complete a triathlon

01:46:34

I feel that can improve a lot next time. Next time? Probably.

The asterisk is because the winds were so high they canceled the swim portion (great, my best bit!) I’m still calling it a triathlon though. I was ready to swim! I would have preferred to swim.

Instead they added an addition half mile run at the beginning (great, my worst bit!). Oof.

Anyway, not sure of my time. My results were a bit goobed up at the finish so I’m waiting for them online. About 9 minutes for the first run, and through transition. Just a bit over an hour on the bike. And utterly unknown for the 5K – probably about 40 minutes??

So much of my training and planning was irrelevant. Way way windy. Couldn’t wear what I planned to for the run because of no sheltered transition area. No swim messed up what I thought my body might be doing and made it much tighter through the first half of the ride.

And that bike ride! “Rolling hills” the description says. Well, now I know what that means. No flat at all! Hills much longer and steeper than I’ve ever ridden before. I used every gear on that bike and could have used some more. And the headwind. Man!

Much better on the second half when I got looser. Also when I started singing to myself. The highlight of the race was this really steep long hill where I pretty much let it go and went too damn fast for any sensible person. Whee! Watch all the reasonable people disappear in your mirror around the bend. Also getting giddy and making comments like, “I am going to destroy you!” to one woman I kept passing. Silliness at the back of the pack.

The run was as hard as I expected except with way way more hills. But I still managed a respectable sprint at the finish and was able to, once again, defeat a much older woman at the finish line. Ha!

It was so nice to have Bumble screaming like a loon whenever I came into view. Also to have a nice picnic prepared by GG who did not forget the Prosecco.

But wow, I’m so tired I can’t even believe it.

Swam 3/4 miles today.
Feeling really achey and tired now. Am going to raid the medicine cabinet tonight for something to make me sleep like a log.

Eep!

I felt a bit less achy and fatigued this morning so I think I’m going to go ahead. Take all the medicines I have and give it my best shot.

Today’s trial run:
12 miles bike: 1:02
3/4 mile run: 9 minutes

A lot of snot and I can feel my heart not working quite right but there it is. It’s doable.

I’m really quite sick.

So…. what now?

I will not get sick. I just will not. I can not accept yet another defeat. I have worked too hard to get sick now and be sick on race day!

I started the magical elderberry tincture last night and went to bed early and slept late. I am not exercising today. I am sitting quietly on the couch, working like a good girl, drinking tea and taking the tonic every two hours.

I’m not fully sick, but I can feel it at multiple points in my body – the war is on.

please please please! I just can’t be sick for the race. I just can’t be.

Probably 9 miles in about 40 minutes.

Time constrained so that’s all I could get in.

5K – 1 minute walk at about 2 miles.
35:59

Time in target zone: 9:09
Time above: 25:06

It kept pretending it was gong to rain, but just a few drips.

And… I changed my classification for the race to Athena class. I’m a big girl. Why deny it?

• Cramps
• A warm humid afternoon
• Indian food for lunch

At about 1/2 mile in, I came within 15 seconds of throwing up several times. I almost stepped off the path to make myself, and then some voice of reason asked, “Why?” And I realized that maybe, just because I had set the goal of running 5K, if my body could not do it, maybe I should stop.

Stunning moment of reasonableness. So I walked home.

1/4 mile swim/ 6.5 mile bike/ 2 mile run with all transitions
1:17:08 (Longer than last time – but I had to stop and pee!)

Time in target HR: 41:22
Time above HR: 7:27
Calories: 859

Felt pretty disconnected through the swim and almost all of the bike. Just couldn’t find my place. But I think that helped when I got to the run because I was going slower so I was able to run longer before I needed to walk – 6 minutes, which is incredible.

Felt great after the run. I realized I could have pushed and done the whole 5K, but then I remembered that I had a super busy rest of the day and I really didn’t need to use up everything I had.