My first ever Triathlon! A few months ago, Mark and I decided to do the Sprint Triathlon just down the road from us in Lake Sammamish. For training, we were already both swimming and Mark found a 13 week running course that we started following 3 days a week. I rode my bike a few times up to Marymoor Park which is 14 miles round trip on a flat gravel path.
The sprint triathlon was a 1/4 mile swim (equivalent to 16 laps in a pool), 14 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. I was sure I could finish, I was just paranoid I'd be last. The bike ride was going to be the hardest because I didn't really train for it plus I was using my 15 year old mountain bike that weighs 33 pounds. A serious steel monster. On the day of the race, we got about 3 hours sleep then were up at 5am to get to the park by 6am.
This photo is of Mark pumping up my tires in the parking lot.
This is a picture of my bike in the transition area with all the various gear I'd need for the three events.
Here's a shot of the transition area before the race begins. The transition area is where you come after the swim and get on your bike. You then return there after the bike ride and head off for the run.
This is the before photo. It's 6:30am in the morning. Anyone who knows me is probably shocked I'm even up.
This is the fancy timer chip on my ankle. It will track my racing times and how long I spend in the transition area each time. (And before you ask Linda, No, I didn't run in flip flops)
Here's another shot of my bike surrounded by my competition. You'll notice all the other bikes are hanging off the top bar. That's because racing bikes don't have kickstands, it adds unnecessary weight. I'm the only disco one that could use my kickstand.
Before I headed off to the swim start area, I spotted a woman spraying her underarms with an aerosol can. I was very nosy (nobody told me to bring spray!) and caught a glimpse of the can. It was PAM. I thought only body builders oiled up! Oh well, I didn't have any PAM at home anyway. But I did start to wonder if I was taking all this serious enough.
It was pretty cold waiting for the swim to start. It was raining, just before 7am and we're in triathlon swimming gear. Lots of people had wet suits on but Mark and I opted not to. The swim was pretty hectic for the first time. Lots of limbs everywhere, people to watch out for, waves from all the commotion as well as having to continually track where you were and the direction you needed to go. It was a lot longer and harder then I thought but I made it through (and I wasn't last in my group!).
Mark went in the first swim wave at 7am with all the macho guys. They break the 700 participants into groups of about 80 based on age and sex. Mark was really fast in the water and I saw him come out before my wave went in at 7:13. I also wore a swim cap for the first time which wasn't too bad though a bit hard to put on with long hair.
Here's photos of Mark and I coming out of the Lake. I look pretty tired!
From the swim it was into the transition area to get the bike gear on. I was in a bit of a fog at this point from the swim and having serious sensory overload. There was just so much going on. I don't really remember the start of the ride. I just kept thinking steer and pedal, steer and pedal. The 14 mile ride was very well marked with loads of volunteers and cops directing traffic along the way.
There was one hill going out on the ride and the same one coming back. Going out was a bit hard but nothing compared to coming back over that hill. Some women in front of me got off their bikes and walked it. I saw them in the distance and said, forget it!, your butt is staying on this bike. I went really, really slow up the hill and actually realized towards the top that I have never pushed myself (my heart) that hard before. I was amazed at how much I could do when push came to shove. And I did it! I pedaled all the way to the top and smiled all the way down the other side.
Here are photos of Mark and I along the bike ride. You can see my steel monster in action.
I made it back to the transition area and switched my bike helmet for my running hat and I was off again. My legs felt like jelly. The bike ride, notably the hill, really zapped my power. But after a few minutes I started to get into the running groove. I was planning to do walk/run iterations but decided to run through the first walk break and ended up running the whole way. I ran slow, but I did run the whole way.
Photos of us during the run. The photographer shouted at me to smile otherwise I seriously doubt that was the expression on my face.
When I got near the finish line, there was Joey with Mark! Mark had finished 40 minutes before me and went to get Joey. I sure was happy to see them. I did it! I completed my first sprint triathlon in 2 hours 4 minutes.
Here's a photo just after the finish line.
Here's a breakdown of the times for Mark and I:
Kerry's Overall Place: 600 (out of 632, I wasn't last!)
Swim time: 12:28 (12 minutes 28 seconds)
Transition time: 4:16 (how long I was in the transition area)
Bike time: 1:09:50 (biked 12 mph)
Transition time: 1:51
Run time: 35:44 (ran 11:32/mile)
Total time: 2:04:11 (2 hours, 4 minutes, 11 seconds)
Mark's Overall Place: 287
Swim time: 7:31 (he ranked 68 overall for swim time so super fast in the water)
Transition time: 2:19
Bike time: 49:16 (biked 17 mph)
Transition time: 1:31
Run time: 27:44 (ran 8:57/mile)
Total time: 1:28:24
We really had a great time and look forward to doing more next year. We're planning on training for an Olympic triathlon next summer which is twice the distance of the Sprint: 1/2 mile swim, 24 mile bike ride and 6 mile run. Of course I'll be getting a new bike for that one. The steel machine was ok for the Sprint but forget it over 24 miles.
And finally, the post recovery photo of Mark and his furry friends at home.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
OMG you two are the bomb! Congratulations on a big accomplishment. We ar so proud of you. It must be so nice to have athletic ability!
To save your self the hassle of analyzing lots of internet sites|of websites}, it’ll help if you select from the ones we’ve listed in this evaluation. Bitstarz presents a easy version of its web site for mobile gamers. As you’d anticipate, the mobile web site looks almost equivalent to its PC counterpart. However, a number of} adjustments have been made to enhance the person expertise on small touchscreen units. 바카라사이트 The provision is likely to to|prone to} have an effect on} only a tiny amount of casino business.
You can put your money on smaller video games, or massive tournaments like The International. Add our highly aggressive odds and bankroll-boosting bonuses, and it should be easy to see why you must to} start betting at Spin Esports. Fast loading occasions and interactive options come to life on 다파벳 any desktop, smartphone or tablet you choose to use. That’s right; Spin Casino’s cell Vegas slots are just as impressive as the desktop variations, allowing you to bask in the magic of the world’s playing capital whenever you choose. Payouts are as huge as the jackpots in Las Vegas itself, making the whole Spin Vegas experience much more practical and rewarding.
Post a Comment