. My body was really suffering from dehydration. I was going back and forth between being so hot to getting chills. It's really bad when you stop sweating...I kept monitoring that and I was sweating profusely...so I figured I was still OK. But I stopped at every water station and took 2 cups. One I dumped on my head and the other I drank. They also had cold, wet towels at each water station. I would take one and put it on the back of my neck until the towel stopped being cold. Then I would throw it to the side with all the other discarded towels. (Side note: thank you to anyone who has volunteered at a race and cleaned up all the cups, towels and other various items that we throw on the side of the road. I really appreciate it!!!)
The run course was 2 laps and I couldn't tell who was on their first lap and who was on their second lap. I just assumed everyone was on their 2nd and I was the only one on the first. On my second lap, I realized that there were more people than I thought on the same lap as I was. Of course, a lot of them passed me since they were running and I was doing mostly walking at this point. Several of the runners encouraged me as they passed. I gave them a "good job" back. Even exhausted, I'm a good cheerleader for others!
In the last 2 miles I was really in bad shape. I had goosebumps all over. I was completely walking at this point. I had a nice chat with a woman who had my aunt as a kindergarten teacher. Small world. But that conversation (while enjoyable) took a great deal of energy which was running at an all time low. She jogged off and I was left to fend for myself in my slow walk. I pictured those 2 precious little girls who were waiting for me at the finish and decided that I would not let them down. It might take me a lot longer than I had planned, but I was going to finish. The determination to see my girls pushed me to a slow jog. No more walking!
I crossed the finish line and was so thankful to be done. I knew that my run time was going to be ridiculously slow. But at this point, I didn't care. I had finished my first Olympic distance triathlon! And I wasn't last!
I think the biggest thing that I learned was how mentally tough you need to be in order to get through the Olympic distance. I didn't have that mental toughness in the race...I let the wind and the heat get to me and affect my head. I was also not trained enough for the endurance I needed. A 3 hour event is not something to be taken lightly...which I didn't...but I definitely should have been better physically trained too.
Take-aways: My swim is continually improving and could potentially be a strength for me. I need to work on bike endurance and ability to ride in the wind. I need to stop skimping on my runs. But I LOVE the Olympic distance! I can't wait to do my next one!
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