To give you a little back story if you’re just joining us. I’m a self-professed water phobe. I’ve made it this far in life with a mean dog paddle, nothing else to speak of when it comes to swimming. There was an incident where I needed to be rescued when I was a teen. At a Disney waterpark of all places. Yeah water and I do not mix. As a result, I stay where I know I can stand up. I’ve spent many years admiring triathletes from a distance, but was firmly ensconced in camp “I could never”.
Not sure what Koolaid I drank, but I decided this was the year to face down that fear, and learn to swim. The “real” face-in-the-water way. When I was invited to be an Espirit de She Ambassador for a third year, I went out on a very shaky limb over deep, ominous water, and signed on to be an Espirit de She TRI Ambassador. That kind of forced my hand into taking this swim thing seriously. So I started swimming. I’d be lying if I told you I remotely enjoyed it so far. It’s hard. I drank and still drink more than my share of pool water.
Fast forward to this past weekend. Our local high school has a teeny tiny community tri that’s mostly high school kids but is open to everyone. Thing 1 and her friends entered as a relay team. As much as the thought of me entering on my own made SO much sense, the thought terrified me. My swim is still more of a mess than not. But I needed the confidence of knowing how a tri goes. How do I pack my stuff? Where do I put my stuff? How do I transition? Is Blanche the trusty road bike tri worthy? So many burning questions I needed to have answered. I bit the bullet and signed up.
I wanted to scram when I realized the swim started in the diving well portion of the pool and would be no shallower that 12-ft.
Race day dawned cold but clear and sunny. I wore my trisCuit but layered tights and a jacket over it for the bike. I knew biking in 30’s would be cold and it was. We loaded Blanche and the kids in the car and we were off.
I made 3 separate bags and put them all in my gym bag. I suspect triathletes have a backpack for this?? We dropped off my bike at the field house. I kept my bike bag with me (since bike was first in this tri) and set my swim bag where we entered the school to head to the pool (swim was last).
There were 3 waves that went off 20 minutes apart. Thing 1’s relay team and I were both in wave 2. The time came to line up outside for the start of the bike leg. I chose a spot in front because the thought of people weaving and cutting me off terrified me. The field was mostly high school kids. One teenage boy cracked me up when he fell madly in love with Blanche (my trusty road bike of at least 7 years so no hot, spring chicken) and showered me with questions I could not answer: “Wow look at that sweet aero setup!” “What’s your max power?” “How many centuries have you done?” He distracted me from my nerves I guess.
Goals: I had no plan to race this. It was a dress rehearsal so I could experience a tidbit of each sport plus what the transitions felt like. I did not go all out. I did not wear a watch. There were no time clocks, except at the finish.
We were off in a flurry and I was cautious. The bike course was pancake flat but had tons of turns I constantly slowed for. There was also standing water in a couple of spots, in addition to loose gravel and potholes. This was not going to be my day to crash. As I grew more confident, I began to pass people. One particular guy wasn’t too happy about it, though and he passed me back. After that incident, I’ll admit I may have pressed a little harder and passed him again. I wouldn’t see him again until the run leg.
Kind of digging the bike!
The bike leg flew by and before I knew it I was making the turn to drop my bike and head to the track for the run. But there was nobody there to take my bike. Just relay team members waiting for their tag, including Thing 1, who was a little surprised to see me. God bless her, she took my bike and I was on my way to the track.
Running off the bike is not easy. Obviously I’ll practice doing this more but I chose an even, sustainable pace. Nothing crazy. I was saving myself for the swim, dontcha know. But this was my safe haven. I know I can run. I relaxed and got it done. I was 2 laps in when I saw my friend, the guy who didn’t want to be passed on the bike, stopped and bent over puking. I think he walked from there because I lapped him, poor kid.
I was halfway through the run when Thing 1 entered the track and was about 100 yds. behind me. I felt like I was crawling snail slow and looked forward to her catching up so we could run together, alas that did not happen. I headed off to the pool. In the pool hallway I stripped off my bike tights and shoes and put on my swim cap (the first time ever sans mirror, insert ominous foreshadowing here) while chatting with Thing 1’s team member who was awaiting the tag to tackle the swim leg. I may have begged her to swim for me.
When I got to the pool, a lifeguard assigned me lane 5. That’s when I begged for an outer lane because I was a brand new and very intimidated swimmer. Bless her soul, she let me have lane 8. I stood there hesitating while people were diving in. The very deep water messed with my head. The first 50m were solid. I faltered and reverted to dog paddle for a few yards after that. Then I realized my swim cap was half way off but welcomed the break to fix it. I also may have clutched the side and caught my breath a bit before the final 50m. The lifeguard, bless her heart, was so patient and encouraging (as she stood like a hawk at the end of my lane in case I went down). At last I crawled out, grabbed my water bottle and flip flops (see I told you I was not hurrying) and headed to the finish.
Sooo relieved to have finished alive! The body marking is probably the most badass thing I’ve ever experienced.
If you saw my Facebook or Instagram, you know that I was stunned, STUNNED to finish 2nd overall female. I mean really, how can that be?? Now that I had time to digest it all, I suspect I must have had a BIG lead on the bike (in my wave anyway) and must have maintained (or maybe padded?) that on the run. The swim was a mess but I must have hit the pool in first place. Yes, this is a tiny race, but there were certainly plenty of other adult women competing. Mind = blown.
Take aways: I am crazy in love with the bike. I was far from giving it my all yet, was one of the first five finishers in my wave, first woman. What? I think I did well with transitions in that I didn’t forget anything. I intentionally did not hurry at all. I could go way faster. Parceling out my gear into swim-bike-run bags worked really well. I’ve got a long way to go on the swim. My trisCuit was a star. Totally forgot about it, which is a sign of great gear. All hail the trisCuit! Overall, this was a huge confidence builder and it drove home (again) the fact that I tend to get in my own way, over worry and avoid things I feel are risky. I think it was the universe’s way of whispering in my ear: “dude, you’ve got much more potential than you think”.
Congrats to this weekend’s racers! Did you race? Do you get in your own way? Do you know what your ‘max power’ is?
I’m linking up today with Tara’s Weekend Update.
Awesome job! It is always nice to have things fall together to give you a little bit of extra confidence!
This is fabulous! Congrats on 2nd!! What a great accomplishment 🙂 Swimming is very tough. I admire you for hanging in there and getting it done.
Awesome job!!!! I have always said I would love to try participating in a tri, but I too am not the best in the water. You made it look fun 🙂
WOW! you rocked it!!
Congrats! You really rocked it!
Yea, you DID it! You make me want to dive in (pun intended). Marcia = Awesome.
Look who’s a triathlete! So glad this was a great experience for you and look how you rocked it! I knew all that hard work in the pool, much as you hated it, would pay off! Congrats to you and thing 1, too!
Way to go! That’s awesome I don’t know if I could do a Tri because of the swimming I’m slow lol.
Beast. Congratulations!
Sounds like a great first tri experience! Congrats hope you enjoyed and keep it up. I’ve got one in a few weeks.
When I saw on IG that you placed 2nd I think I jumped for joy for you! How awesome!!! You seriously rock!
awesome awesome awesome. Super awesome. 🙂
I was so happy to see on FB/instagram how well things went. I totally had faith in you! You ARE a rockstar! With this kind of result not killing yourself in your first tri, just imagine your potential when the swim no longer terrifies you!!
And the guy who didn’t want to be passed…so funny. This weekend at the tail end of a long, hilly ride, a friend and I were pedaling down the Katy Trail (kind of like a wide, crushed limestone sidewalk with a LOT of recreational riders on nice days) and chatting, just riding a pretty chill pace and up ahead of us a guy on a mountain bike was KILLING himself to stay ahead of “the girls”. Which, I might note, he was unable to do. 🙂
That is amazingly cool but honestly I’m not surprised you placed 2nd! You were much more prepared than most people for your first triathlon! Glad you had such a great bike and a good run AND a successful swim! I can’t imagine trying to put on a swim cap during a race…hard enough to get a bike helmet on!
DANG! Way to go!!!! I too would like to avoid water if at all possible which is why I haven’t tried a Tri but this is super encouraging! You did it anyway! And it wasn’t so bad. And you did awesome. Gives me courage. 🙂
Fantastic! Congrats on your first tri and overall placement!!!! Rock star! It’s so interesting that they had the swim last! Way to make you wait until the end for your most feared event, right?!
That sounds like a tricky course to go fast on, with the loose gravel and water! I totally get your thrill on the bike. Do you think you’ll do any bike events this summer? I did a 50 miler last year, just recreationally, and it was so fun!
It’s so hard to tell what to wear between bike and run! I hope the weather for your next tri makes that part easier! 🙂
Congratulations on that first but not last tri, Marcia! 😀
wow, congrats! What a great first effort and you are a woman after my own heart loving the bike. Sounds like the order was very different than a normal tri, not sure how I would like swimming last! And yes, I train with power – my power meters are different so my FTP is somewhere between 185-205 watts. Trying to get my weight down so power to weight ratio (in kg) is at or above 3. Nice work!!!
WOOHOOO!!!!!
Congratulations on your very first triathlon! You rocked it!
Congratulations!!
I swam competitively for years and it took me a while to get the hang of putting on a cap without a mirror. I think I’ve done it so many times I could do it even now after not having swam for almost 10 years.
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS, Marcia!!! Way to push through! You must be so pumped now to keep on with the tri training! I think your running prowess translates more into the biking and the swimming than you might realize. Did you like doing the swimming part last, in retrospect, or would you have preferred to get it out of the way first in a traditional triathlon?
That is unbelievable that the guy that passed you on the bike ended up at the side puking. Yikes!
Congrats! Your max power is the numeric effort you output on the bike. They measure it in FTP – functional threshold power, usually by doing a 20 minute all-out effort. You can take your bike to Vision Quest (in Highland Park) to do one of these. In fact, I highly recommend training with them in their once-a-week classes if you want to really improve on the bike. It’s like a bootcamp for cycling.
Here’s a blog post I did about power & biking: http://www.laurenruns.com/2013/04/16/triathlon-tuesday-bike-tips/
Congrats on completing your first tri! You ladies who do tris inspire me. I wish I was brave enough to do the swim part.
So happy for you! Congrats! I love that you are facing our fear of the water and conquering it – we are kindred spirits on the whole water thing so you truly inspire me!
OMG! congratulations!! this story was seriously amazing. I’m in awe.
I am so impressed! But you did name your bike, and I have learned that this is a thing with triathletes. My bike does not have a name, hence, I am not a triathlete.
Great great job, my friend!
Amazing job! It must be such a great feeling to have completed your first tri- and done SO well! Congrats!!
way to go! i did an indoor tri this weekend and also loved it 🙂
I was so excited when I saw your FB post – you are awesome!!! Love that the lifeguard was so accommodating and looked out for you. That has to be a huge confidence booster!!! Congrats!
Girl you finished CONGRATS… you did so much better than I would have! I used to love swimming but can’t seem to catch the rhythm to not drown myself with true swimming, so I keep my head awkwardly up.. not good form!
What an awesome story! Congrats!
I am so impressed! I’m always thinking about attempting a triathlon, but its the bike bit that puts me off.
After reading this I’m going to bite the bullet and go for it. And now I’ve actually written it down means I have to do it!
Well done again – fantastic achievement.
Congratu-freaking-lations! I want to do a tri really badly…but I’ve no bike.. LE SIGH
Woohoo! I love that you faced your fears and kicked ass! I can swim, I just don’t like it so much. I want to find a dualathon to try the whole bike + run thing.
Three cheers! Glad your first foray into tri went so swimmingly. 🙂
I’m so proud of you for tackling this challenge. I would like to try a tri someday, but I can’t swim. The goal next year is to start swimming lessons.
Congrats on 2nd Place. Woo hoo! Yes, why did they have the swim last? I though triathlons had the swim first so people would be less likely to drown! Also, wouldn’t all of the participants be sweaty and stinky and pollute the pool?! 🙂 Anyway, I have noticed that it seems like whenever seasoned runners try “tris” they do really well for whatever reason. Congrats again, and congrats on dusting “Mr. Pukey Guy”!
I love to hear about people exceeding their expectations. Doing what they never dreamed possible. It’s so inspiring! Congratulations.
Awesome – awesome – awesome!!! That’s so cool! I am a dog paddler too 🙂 I would have freaked in the pool when I couldn’t touch bottom. You did awesome!!!
Congrats! I am not aswimmer, I probably wouldn’t drown but I wouldn’t win any awards. I would love to someday take soe swimming lessons and then do a tri.
Amazing! congrats! I’m sure that is a HUGE confidence booster….hmmm, you may be inspiring me to take swim lessons 🙂
Congrats! I wish there were trial runs for everything in life…or maybe just a trial run for life? haha
Anyway, glad you killed this one 😀
Badass you are! What a way to just get out there and do it! I am very impressed by your courage to get out of your box! WOO HOO!
Nice going!! Facing a fear is very special! I’m sure you will get better and better if you just keep practicing. I want to read about you breathing on both sides when swimming on every third stroke. You didn’t say how long the distances were, but whose counting? 🙂
Awesome!! Total inspiration for me..every time I read tri recaps I really want to attempt one but just am petrified of the swimming portion. Maybe next summer! Need to buy a bike first 🙂
bad. freaking. ass! I don’t think I have it in me to attempt a tri! Way to go!
How absolutely exciting to end up on the podium the first go around! You rock for getting out there and conquering your fear. I took the plunge last year with my first tri and now I am hooked. Your recap was awesome!
You are so friggin amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats lady – well deserved!!!
Amazing stuff! Congrats lady. 🙂
What better way to break into the world of Tri’s than by WINNING the dang thing! You go girl! 🙂
you are seriously my hero. HUGE congrats!!!
SERIOUSLY!!! when I saw your FB I about died, but i’m not at all surprised!! just a natural, I suppose 🙂 CONGRATS!!
Congratulations!!! I am so sorry I missed this, stupid facebook! You kicked some butt, tris are so intimidating – way to go!!