Patriot Tri

"Always aim for achievement, and forget about success" - Helen Hayes

Preface: This morning I did a tough little event known as the Patriot Triathlon. Not wanting to injure myself further, the goal was to finish, scope out the course, and set myself up for a PR next year. I already knew that swimming was okay. I did a little test on Friday and determined that the bike would be okay with the brace on, but I was going to have to resign myself to a slow walkish-joggish pace for the "run." I was okay with that; I just wanted to cross the finish line without making the injury worse.

The Swim: This was a seeded start 400 yd pool swim. Up and back in each lane, then under the rope to the next lane and repeat in serpentine fashion until getting to the ladder at the last lane. I had submitted an estimated time of 8:50. My unofficial time was 8:51 (includes getting out and across the mat). I'm pleased with my swim.

T1: Took my sweet time. I had to take extra time to put the brace on to support the bendy thing. I also put a shirt on because it was a bit chilly.

The Bike: This was a tough, hilly 15.5 mile course. There were a few places that had signs that said "Slow! Bike Race" which were for the cars, but they made me laugh out loud every time I saw them. I may have been the only cyclist following those instructions! Let's just say that it probably wasn't a good strategy to stay off my bike for the past month before attempting this course. But I made it.

T2: I had to adjust the brace for running, but otherwise uneventful.

The Run: More hills. Part on a hard surface, part cross-country, 3.1 miles total. I took this slow and easy as planned - walking up the hills and on the steep downhill parts and keeping an easy pace when I tried to jog.

Finish Line: It took a long time to get there but crossing the finish line pain-free was totally worth it. Unofficial finish time: 02:01:31.

Random After Thoughts:
- Cindy was doing the swim for a relay team and I was envious of that, but now I'm glad I entered as an individual because it sparked my interest in triathlon again.
- Her husband, Jeff, was there doing his first triathlon. Yay, Jeff! Actually, there were a lot of first time triathletes this morning. How cool is that?!?
- Husband was there taking pictures and cheering me on (Thank you!), but accidently had the camera in movie mode (oops). I tried doing some editing so I could post a few frames. Sorry about the poor image quality.
- My bike computer says I achieved 32 mph at one point on the bike course. Obviously that was on a downhill, but it's significant because I didn't reach for the brakes this time when I started going over 24 mph. Gaining confidence (or stupidity!).
- Even though this was one of my slowest times for the bike and definately my slowest 5K ever, I did the best that I could safely do and I'm really proud of today's accomplishment. Plus I had fun. Can't beat that.
- This race was close to home, I liked that. Next year, I think I'll try to practice on the race course in advance. Or at least ride my bike a few times in the weeks ahead of the race. Heheheh.
- This was a first time event and was well organized. Thank you RD and volunteers!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks!