The water in Lucky Peak reservoir was colder than
Alcatraz. I think anything below 55 is all pretty much the same - it feels cold, then toes go numb and it's fine.
I got in, warmed up, then got out to stay warm on the dock. Haley and I are discussing very important things here - such as starting our watches two minutes before our wave starts, and world events...
And then it was back into the arctic for our swim start.
After several slaps in the head and kicks in the ribs, I found some clean water and feet to cling to. I kept feeling like I wasn't swimming hard enough, but if I swam harder my calves might cramp, so I settled in and followed the girls around the lake. I actually thought we were swimming well. I was warm in my
Zoot Prophet wetsuit. When I got out and saw 31 on the clock, I changed my mind about the "swimming well" part. Oh the frustrations of my swim - some day I'm going to actually nail it...
Onto the bike (only photo I've got of the awesome
QR and
Profile wheels...) it was windy, but nothing like
last year. I spent the first 25 miles chasing girls, then hit a really rough section where I felt like death and wanted to puke. Instead I forced myself to eat and kept telling myself I would feel better. Eventually I did, but at that point the girls had ridden away. At about mile 40 I did some very first-grade math and figured I could break 2:30 and that became my new goal. I put my head down and rode as hard as I could. I went back and forth between thinking I was having a great bike and then feeling like I was going to puke and just focusing on riding hard. I came off the bike in 2:29.
Onto the run and my goal was to go under 1:25. The I-just-want-to-puke feeling did not leave when I started running (shocking, no?!). Only this time there was no way any
ZipVit gels were going to be kept down. I love them, but puking them up did not sound fun. Knowing I couldn't run an entire half with no calories, at mile three I started grabbing coke and basically ran the entire 1/2 marathon on coke alone. Thankfully it worked.
My friends Brian and Tiedji were on the course cheering, which was awesome. Except I wasn't very smiley like normal. Around mile ten I actually started to feel better and picked up the pace. I reeled in a couple of girls with my 1:27 run to finish 8th in 4:32.
Given how I felt on that day, I'm happy with the race. I learned that pushing the pace when I feel like puking won't really kill me. And despite the amount of uncomfortableness that accompanied my race, I still really loved it. I love pushing myself, seeing how hard I can go, and being a part of a sport that has so many great people in it. Thanks to those who cheered on the run - I may not have acknowledged you at the time, but it was very much appreciated.
Two races in six days - done & done.
A huge thank you to my
sponsors for the support and for being awesome people to work and laugh with.
Next up is San Diego International triathlon here in my back yard, but first there will be some open-water swimming practice...
