Despite having some sort of bug for the past few days that has given me a nightly fever and upset stomach AND despite lying awake from 2:30 to 4:00 am this morning with a racing mind that wouldn’t let me sleep, I was up with husband at 5 am and out the door at 5:45 to take part in the Kirkland Triathlon.
It was a whopping 54 degrees as we waited for the start and was actually a relief to step into the water as the 63 degree water was WARMER than standing on shore. This triathlon started with a 1/2 mile swim, about twice as long as the last (and only) triathlon I did. So I swam swam swam and was only bothered by 2 facts: 1) I can’t swim a straight line to save my life; and 2) the sun finally came out and was at such an angle that I looked right into the sun every time I took a breath.
Then came the bike leg. Oy. “Hilly” does not even begin to adequately describe this course. I was huffing and puffing for most of it. It didn’t help that I had my bike adjusted 2 weeks ago (and then had NOT ridden it since then) and when I started up the FIRST (OF MANY) hills, my bike seat started to twist and then DROPPED all the way down. Yep- I was riding with my knees in my armpits. Sigh. At one point, at some steep hill, people were dropping off their bikes to walk and I was struggling, some guy along the side of the road started yelling at me that I had another wheel and to switch gears. I was trying so hard to switch gears and was at a loss until he yelled at me HOW to change to the other wheel. Yes, I was that brain dead from lack of oxygen at that point.
Then came the run. After that horrendous bike leg, I had no feeling (0ther than pain, obviously) below my hips. I started off (uphill, BTW) with my soon to be patented triathlon run shuffle and it took at least 2 miles for any blood or oxygen to reach my legs. During the last mile, I saw one of husband’s co-workers who gave me a cheer and that helped. Then out of nowhere comes husband sprinting like no one else and gives me a hug as he runs by. That gave me the oomph to reach the top of the last hill and head down to the finish line.
And my second triathlon was completed. 16th out of 74th in my age division. I’ll take it.
Good job! Congrats on your good finish!
Great job. I just did the duathlon today. Fun to hear others’ experiences. By the way, how did you get your results so fast?
Great job! 16th/74th! WOW- impressive! I did the Wenatchee Apple Cup Sprint Tri 3 years ago (the day of my 29th birthday) and came in 2nd to LAST…the woman that was last (who crossed the finished line literally a second after me) was a 70-year-old grandma with a bum knee- but by golly I finished!!!