For my second triathlon, I signed up to do the Olympic Distance Chelanman (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) with the idea I would train harder than I had before and kick some ass. The only problem is that life is busy and chaotic and messy, and we all know things sometimes just get in the way. I also tend to coast of my relatively natural athletic ability (come on, you've seen my shoulders). Luckily, I can easily rely on my past swimming accomplishments for what most people find is the hardest leg. So, basically, I didnt train. I hadnt ridden my bike in about three weeks, I maybe ran once or twice a week (nothing crazy) and swam two or three times a week.
BBQ'ing the night before the race at the campground with Alex.
So, I knew what was coming. Still, I was really excited. Its a gorgeous area and the lake is really clear! My dad was coming, a childhood friend was racing with me, and my Joelybean was going to be my triathlete wife for the day.
Way too early this morning we woke up at the campsite and got ready. Crystal clear morning. Pretty flat water.
Pumpin' up them tires.
My thoughts or events throughout the race:
5 minutes to race - Wait, do I have everything? (I was forgetting things left and right all Friday and Saturday morning).
3 minutes to start - oh, waters not bad. Damn, that's a lot of people.
1 minute to start - oh my gosh, this is going to hurt. so. bad.
30 seconds after the start - Oh good god you desperate thrashing swimmers. GET OFF ME.
I am somewhere to the left in the front.
1 minute into the swim - a guy crawls up my back and starts stroking in between my legs, not allowing me to kick. I knee him in the face. Problem solved.
5 minutes into swim - I am now swimming alone and finally found the cable along the swim so I didnt have to sight anymore!
About 16 minutes into swim - I got lost. Not just like swimming in the wrong direction. I am way off course. People were trying to point me in the right direction but I couldnt see ANYTHING. Joel was yelling and whistling at me to go 'this way' but I didn't know where that was. Every time I lifted my head up to sight, all I saw was bright shiny sun. Luckily I made it to the last buoy and ran in!
First in off the swim... even though I got really lost.
I didn't do yoga or take a shower or do my hair this time in transition.
3 miles into the bike ride - oh, I feel good.
4 miles into bike - the only girl the entire ride passed me.
14 miles - attempted to actually use a gel on the bike. Successful at keeping it down, but definately did not love the flavor.
17 miles into bike - almost hit a chipmunk, which gave me flashbacks to running over Rufus. I almost went down out of pure fear.
18 miles into bike - Holy shnikies! I am kicking ass. This rocks. It hurts, but it rocks.
19 miles into bike - singing the 'banana' song from the Despicable Me commercial. You can see them sing it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db04mQkizds&noredirect=1 (only watch it if you want it stuck in your head).
20 miles into bike - thoughts on lunch were beer and a burger.
Feelin' good!
coming into the bike/run transition - yay! I get to see Joel and my dad! (I quickly spot them as the two tall guys yelling my name) I smile very big to let them know I am kicking ass, just in case there was any doubt.
transition from bike to run - would I be penalized for jumping in the lake really quick? Current air temperature felt like a cool 82 degrees while body temperature felt like 102.
Headed out on the run.
run up the hill - oh my gosh, I cant walk this with all these people around here. (Big thanks to Joel for catching these moments on camera).
half a mile into the run - a guy who looks like a good triathlete running right in front of my grunts and moans until he slows to a walk, when he decides to be his own cheer leader and claps and yells his name. I like his tactics, so I do the same but in my head. From what I could tell, the results were the same - we both looked like hell.
about a minute later - I slow to a walk thanks to a killer tight calf that won't let up. Girl who looks equally as pained and hot as I do pats me on the back and says, 'you've got this.' My thoughts exactly, stranger fellow racer.
mile into the run - seriously, can I opt to swim the 10k? Where the helll is the shade?
first water station - thanks, im good. Ill just stay right here and use all your water cups to drench myself in ice water.
For the next 2 miles - thoughts of hate towards the sun and heat gods. Oh, and I hate Hammer Heed. So dissapointed that was all that was on course.
About ten feet before the turn around point - thoughts on lunch switch to a fudgcicle, popsicle, milkshake and ice cream sandwich.
Halfway point - I grab a cup full of ice and feel like I won the lottery. I munch on some ice as I jog on, and quickly decide to poor some ice down my top. It felt like a slice of Arctic heaven.
3.3 miles into the run - Oh this is what it feels like. I am chaffing for the first time ever. It kind of is uncomfortable. Time to run like a chicken.
3.4 miles into the run - I had been playing leap frog the whole run with this guy and we always cheered eachother on each time we passed. Finally we jogged a bit together and I found out Kyle had done the half iron last year but in an attempt to not train as much he settled for the Olympic. He said on a day like today, he couldnt even imagine being out on that half iron course.
4 miles - There is a nice shady spot to lay down and take a nap. Too bad its already taken by all these spectators yelling at me to 'finish strong.' Look at me, I am bright red and feel like I am more shuffling than running. Let's get real here, I am just finishing.
Last two water stops - screw the cups, guys, lets get real. Give me a cooler. What is it, 110 outside?
Final long stretch - legs bonk. I bonk. My tummy feels like it wants to turn inside out and my legs just won't go. I feel more like gumby than myself. I want to walk but turn around to see the mass of people behind me. What kind of photo op would it be if I finish with a mass group of people? I keep on chugging.
500 meters from the finish - theres a hill, but it might as well have been Mt. Everest. I would have been better off speed walking up the hill. I must have looked so terrible that people thought I was a lost cause, because no one cheered for me. No doubt I had a pain face that could win awards.
200 meters from finish- downhill. Normally I would find relief in this, but my legs couldnt quite operate the way I wanted to. Just stay upright, Megan. Don't trip.
Seconds before finish - oh I see it! But where is Joel? Where's my dad? Are they here? Oh gosh, cameras. Quick. Try to look strong and cool. Finish with ease (yeah, right).
Finally, the finish!
I finish. No confetti fell from the sky and no one was playing Queens 'We are the Champions', so I moved on. I slowly walked over to the water with one goal. Jump in and lay down.
Ouch.
Where is my popsicle?
Water is so much more rewarding the second time around.
Joel and my dad came over, both of them happy I finished and pretty proud. Them being happy made me feel happy, and relieved that I could lay here in this lake and cool off for as long as I wanted to. My dad was my savior and ran to get me some Nuun while Joel stayed with me on the edge of the lake. He gave me a kiss and said 'you did great!' with an encouraging look. And knowing he meant that, it felt good.
5 minutes after finishing - Wow! I need to work out more. Seriously, start training Megan.
10 minutes after - water water water. Nuun Nuun Nuun. And munch on some nuts. I am not quite sure what else to do.
And the results were up! I got second in my age group. A great girl named Jenny who was competing for Luna passed me right at the end and had a great race and took first in our age group! I look forward to seeing her out on some other race courses - an amazingly friendly competitor! I was happy with this considering my severe lack of doing, well, much of anything at all before hand. I was 19th woman overall. Ill take that. My swim time was alright, and would have easily been much faster (minute plus) had I not gotten lost. I felt good, strong, and hardly swam any backstroke thanks to the constricting wetsuit! My bike was quick, moving at about 19.4 mph average. I think I would have been a bit faster had I had my TT bike that Joel got me with aero bars, and also had ridden more than twice before the race. I felt really really strong on the bike, and really really happy about my bike portion. I felt strong! Run was... awful. I thought I was hitting sub 9's for most of it, but my AVERAGE was 9:14. Ouch. My calf hurt the entire way and I was severely over done. I need to run more; more miles, more quality training, and more speed work and I will be good. But on top of the time, the run felt terrible. I felt like it was easily 90 plus out on the sun baked pavement without any shaded areas. I honestly don't remember the last time I ran that slow. I was pretty dissapointed with my lame finish, but relatively happy with my two other legs. I accepted my award and headed on home with Joelybean and my dad. I was so happy they could be there and be my support crew! I felt I was much calmer on my second triathlon and dare I say it, a bit excited! I had so many people ask if I knew a specific person who worked at Nuun and a couple other people tell me that they loved my stuff (Nuun!). Its always fun to hear a kind word out on a lonesome hour long bike ride.
Alex and I on the podium.
Don't mind my bloated stomach. I drank a lot of water.
I know I said this last time, but I will train for the next one. And if I come back and do Chelanman not only will I plan a bit better, but I will train and kick way more ass.
All in time for my 26th Birthday. Gosh, is that all?
