March 3, 2013
I have to admit that I was pretty nervous going into the first race of the season. For one, I hadn’t raced since July 2012 and second I was now representing Team FC. Even Adam’s words of wisdom couldn’t take away all the jitters and I barely slept the night before. You know that dream of showing up at school or work completely naked? Well I didn’t have that one. I had the dream where I poop in my wet suit during the swim…Luckily, it was just a dream! Hahhahaaa
Morning of the race went well. Had some coffee, got our gear together, loaded the bikes and drove to the lake. Packet pick-up was quick and I was able to get into the transition area with plenty of time to spare. Got body marked, chatted with fellow teammates, then decided to suit up. Ahhh…the wet suit! Hadn’t put this suit on since Vineman in July when I was about 10 pounds lighter and my body composition was a bit different!….Well it was a VERY tight squeeze, but it fit…Kinda Walked over to the lake, felt the water and almost froze. Not a fan of cold water or doing warm up swims so I stood around shaking some jitters away.
Swim: ¾ mile Time: 20:47
At this time I always get nervous as I see Adam getting ready to go in, because I know I’m not too far behind. I lined myself up at the very front and scoped out my fellow competitors. Count down and we’re in! Ahhhhh!!!! Cooooold! Had to take a few head up strokes to catch my breath, then about a minute in got whacked in the face. If the cold didn’t get me going, that did. Swim went well, no sun glare, spotted the buoys quickly, put my head down and swam. On the way back it took a while to spot the orange buoy because it was soooo FAR away…. However I did manage to make my way to it. Nice, cold swim!
T1: Time: 3:03
Fiddled with my wet suit for a bit so took longer than I wanted to.
Bike: 24 miles Time: 1:14
I’m always afraid to push too hard or not push enough on the bike, still haven’t found the right pace. My goal was to keep at least an 18mph average and I would be happy. Course was flat and fast. Some sections of the road are in need of repair but I was able to stay aero for mostly all of it. Also, beware of a horrible smell along one section! Got some “Go FC’s” along the way from fellow team mates. Happy with my pace!
T2: Time: 2:11
Where I was set up was a long ways from the dismount spot so I had a bit of wobbling/running to do to rack my bike. Faster transition than T1.
Run: 6 miles Time: 48:18
Mix of sandy, dirt trails and road. Got into a groove through the first loop and saw my super supportive husband (who was already done!) cheer me on as I began the 2nd loop. That put an extra spring in my step and I was feeling good until the sun decided to come out around mile 4, and heat is one of my many arch enemies. At mile 5 I threw water over my head and it cooled me down a bit. The volunteers and folks in the camp grounds were great supporters and really did a great job cheering for everyone. Running up to the finish I got to hear my fellow team mates cheer me in! I was very pleased and surprised to see my run time. I went much faster than I was expecting.
Finish Time: 2:28
Overall Race Experience:
I loved this race! Fast and Flat!
Besides the course, it was a great time cheering team mates along the course, supporting each other, and just plain having fun! I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing group of people! Go Team FC!