Adventures in Tri-ing

I read that clever title somewhere. 

This Saturday I completed my first Sprint Triathlon in Republic with my good friend Nicole. We started training in April to compete in this 300 yard swim, 12 mile bike and 3.2 mile event. We both had a great time and exceeded our performance expectations.

The day started with a 4:45 wake up call. We ate breakfast and drove to the race. We set up our gear and snapped a quick photo before heading to the pool.

We both had to wait about 45 minutes before starting the swim (sorry no photos). We quickly ran to our bikes, dried off, threw on a shirt and flew out to get on the bike course.

The bike course was only 12 miles but included some steep climbs and rolling hills. We pushed hard and finished strong. After dismounting the bike, we changed into running shoes and took off on the run course.

For me, the first mile of the run was painful. I couldn't catch my breath and my legs were tired. I couldn't seem to get into my 'running zone' until I was close to the second mile marker. I shifted my thoughts away from the pain and tried to be intentional about my stride and breathing. A side stitch remained but a fellow runner pushed me to dig deep and run hard. Once I saw the finish line I pushed hard and the scenery began to blur. 

Afterwards I was thrilled to find my husband, his parents and our friends standing at the finish line. It was wonderful to have such an awesome group cheering for us. Nicole finished shortly afterwards and we cheered her to the end. 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The event was well organized and the volunteers were helpful and encouraging. The best part was training and competing with a friend. All of our hard work paid off!