First Time to Tri

I finally made my ass participate in a triathlon. Back in 99, when I lived in CA, I trained for a sprint tri in the Pacific Ocean. I was 30-40 pounds leaner and ready to actually compete-not just finish. The race was on a Sunday and I was baptized in the LDS Church the Saturday before. I thought I should go to church instead.

Last Wednesday, (only a day after reentering the pool in years) I was sharing a lane with a girl who said she was going to do the 4th Street Triathlon on Saturday. I rode home on my bike and thought, I could at least try. So I signed up.

What's interesting to me is earlier that day, I was thinking on my way up to school that my bike is 10 years old now and that I bought it to race and it will never see dirt or a race again. I was lamenting the fact that the old Trek is now just a 'city bike'. To my delight, I was wrong!!!

So why would I sign up for something that I'm not ready for? Seriously folks, I can ride miles on the road but I haven't been on a trail in years. I can swim a few yards but not with any speed and I can't run. I can shuffle for 3 miles on flat pavement but I would be hesitant to call it jogging and I certainly haven't done all three events at once carrying a 30 pound bag on my butt.

Well, I keep saying: when I get in shape (read: lose 30lbs) I will do a tri/race/ _____. You know-- I'm not in shape. I haven't been in shape since I moved to Utah and I probably wont be again. I just don't have the intestinal fortitude to remove the weight.

But I was inspired by the girl in the lane next to me and by Eris-especially Eris. I'm so damn competitive that I keep thinking that it's only good if I do well. I realized from chatting with Eris that I don't have do well in the standings to have fun.

doing well is trying and finishing.

enjoy the pics


clean, happy and nervous.




I almost look like I know what I'm doing, eh? Considering I started swimming on Tuesday of this week after a ten year hiatus, I'm damn glad for muscle memory.



It was all uphill. until the downhill.


Bike to Run Transition. The trails were too muddy, too congested and too to rocky/gravely to get a good drink of water. This my first sip since starting.

Hands down, the cycle was the hardest and the funnest leg of the race. I haven't been mountain biking in almost... 10 years and I've never done it in the mud. I did fall, but it was at the beginning of the leg and at the bottom of an incline. The person in front of me had to hop off and it was in a several inch thick puddle of mud and water. I tried to clip out but the mud/metal/petal/cleat interface wasn't letting me out. so I tipped over, still clipped into my pedals. Ass first and sucked into the mud. It took me a few minutes! yes! to get myself unsucked. I have bruises and cuts to prove it. Thankfully, that was my only fall.




Done! 1:53 and some change. I expected to be the LAST person crossing the finish line and for it to take me 2-1/2 hours or longer. My first words to the volunteers: Can I stop now?



Eating a bagel and standing next to my old, but trusty steed.



Just in case i didn't make it clear how muddy it was....