Adios Amigos!

I am leaving very early on Tuesday morning for a much needed vacation in Mexico!  I am visiting my best friend from college, Steph, who lives in Puerto Vallarta.  Here is a photo of the beach from my last visit:

I am SOOO excited!  Because I am taking this vacation very seriously, I will not be posting until after I return.  Thank you to all my readers and I will return to semi-regular posting after the 4th of July!

Analyzing Results

When I finally had a moment to look up the race results from the Dragonfly Triathlon, I was amazed at how fast the fast people went.  There were some REALLY good people at the triathlon last Sunday.  The nice lady with the fancy tires finished her swim in 6:57!! Holy cow.  The top male finisher completed the course in 52:28 more than 2 full minutes ahead of the 2nd place finisher. 

I also saw that the woman who got 2nd in my age group beat me by 4 minutes.  So my crazy side is starting to come out.  Without the kick in the head, I could have had a better swim and possibly cut off at least 2 minutes.  That would have also meant a faster transition...shave off another 30 seconds...

See...that's just crazy...you never know who is going to show up for the race.  You never know what the weather will be like.  You never know what the other factors will be for any given day.  So trying to analyze the numbers and see if there was any way I could have gotten 2nd place is just plain CRAZY!

I guess this is a fault and a strength of mine.  Without this form of crazy, I might not push myself so hard and therefore never really achieve my full potential.  Without this form of crazy, I definitely would have stopped at Rock Hall when it got hot on the run or when I got kicked in the head at the Dragonfly.  I think athletes in general have to have some of this craziness in order to keep going when things get challenging.

This crazy also leads to me checking the national USAT rankings.  Yes, I'm a nationally ranked triathlete!  Well, it's still unofficial since the Dragonfly results have not posted yet, so USAT doesn't know that I've done 3 events this year.  But once the Dragonfly results go up there, I'm on the national rankings!  That's so funny to me.  I'm an old lady who is just out there trying to blow off a little steam and have some fun while I do it. 

Well...and to have some results to analyze.  The crazy side of me thrives on going through the numbers.  And you know that once I get that national ranking, I will be posting it right here!  (And doing everything I can to keep moving up that ranking!) 

Race Report: Dragonfly Sprint Tri

It's times like these when I know that I have a problem.  Friday afternoon I got an email from the MMTC mass email chain asking if any members were doing the Dragonfly Sprint in Chestertown.  Wait, what??? A sprint tri in Chestertown?  I'm going to be over there for the weekend, it's a sprint (actually really more of a super sprint), and it's a triathlon...yep, I'm in.

So Sunday morning I got up really early, put on my tri suit, made my pre-race smoothie breakfast and headed out the door.  The plan was for me to get there and get set up in transition and for Stephen, Ryann and my 2 nieces to come meet me there later.  Transition was closing super early because of the youth triathlon that was going off before the adult triathlon. 

I got myself set up but realized that I had left my pump at the house.  I knew that my back tire was in need of air so I started looking around for someone with a pump. I asked a few people, all of whom had pumped their tires before leaving and didn't have their pumps with them.  Grr.  I hate not being prepared.  Oh well, I've ridden on worse tires.  I figured I would just have to deal with it.  As transition was about to close, I found a nice man walking around with a pump.  He even pumped my tire for me!!  I told him that he was my hero and he grinned and said I had made his day.  Triathletes are so friendly!!  As I was about to walk out, the lady racking her bike next to me asked for help in holding her bike while she filled her fancy racing tires.  I've never seen a pump like that and it seemed to be a complicated procedure, but I was happy to help.  Yes, I'm one of the friendly triathletes too!

So I left transition with my wetsuit over my shoulder, my cap and goggles in hand, wondering what I was going to do with myself for the next hour and a half.  I also had my cell phone so I proceeded to bug Stephen and the girls about when they were getting there.  I wandered around aimlessly for awhile, visited the porta-potty (moreso out of boredom than need at that point), and finally saw someone wearing an MMTC top.  YAY!  I walked up and introduced myself.  Regina was the kind soul wearing the MMTC gear and I was so glad to have someone to waste the time with.

One of the great things about being involved in MMTC is the comraderie that you find prior to the race.  It's always nice to have someone to chat with and calm the nerves a bit.  I don't do much with them other than read all their witty race reports, but the pre-race companionship is amazing.

I watched the youth triathlon, shed a tear or two as I watched these really young kids cross the finish line to the cheers of their parents, and visited the porta-pots a few more times on account of my nervous bladder.  Finally it was time for us to line up.  I walked with my new MMTC buddies and tried to calm the nerves.

The water was gross and the bottom was knee deep muck.  So I did my best to tread water, although it really was a tad too shallow to tread.  I did some breathing bobs and felt the nerves starting to melt away.  Then I heard one woman sobbing and another woman trying to calm her down.  I am not sure what was going on there, so I swam a bit away from them.  I don't need that kind of craziness at the start!  The next thing I knew, the race was starting.  I wasn't quite ready, but I was in a decent position so I just started swimming with everyone else.

I took about 2 strokes and then BAM! I got kicked right in my forehead.  I saw stars.  I stopped swimming and tried to collect myself.  I realized that the pack was getting way out there and I was being left behind so I just started swimming.  I never really got into a good groove.  Every time I started to relax, someone would get close to me and I would freak out a bit.  My head hurt and I wasn't sure that I was going to finish this race.  But I just kept going and knew that the swim would be done soon.  In the picture below, I'm in the pink goggles although it looks like it could be my twin in the blue goggles with her face out of the water!  Even I did a double take.

Finally I was getting close to the steps to get out.  I remember thinking that I always bang my shin on underwater steps.  I don't remember climbing the steps and I don't have a bruise so I'm guessing I didn't bang my shin.  The next thing I remember is running over the timing mat to go into transition.  That can't be a good sign that I have no memory of those few moments.

I saw Stephen shooting pictures of me.  I yelled to him to google the signs of a concussion.  I wasn't sure I wanted to get on the bike considering how dizzy I was suddenly feeling.  But I went on with my transition activites...albeit very slowly.  Wetsuit off...took longer than normal...dry off feet and put on socks...much longer than normal...why won't these damn bike shoes go on right?  Stephen was yelling something about vomit.  Nope, I don't have to do that.  He asks about some other symptoms, none of which I had so I assumed I didn't have a concussion.  But boy my head hurt.  OK, get the bike and let's go.

I ran with the bike out of transition and the mount line seemed like it was a mile away.  As I was running, I realized that my right shoe was not tight enough.  So I moved out of the way just over the mount line and fastened my shoe better.  Then I was off on the bike.  As soon as I was out on the road, my dizziness went away. 

The bike was mostly flat with just a few slight up-grades or down-grades.  There was a bit of a wind but it was not strong enough to impact my speed.  The bike was an out, around and back course.  I got to see the leader...wow he looked fast!  I cheered for him although he was so fast I don't think he had time to hear me. 

I was holding a great cadence - over 90 RPM the whole way.  John would be so proud!  I occasionally glanced at my speed and it was good.  I was going no less than 18 MPH and for a lot of the course, I was over 20 MPH.  And I was passing a lot of people.  This was FUN!  I made the left turn at the turn around area, and we went down a very bumpy road.  I couldn't hold any kind of speed through this road because I was getting bumped around so much.  Luckily this part of the course was very short.  I made another left which I took pretty wide and almost took TOO wide.  Oops.  Disaster avoided.

I got back out on the road headed back and really opened it up.  At this point, I was passing men.  This gave me a much needed confidence boost.  The men all started in one wave and they were 5 minutes ahead of the start of the women's wave.  I didn't count how many men I passed, but it was more than a few.  I was pushing my pace at this point.  I knew I had to make up for that lousy swim, and the bike was my only chance to do that.  I passed a couple women in my age group...I love that the body marking includes our age on the back of our legs! 

Riding into the park was a great feeling.  I saw the girls and wanted them to know that I was feeling better.  But what I said was "I didn't pass out!"  They thought that was very funny.

My second transition was also slow but not nearly as slow as my first. I was able to get everything off and on as required and get my butt moving to the run.  I noticed on the run that I was among men and women.  Good sign...I've done well making up for the bad swim.  Now I just needed to finish!

The run was a pure out and back so I saw everyone on the course except the top finishers...who were already done.  I saw the nice lady who I helped fill her fancy race tires, I saw a few of my new MMTC buddies and I cheered for just about everyone.  My plan was to take it easy going out and then push it coming back in based on how I was feeling.  So my run out was really a jog.  I thanked the volunteers and high-fived many of them.  This was FUN!

After the turn-around, I had a very nice conversation with an older gentleman whose birthday it was.  Add that to Father's Day and I told him that he was having a very special day.  He agreed.  He told me that he needed a walk break and I went on.  There was a volunteer at the cone making sure the runners were going the right way.  I gave him a high five and he said I had the nicest smile he'd seen all day.  I really love this stuff.

I picked up the pace and decided to see how long I could hold the faster pace since there was only a mile left. I felt great running faster.  I couldn't believe the time that was showing on my watch.  I really didn't think I had run the first half that fast!  As I rounded the corner back into the park, I had a huge smile on my

face.

As I crossed the finish line, I knew that I was really glad that I had decided to enter this event.  I learn something new with every race that I run.  This time I learned that getting kicked in the swim really sucks but you push on and finish what you have started.  I got hugs all around from the girls.

Me and the girls from left to right: Faith, Alexis, me and Ryann.

After the race, we walked around, chatted with my new MMTC buddies in the beer garden, and congratulated the nice lady with the fancy tires...she actually ended up as the 2nd overall female!  Ryann asked me how I felt about my time and I wanted to see the results...so we walked over to the screen.  As the screen flipped through the names, I finally saw mine...and next to it was "Age Group 3".  Wait, what?  There's no way.  I stood there for a few minutes waiting for it to get back to my name.  There it was again..."Age Group 3".  I made the podium!!! 

Going into this race I thought there might be a slim chance of getting on the medal stand.  But after the kick in the head, all thoughts of making the podium completely went away...until I was standing on it!  Now THIS is FUN!!!  Yes, that's me grinning like a fool on the podium. 

So today I looked up the official results and was quite surprised.  Here are my splits and my comments:

Swim (1/4 mile) 13:12 - really thought I was even slower

T1 3:01 - could have sworn I spent more time in T1 but hey, I'll take it

Bike (12 miles) 40:59 - really thought I was faster.  This is an average of 17.6 MPH and I don't remember going much slower than 18 for 90% of the ride.  I have no explanation for this one.

T2 1:49 - could have sworn I spent less time in T2 but again, I'll take it

Run (2.5 miles) 23:24 - this averages 9:22 per mile.  I didn't run that fast and honestly believe that the run course was short.

Total 1:22:26

Running with Sedona

We have a new family member...Sedona.  She's a 3 year old hound mix.  She is super sweet, extremely well trained and very good with the kids.

I am excited also because I now have a running buddy.  I want to work her up to running maybe 3-4 miles with me.  I'm not sure how slowly I should build up her mileage, so I'm going to err on the side of taking it REALLY slow.

So last night I put on my running shoes and jogged several loops around the neighborhood.  I wanted to take it at a slow pace and just see how she did.  She happily trotted along with me and followed my verbal cues when we needed to make a turn.

It was GREAT!  The only thing I have to work on is where to stash the plastic bag.  I had tucked it into my shorts for this short run and it got really annoying.  I don't quite understand her patterns enough to know when she will go...so any time we leave the house with her, I'm always sure to bring the plastic bag.  Maybe if I wear my water bottle belt, I can put it in there...but then what do I do with it if I'm a mile from home and she poops?  Ugh...the joys of dog ownership...

Spin Up Drills

Last night in cycling class, my group did some spin up drills.  I had never heard of this before and it's a very hard thing to try to describe.  But basically we rode in a very easy gear at the highest cadence we could without bouncing in the seat. 

It's a lot harder than it sounds and it makes you feel a little silly.  But after doing a couple of these drills, we did a drill where we rode in a harder gear and tried to go fast but keep up the cadence.  Guess what...I was FAST!!!  And it was easier to hold the higher cadence!!  Brilliant!

Then at the end of the class, we did a sprint.  I've never sprinted before.  It was SOOOO much fun! 

Have I mentioned how much I love my cycling class?

New Web Address

I am trying to make it easier to find this blog.  You can still type in www.astheponytailbounces.blogspot.com but now you can also find it by going to www.karencherry.com.

Measuring Progress

It is pretty apparent to me that I've made some significant improvement in my riding since last year.  Well, actually this time last year, I didn't even have a bike and wasn't thinking much about riding.  But on Sunday I had the opportunity to ride the same route that I had ridden in August of last year.  I was riding on a borrowed hybrid bike and had only done 3 rides prior to this last year.  It was my first ever ride longer than 11 miles.

So there are a few key differences in yesterday's ride.  First, I no longer have that borrowed hybrid.  I now own a road bike and 11 miles would rarely be a complete ride.  Hills are no longer daunting to me...they still suck most of the time but at least I can get up them.

I met up with Daryl in Severna Park and we drove to Chestertown together.  We were riding with his friends from Cross Courts...both of which had ridden with us last year.  I was looking forward to seeing how far I had come with my riding.  I knew that this year I wouldn't be the caboose like I was last year...I was fully expecting to be able to keep up with the group this year.

So the 4 of us set out from Wilmer Park at 9 am.  It was Daryl, Carolyn, Tom and me.  We casually rode through Chestertown and I took the opportunity to spin at a higher cadence and warm up my legs.  We got onto the back roads and Daryl and I took the front with Carolyn and Tom right behind us.  There were some nice rolling hills on this first part and I had to laugh at myself a year ago remembering how I had struggled on these mild climbs.

We took the turn onto 213 and I decided that I wanted to really blow it out for a bit.  So I took off on my own and cranked up the speed to 21-22 MPH.  The road is mostly flat at this point with just some minor grade inclines so it was easy to hold that pace.  At Kennedyville I pulled over and stopped to wait for the rest of the group.  This has never happened before...ME having to wait for the rest of the group!  Granted, I knew that they were not pushing the pace and I was...but it was a good feeling to know that at least for a brief moment, I was ahead of the pack.

Daryl had made a wrong turn so we had to wait a few more minutes for him to roll up.  Once he did, we kept on going up 213 to Molly's where there were bathrooms and a store to replenish supplies.  It rained on us briefly, but at this point in the ride it felt quite refreshing.

We left the store and rode the long way to Still Pond.  This part of the ride featured some really fun downhills.  We all enjoyed catching some speed.  We stopped just before Still Pond for another break then headed towards Betterton.

I knew that the timing was perfect for my parents to be driving to church.  So I was looking out for them as we headed into Betterton.  Sure enough, they passed us.  Just to be sure they saw me, I started waving like a madwoman as soon as I saw Mom's car.  They smiled and waved back as they passed.

We all regrouped again at the beach in Betterton.  Just then, Candi drove by.  Daryl called me the mayor and I said "actually THAT was the mayor!"  It was at this point that I realized we were taking a much more leisurely pace than I had planned...and I was going to be running short on time.  We had originally planned to ride the same route as last year, which was 41 miles.  But we agreed that because of the time we would take the short cut and only do 33 miles.  That was disappointing but I think it was the right call based on my obligations back at home.

So we struggled up the hill...it always sucks worse going up a hill when you have to start from a stand-still.  I pointed out my grandparents' old house and several other houses of friends as we rode through town.  Then we got back out on the roads and we got serious about the pace.  Daryl and I worked on the hills and I really tried to focus on my cadence when going up the hills.  This part of the ride featured the most amount of hills in the quickest succession.  None were monstrous hills but they were all challenging in their own way.

I was having trouble shifting from the big ring to the small ring and several times I just gave up and muscled up the hill in the big ring.  I need to talk to John about the shifting to figure out why it's so hard for me. 

We regrouped right before the bridge near Still Pond Creek.  I remembered the hill just beyond that bridge being a doozy so I wanted to get some Gatorade and eat a few sport beans and get my head on straight for the hill.  This allowed Carolyn and Tom to catch up with us, so we all started out for the hill together.

I don't like to pass people on hills, but I also can't afford to lose my momentum on a climb either.  So I passed both Carolyn and Tom on the way up.  When I got to the top of the hill, I thought that it wasn't as bad as I had remembered it from last year.  Big smile! 

We rode a few more miles before hitting the decision point for the shortcut vs. the longer course.  I checked with Daryl to make sure he was OK with the shortcut.  After getting his agreement, I made the turn at the high school.  There was a healthy headwind at this point and I was suffering from lack of endurance and lack of nutrition.  I am really bad at proper fueling for a ride...I need to work on this.  Daryl took the lead and I tried to draft as best as I can.  Drafting still makes me nervous, but it was so much easier to ride if I did it.  I was so thankful to Daryl for taking the lead at this point.  I was struggling big time.

I took over the lead once we got into Chestertown and the excitement of almost being done pushed me for the last mile or so.  I was so thankful to see Wilmer Park! 

Takeaways from the ride: 
-I need to focus on nutrition before and during rides.  The struggle at the end of the ride is a direct result of not having enough fuel left.
-I need to start doing more long rides to build up my endurance.  33 miles is not that far, but I was feeling the effects of my lack of endurance at the end.  Proper nutrition will help with this also.
-I have made HUGE improvements over the last time I rode this route.  The uphills were easier and the downhills were more fun.  I need to remember to pat myself on the back every now and then.
-When budgeting my time for a long ride, I need to do a better job of estimating how many stops will be taken.  This was a more social ride than I had expected.  It was nice and enjoyable, but took more time than I had allotted.

National Running Day

I didn't know this until I read it on Facebook, but today is National Running Day.  YAY!  Another holiday to celebrate.  So how do you celebrate National Running Day?  You run...dumb question.

Luckily it fell on a Wednesday, which is a running day for me anyway.  I'm not sure that I would have properly celebrated unless National Running Day fell on a Wednesday or a Saturday since those are my running days. 

I met the running group at the Clarksville Charm City Run store where Meghan handed me my jacket from the last training session.  It's SOOOO awesome!  I love the new swag we get since Brooks is the sponsor!!! LOVE IT!!! 

Anyway, we got a brief lesson on tempo runs (which I'm really bad at) and then we took off for our run.  It was a short one...3.5 miles...but for me that was a lot.  I am still sore from the race.  My ankle is not 100%.  It's still on the warm side, although today was a very pleasant day.  I think that's all the excuses I had for today.

Bottom line is that I was just not into a run today.  That is until I started running.  I asked Meghan who was my pace since most of the people who showed up for the run were the FAST girls.  She paired me up with Deb.  It was great...Deb is a talker just like me.  We chatted the entire run and it was AWESOME!  So thanks Deb for keeping me going.

I love meeting new people while running.  It is one of my very favorite things about being a runner.  Running and talking just comes naturally to me.  So running and talking with Deb was the perfect way to celebrate National Running Day!

Race Report: Rock Hall Olympic Distance Triathlon

I had some concerns going into this race.  First and foremost, I knew that I wasn't properly trained.  I knew that my run was going to suffer because of this.  But I also knew that I had made good progress with my swimming and I've definitely improved on the bike.  The other major concern was the weather.  The forecast was calling for a hot and humid day.  It has been such a cool spring that I have not adjusted to running/biking in the heat.

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. 

The swim course was 1 1/2 laps around the marina.  As we watched the earlier waves going off, we noticed several people standing up and walking in the middle of the swim!  There was a sand bar running through the marina.  The swim is definitely my weakest leg and I was nervous as the horn blew for the start of our wave.  But I was ready and I started swimming.  I focused on just swimming to the next bouy and not thinking beyond that.  I did my breathing properly and attempted to sight like Pam had taught us. 

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! 

My transition was slow, especially considering I didn't have a wetsuit to take off.  But I needed the time to regroup and get myself ready for the ride.  As I mounted my bike for the ride, I was feeling good and joking with the volunteers.  I rode out of town and felt my confidence hit a new high.  I hit a comfortable gear and found myself cruising at around 20 MPH without too much effort.  I kept thinking "this is GREAT!" 

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!