Lost Duck!

TODAY I RAN MY FIRST TRIATHLON!!

Now for a race report....

I raced with my friend JS who is wicked fast.  Fast enough to have sponsors.  She is kind of a gazelle but she's pretty awesome so she's allowed on these pages.  She helped me set up my transition area and was right there for me all the way up to the start of the race.  BIG shout out to JS!! 

Then she raced in the elite group (those crazy fast folks that win these things) and placed third.  She went off in the first wave and I went off in the last with the First Timers division.  I saw her leave the water and head for the bike and then it was time for me to get ready.  Kept control of the nerves... amazingly!  As they were counting down, I started my watch.  Apparently, starting a watch is the hardest part of a triathlon.  I pushed the button too many times and when the starter went off, I was pushing buttons.  I ended up surrounded by swimmers and was never able to find any swimming space.  I finished behind where I would have liked but in one piece. 

I headed up to the bike transition but there was a loooong sand run getting there.  The old foot didn't like that much so I had to walk/jog it.  Spent a very long time (sat down, had a sandwich, knitted a sweater) getting on my bike.  But once I was on it, I took off like a Duck out of Hell!!  I steadily passed riders for five miles and was feeling pretty froggy.  AAANND... then I took a wrong turn.  After I realized what I had done, I returned to the course and assumed I had been disqualified.  Nonetheless, I was angry.  I bolted off in zoom mode and re-passed entirely too many riders.  I finished the bike feeling strong and still pretty angry. 

I dawdled less at T2, but still managed to take twice as long as JS (did she freakin' fold space/time?).  I headed off on the run but about a mile into it there was a stretch of grass and sand that had gotten a little deep.  By halfway through, my foot felt like there were knives in it.  I had promised RW that I would go easy if I felt pain.  I figured I'm disqualified anyhow so I walked a while, jogged a bit walked some more, stopped and stretched it out... twice.  Then jogged to the finish line and crossed it feeling a dose of that personal pride that comes with finishing your first Tri, no matter how badly you performed.

When I got done, I checked the results to confirm that I was, in fact, disqualified.  I wasn't.  I was in sixth place.  Seriously?!?!?!  If I had known, I might have gotten out of "mosey" and run a little.  Of course that probably would have been a huge setback in my training, so it's probably just as well.  Silver lining, perhaps.

On a personal note... I was waiting for some work to be done on my car so that I could drive to California and start my new job.  Except that on Friday (after I moved out of my apartment, after I forwarded my mail, after I said goodbye and told everyone out west I was coming, after I bought a vehicle to use BUT before I actually started working, yeah... so thrilled), they pulled the plug and fired me.  So now I am not moving to CA.  Instead, I am staying in Florida, working the horse shows on the road and going to pursue the necessary education to start a career in the fitness industry.  Diet and exercise has changed my life and I would love to spend my days helping other people discover the joy of a full and vital life!!