I finished my first triatalon!!! I am so excited. I was hoping to complete it in under 3 hours and I finished in 2:33:30!
We had gone the the park the day before to check out the transistion area and take team pictures.... When I saw that lake and how far the buoys were apart I was feeling sick to my stomach.... But I also knew I did not do all this training for nothing and I was going to complete this huge goal I had set for myself!
RACE DAY!!
5 am- getting up and ready to go....
6 am- stop at safeway to get some fuel for my body
7 am- get the the park walk to the trasisition area to put my stuff with my bike ( we left our bikes there the day before)
7:10- start feeling like I may not be able to do this... Have Leonard call my mom, she could not be there so I knew hearing her voice would remind me why I'm doing this again!
7:13- Have pep talk from Emily- She was still wondering if I wanted to kill her! LOL
7:17- Start walking to swim area
7:20- Got lost in sea of women in all different color swim caps- red, blue,red,green,yellow,purple,pink ect....
7:30 enter the water- ok feeling good... water is warm... Getting pep talk from Sally Edwards(she started the Danskin)
7:34- RACE STARTS! I'm off and swimming with all the women in my wave..... I am in the back feeling ok.....other than being kicked a couple of times and being splashed. Half way to the first buoy I start thinking... WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING! I'm not an athlete..I'm overweight....and then the little voice... come on Julia you can do this.... Your amazing... look what you've accomplished! So I keep kicking.
There are people in the water called swim angles, people in canoes and kayaks and on surf boards.... if case you get tired and need to rest. My goal was to do the entire swim without taking a break... I did it! I just keep going... It took me awhile but I did it....
1/2 mile
Swim time: 35:21
off to the bike: I put my shoes one.. grab my bike and walk to the mounting station.
on my bike feeling good.... get to the first Hill... walk my bike up.... Hit I-90... we are riding in the express lanes..... I see Emily as she is passing me in the opposite direction..... She is shouting.... Your looking good. I make it to the turn around.... I start back... Starting feeling like I need to quit... But then I starting hearing that little voice.. but this time its everyone who has been with me on the journey.... Leonard, My mom, Emily, Mel, My team, My weight watcher meeting group.
Your can do this, we are so proud of you, your doing great, you have been such a inspiration to us! I was not only going to accomplish this for them... I was going to accomplish this for myself!
I finally make it back to the transition area.. I see Loraine(one of my team mates) sitting there at the timing area... all she says is.... Your doing great Julia!
I load my bike, grab my hat and ipod...
20K- 12 miles
Bike time: 54:04
Hit the road jogging... Make it about 100 meters and have to start walking... I'm tired and sore.... Melissa comes up beside me.... we pretty much did the whole walk/run together..... We make it the the top of the big hill with less that a mile to go... people are standing on the side lines cheering... We start jogging. We are so close the finish line.... I'm running in, I hear the cheering and see the red finish sign.. I hear Derrick (Emily's husband) saying "Way to go Julia!" Then I hear my kids.... Yeah Mom! I look up and see my husband standing there taking pictures.. I have to stop to get my medal and for my timing chip to be removed.... I am crying at this point.. I walk right into Leonard's arms....I see my team mates and my kids...
I finished....I did it! I feel incredible!
5K- 3.1 miles
51:47
