It’s been a week since my first triathlon and I’m just now getting a grip on my feelings about it. I sit hear typing this blog and I don’t know if I desire to do another one. My imagination did not compare with reality; Wildflower was harder than I imagined it would be, truly.
The swim…
The horn went off for my wave, I made sure I was at the back because I didn’t want to be kicked, punched, or elbowed at the start. I made my way into the water swam about 15 strokes and stopped. I just couldn’t get my breath, I couldn’t find my rhythm, I couldn’t find my strength. I floated there for at least 5 minutes; I knew this because the next wave had started. A spotter on a surf board called out to me asking me if I was ok, I responded, NO I’m scared!!! He continued to console and give me a peep talk while I contemplated returning to the finish and giving up. I floated yet again for another five minutes because another wave swam pass me. I looked were I had to go then turned to look at the start, I floated there and wondered what my son, who was there, would think if I turned and swam back SO I begin my 1 hour and 7 minute swim. Yes it took me that long to swim a mile. I put my head down and counted my breaths and spotted when necessary. I was about 100 yards away from the turn around when a woman with a pink cap swam on top of me, a popped up to see what the heck happened and I spotted her doing the back stroke. I put my head down again took a couple of strokes and again, she swam over me. I looked again, this time taking a few seconds to observe her and she was swimming zig zag all over the course! I waited for her get further ahead of me and then I put my head down and started off again. AGAIN she swam on top of me, this time I said to her, I’m really trying to make it here…she screams back, “I’m trying to make it too!” Again, I let her swim ahead of me and again it happened, this time a spotter seen her and told her to come over and take a break on his board; after that I continued on. I made the turn around and by this time I was swimming for a long time so my legs began to cramp up because they were cold and I was getting tired. I continued counting breaths and finally I was finished.
The bike…
Running up the ramp to transition was a trip; I was so delirious and didn’t know what the heck I was doing or where the hell I was supposed to be going. I made it to my spot, peeled off my wet suit and commenced to putting on my cycle gear. I forgot my shot bloks which I needed to fuel but fortunately I put some in the night before I got from a CLIF BBQ. Shoes on, helmet on, sunscreen applied I ran toward the bike out sign. Of course people were hollering at me, no go this way, no this way! Still I was delirious! Finally I was able to mount my bike and start on the path. O MY GOD right out of transition was Lynch hill! It was god awful hot and that hill was god awful steep. I made it up but while going up I seen Doug coming in from the run with a smile, he screamed out, “GO LISA!” he gave me a little boost to get up that hill. After the 4th hill I seen Fatima riding in the opposite direction, going at a pretty good pace, she too scream out, “GO LISA!” again she gave me strength. Now throughout my ride I realized that I was with the slow group because the good Triathletes were up there with Fatima, I was lagging…that darn swim killed me and I was feeling the effects of it. Peddle, peddle, peddle, GEEZ when is this going to end and shite, I still have to run! During that ride, I was really questioning myself. Why was I there, why was I doing a triathlon? I really wanted to get off my bike and go home. I was tired of that shite! Peddle, peddle, peddle, hill, hill, hill, heat, heat, and more heat! Finally after 25 miles I was done.
The run…
I arrived in transition after the bike, by this time I truly believed I couldn’t go any further so began to cry. I put my sneakers and running cap on and grabbed my water bottle. I had no intentions of finishing the race, I was headed to the porta potty and then I was going to find somewhere to sit and cry some more. While walking toward the porta potties there was Andrew and Doug screaming, “Yea, you’re almost there, GO you can do it!” I gave a fake smile, got on the run course and began the final leg of my race. My goodness this race was ridiculous, how many hills did I have to conquer that day? Mile one goes by, GEEZ it’s so hot it hurts! I pop my first salt tablet followed by some water and continue shuffling along. 1.5 miles in I thought forget this shit I’m walking! I walk for a ½ mile and made it to an aid station where I downed as much Gatorade and water as I could and continued on. Mile 4 I realized I wasn’t sweating anymore and I began to worry because that’s a sign of heat stroke. I made it to the next aid station, got sprayed down with water until I was soaked that way I could cool down with the help of the nice breeze that decided to grace us poor runners with it’s presence. More salt tablets, water, and Gatorade. Mile five I meet a man and his daughter, the man explained to me that I should be proud of what I was doing because only a ½ of 1% of the world’s population could brag of doing a triathlon. That gave me energy for ¼ of a mile and again the heat over took me and I began to walk. Finally mile 5 was ALL down hill and I was able to run it, when I got to the bottom there was the gang, Andrew, Doug, Fatima, and Kory cheering me on…I found a burst of energy and ran strong across the finish line, my 6.2 mile and first triathlon was finished.
I didn’t have words to describe how I felt about my first race at the end but I told Doug I would do it again. I just came back from a Mother’s Day ocean swim, I didn’t enjoy it. It was cold and I’m tired of getting a chaffed neck. I don’t know if I want to continue this. I love riding and that’s it. I’ve lost weight and toned up a tad because of all the training and I don’t want to go back to the way I looked. For that reason I will continue the training. The next Tri is the Carlsbad sprint, I don’t know if I’ll do it. I will be doing the Camp Pendleton Sprint and Pacific Grove Olympic because those are the ones I was training for last year before I broke my wrist. I do intend to return to Wildflower only because I want to improve my time so I guess I’m saying I will continue doing triathlons. I think I may throw in a ½ marathon with Nelson and Mel, just because I like running with them.
The swim…
The horn went off for my wave, I made sure I was at the back because I didn’t want to be kicked, punched, or elbowed at the start. I made my way into the water swam about 15 strokes and stopped. I just couldn’t get my breath, I couldn’t find my rhythm, I couldn’t find my strength. I floated there for at least 5 minutes; I knew this because the next wave had started. A spotter on a surf board called out to me asking me if I was ok, I responded, NO I’m scared!!! He continued to console and give me a peep talk while I contemplated returning to the finish and giving up. I floated yet again for another five minutes because another wave swam pass me. I looked were I had to go then turned to look at the start, I floated there and wondered what my son, who was there, would think if I turned and swam back SO I begin my 1 hour and 7 minute swim. Yes it took me that long to swim a mile. I put my head down and counted my breaths and spotted when necessary. I was about 100 yards away from the turn around when a woman with a pink cap swam on top of me, a popped up to see what the heck happened and I spotted her doing the back stroke. I put my head down again took a couple of strokes and again, she swam over me. I looked again, this time taking a few seconds to observe her and she was swimming zig zag all over the course! I waited for her get further ahead of me and then I put my head down and started off again. AGAIN she swam on top of me, this time I said to her, I’m really trying to make it here…she screams back, “I’m trying to make it too!” Again, I let her swim ahead of me and again it happened, this time a spotter seen her and told her to come over and take a break on his board; after that I continued on. I made the turn around and by this time I was swimming for a long time so my legs began to cramp up because they were cold and I was getting tired. I continued counting breaths and finally I was finished.
The bike…
Running up the ramp to transition was a trip; I was so delirious and didn’t know what the heck I was doing or where the hell I was supposed to be going. I made it to my spot, peeled off my wet suit and commenced to putting on my cycle gear. I forgot my shot bloks which I needed to fuel but fortunately I put some in the night before I got from a CLIF BBQ. Shoes on, helmet on, sunscreen applied I ran toward the bike out sign. Of course people were hollering at me, no go this way, no this way! Still I was delirious! Finally I was able to mount my bike and start on the path. O MY GOD right out of transition was Lynch hill! It was god awful hot and that hill was god awful steep. I made it up but while going up I seen Doug coming in from the run with a smile, he screamed out, “GO LISA!” he gave me a little boost to get up that hill. After the 4th hill I seen Fatima riding in the opposite direction, going at a pretty good pace, she too scream out, “GO LISA!” again she gave me strength. Now throughout my ride I realized that I was with the slow group because the good Triathletes were up there with Fatima, I was lagging…that darn swim killed me and I was feeling the effects of it. Peddle, peddle, peddle, GEEZ when is this going to end and shite, I still have to run! During that ride, I was really questioning myself. Why was I there, why was I doing a triathlon? I really wanted to get off my bike and go home. I was tired of that shite! Peddle, peddle, peddle, hill, hill, hill, heat, heat, and more heat! Finally after 25 miles I was done.
The run…
I arrived in transition after the bike, by this time I truly believed I couldn’t go any further so began to cry. I put my sneakers and running cap on and grabbed my water bottle. I had no intentions of finishing the race, I was headed to the porta potty and then I was going to find somewhere to sit and cry some more. While walking toward the porta potties there was Andrew and Doug screaming, “Yea, you’re almost there, GO you can do it!” I gave a fake smile, got on the run course and began the final leg of my race. My goodness this race was ridiculous, how many hills did I have to conquer that day? Mile one goes by, GEEZ it’s so hot it hurts! I pop my first salt tablet followed by some water and continue shuffling along. 1.5 miles in I thought forget this shit I’m walking! I walk for a ½ mile and made it to an aid station where I downed as much Gatorade and water as I could and continued on. Mile 4 I realized I wasn’t sweating anymore and I began to worry because that’s a sign of heat stroke. I made it to the next aid station, got sprayed down with water until I was soaked that way I could cool down with the help of the nice breeze that decided to grace us poor runners with it’s presence. More salt tablets, water, and Gatorade. Mile five I meet a man and his daughter, the man explained to me that I should be proud of what I was doing because only a ½ of 1% of the world’s population could brag of doing a triathlon. That gave me energy for ¼ of a mile and again the heat over took me and I began to walk. Finally mile 5 was ALL down hill and I was able to run it, when I got to the bottom there was the gang, Andrew, Doug, Fatima, and Kory cheering me on…I found a burst of energy and ran strong across the finish line, my 6.2 mile and first triathlon was finished.
I didn’t have words to describe how I felt about my first race at the end but I told Doug I would do it again. I just came back from a Mother’s Day ocean swim, I didn’t enjoy it. It was cold and I’m tired of getting a chaffed neck. I don’t know if I want to continue this. I love riding and that’s it. I’ve lost weight and toned up a tad because of all the training and I don’t want to go back to the way I looked. For that reason I will continue the training. The next Tri is the Carlsbad sprint, I don’t know if I’ll do it. I will be doing the Camp Pendleton Sprint and Pacific Grove Olympic because those are the ones I was training for last year before I broke my wrist. I do intend to return to Wildflower only because I want to improve my time so I guess I’m saying I will continue doing triathlons. I think I may throw in a ½ marathon with Nelson and Mel, just because I like running with them.
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