August 5, 2018 it is 4:00am and the alarm clock wakes me and immediately the excitement and pre-race jitters begin. I check my phone for a weather update and it is forecast to be cloudy and 90. I think out loud clouds are good at least 90 won’t feel like 100 or maybe it will since it is so humid. Oh well, the race goes on!
Last year I completed this race, my first triathlon with only 1 day in the pool. I thought “I know how to swim” realizing a little too late that that was over 30 years ago in high school. Uh Oh! Well regardless I was determined to complete the event and I did. Flash forward one year and I once again was determined to not only complete the event but improve my performance and that I did!
Those of you that know me know that I am a runner, that is my sport. I am a slow endurance runner. This is where I am comfortable but you can’t always be comfortable right? So here I am ready to start my swim training at the gym where I work hoping nobody I know is in the pool to witness this heart pounding, air sucking, arm flailing of a swim stroke I call mine. Of course that did not happen. Several unfortunate co-workers were witness to this first training session. I sucked it up and dropped the towel and entered the pool trying to keep my dignity as I struggled across the pool for that first length shaking my head as I grabbed the wall and caught my breath. Cross training is a wonderful thing. You think you have a good cardio base until you try something new and bam! You get knocked right back down to ground zero. I kept at it and began to see improvement over the course of a few months and began to enjoy my time in the pool.
Well race day is here and the jitters I feel are mostly due to the lack of confidence in the pool. Even though I know I have made great improvements from last year I am nervous.
The athletes line-up outside according to the self-predicted swim time so I line up way in the back with a predicted time of 10 minutes for a 300 yard swim. With approximately 260 athletes the line moves slowly with a swimmer entering the water every 15 seconds. Plenty of time to second guess why I am putting myself through this but I was not alone. Several others near the back were having very similar thoughts as we all were offering words of encouragement to each other.
At last my time was here and as I entered the water and pulled my goggles into place I heard an encouraging “good luck Kathy” from the Coach that was not only starting each swimmer but also happened to be the same person that witnessed my very first training session and each consecutive session up until the race. Thanks Drew for your bits of advice and encouragement. As I pushed off from the wall I tried to stay calm and in control of my breathing and stroke and not let adrenaline send me over the edge. I managed not to drown and completed the 300 yards 1 minute faster than the year before. IT.WAS.NOT.EASY!
Out of the pool and on to T1 (transition 1). Dry off, pull on running skirt, put on socks, shoes, hat, sunglasses and helmet. Take bike off rack and walk it to the start line where you can then hop on and take off. I was staying focused and thinking just like I wrote that. Whew that took way too long, over 5 minutes in T1 for me. Once out on the course I was able to relax a little and start to enjoy myself. Two five mile loops for the bike course with what felt like a head wind the entire time made it a bigger challenge. There were glimpses of the sun and the volunteers would cheer you on as you sped past them. As I rode past a breakfast restaurant with outside seating I was so happy to be on the bike and not watching as someone else passed by! My legs were getting tired as I neared the end of the 10 miles but I pushed myself as I wanted to improve this time as well. I took approximately 9 minutes off my time from the year before.
Off the bike and on to T2 (transition 2). Rack the bike, take off helmet, put on run bib, consume an energy gel, grab the hand held water bottle filled with Tailwind, www.tailwindnutrition.com hit the porta-potty and begin the 5k run! Wow my legs felt like rubber! It took a good half mile for that to subside but until 2 miles for me to get into a rhythm and feel good. There is a decent little hill climb that you are lucky enough to run twice during this event (yay!). This hill is manned by a local run group which include some Taiko drummers. I first experienced these drums at the Big Sur International Marathon so this always brings a smile to my face. A huge thanks to that group for being there! Since the forecast was for temps in the mid 90’s that day the aid stations were doubled and they were placed at every half mile.
With only a half mile remaining I decided now was the time to kick it into high gear and apply a little pressure to myself to get moving. I was able to finish faster than I started although this is the only portion of the event that I finished slower than the previous year with a time of 31:58:07.
There was a lot of energy as I came into the finish line and my name being called out by the announcer was a nice surprise. I was handed a cold wet towel, a bottle of water and my finisher’s medal.
With a huge smile on my face as I completed my second triathlon cutting just over 10 minutes off my previous time I headed to the tent to graze the huge post-race food spread.
This is a very well organized and executed event led by an experienced team. This event also boasts one of the best post-race raffles in the area. This year the prizes included suspension trainers, gift certificates from The Runners Edge, www.the-runnersedge.com gift certificates from Together We Tri (TWT), www.togetherwetri.com Fabletics outfit, www.fabletics.com an indoor spin bike, a concept 2 rower, and the grand prize was a Trek bike from George Garner Cyclery www.georgegarnercyclery.com
I must confess that I am an employee of The Glenview Park District and Park Center Health & Fitness www.glenviewparks.org so you may think that I am being a little biased when I tell you what a great event this is. I have completed and attended many other running events and have seen enough bad events to know the difference. Why don’t you find out for yourself and join me next year! Will 2019 be the year you TRI?
A huge thank you to my husband Mark for his support, encouragement and “coaching” in the pool. I couldn’t have done it with you!
