The race was in Dousman, Wisconsin. It's about half way between Madison and Milwaukee just off interstate 94. Beautiful area filled with small lakes and rolling hills. The hubbie, the two kids and I got up around 4am to be on the road by 4:30a. I wanted to get there early for parking and to get my spot in transition set up. I also wanted ample time to get in the water before race start. This was a longer swim than Michigan so I wanted to make sure I was acclimated.
Everything went smooth checking in, setting up transition and getting a warm-up swim in. My kiddos were bored already and I knew this would be a long morning for my hubbie. He was doing a great job of being supportive and managing my frequent freak outs. Soon the national anthem was played and the elites and men were off. Next up the Oly distance women. The course was out and back twice.
The swim was uneventful (whoo hoo). The sun was out and it made it a bit harder to sight the buoys but otherwise I had a very strong swim. I had Rihanna/TI's "Live Your Life" song stuck in my head the entire swim (actually the entire race). It proved to be a great rhythm to swim by. Soon I was out of the water and headed to transition. The bike was a 2 loop course of 12 miles. All rolling hills and nothing too difficult. I was passed again and again. Oh well, I do not do this to win (or I would be sorely disappointed).
The last 2 miles on the bike were ridiculous. My butt was killing me! I have never wanted to get off my bike more than I did at the end of that bike (this is still true after much longer rides). I stood out of the saddle for the majority of these 2 miles and was blissfully happy when I dismounted in transition. On to the run!
6.2 miles, a 5K course looped twice. The most horrendous part of this race is that the loop brings you 50m short of the finish line and you have to turn around and go back out... When I came in from my first 5K I was so sad to see others finishing and I had 3.1 miles still to go. But I saw my hubbie and kids and knew I could continue on.
I decided to run in intervals. Run 0.4 miles, walk 0.1 miles. It worked great. My time wasn't awesome but I wanted to finish and not kill myself. I took in only Gatorade on the run and it wasn't my smartest move. I learned then that I needed to fuel with more than was offered on the course but it didn't stick (more on that later). As I approached the finish line my son began to run with me, then my daughter joined in with about 100m left. It was awesome to have them beside me. Just before the finish they dropped off and I ran through the finishers chute smiling! I had done it. My first Oly distance tri was completed.
I even placed! Well, honestly there were 5 people in the Novice group and I got 4th. I still got a medal ;)
(me and the kiddos post-race)
Next up: Irongirl Pleasant Prairie
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