Oh Why do I do this to myself?!? At the finish line that was all I could think. I was tired. These things are HARD! But, I had a great day and earned some cash too!! $100! My first cash prize. Ahhhh, basking in the glory!
I went to bed too late, nervous and missing my husband who has been gone all week. I made arrangements for the kids, but not having him there to talk to all week sure made me a bundle of anxiety. I need my BFF :( I checked at midnight before I went to sleep to see what time transition area opened. SO prepared. I decided I didn't want to get there at 5AM, but I would leave home around 5:15. I could do that. I needed some sleep, right?
I actually was able to get there in good time and thanks to my TTT crew got a decent spot at transition. Chatted and chatted and then it was time for the pre-race meeting and I hadn't even set up my stuff yet! Yeah...SO prepared. The meeting was crazy and wonderful as usual topped off with Aaron flying into the lake. Epic. I was the last swim wave to start, so I headed back and set up my transition area, hit the bathroom (wondering why if I was getting into the NASTY lake was I bothering to wash my hands?!?) and headed over to the start.
 
The swim looked longer than last year, but what do I know? I got to the front as they counted down for the Athena, Relay and 40+ group and just started swimming. The water had been deemed too hot for wet suits, but it felt a bit chilly to me! I mean even the outside temp was around 64, so shouldn't the water be cool enough to wear a wet suit?!? Oh well. Not having a wet suit didn't bother me too much, I know you can touch the whole way in that silly boat harbor. But, I'm sure not having it slowed me down. Swimming is my worst of the three by FAR! I can do it, but not very well. I would try to keep my mind off the drudgery of it all by doing little sprints. 33 - one for each of my years. 64 - one for each of my dad's years. 14 - years I've been married. Then a few others. I'd just count the breaths I would take then recover, see where I was at and continue on. The swim seemed to take forever and like I wasn't moving anywhere! UGH! I need to learn to swim. The good thing this year was that we didn't swim into the sunrise like last year and become blinded with no ability to sight. As I passed the last buoy and headed into the finish I noticed a guy next to me walking and his waist was nearly out of the water. Just a few strokes later I started digging mud. I pulled my head up and noticed everyone was walking the remaining 100+ yards to the finish. Ugh. I didn't want to tire my legs out THIS way. But, it was just too shallow to even try and swim...and I can walk faster than I can swim :) Final time for the swim and walk to shore and near quarter mile run to transition was 51:31 - SO slow. The course was long 1.4 miles instead of 1.2, but still...in comparison to other people's times, I was super slow! Someone needs to teach me how to swim...please?
(you can see the LONG line of people behind me walking in! See?!? I wasn't kidding, like 100M!)
T1: It was fun to be cheered on by my TTT peeps and I nearly forgot what I was doing! Started getting on my bike before I was even out of transition. A volunteer told me I couldn't and then I woke up. "I knew that" I said embarrassed, walked my bike to the mounting area and then got on as Kim took my picture. I was happy to take a second to pose :) 1:17
(don't ask me what I was doing. I don't have my garmin on yet, so it is really close to the start of the bike...I don't even remember a camera!)
Bike: I was off and away. It took a minute to get my garmin going on the bike and then get it on my wrist, but it was all while navigating out to the main road anyway, so it was all okay. Then, I hit it. I wanted to stay above 20MPH for the ride. I had chosen and planned out my fuel well and was ready to get this baby done. I pulled down in aero and went for it. Other than a couple yucky gravel strips and the horrible road past Lincoln beach it was a rather uneventful ride. I hit the turn around and had seen a few peeps in front of me that I got to cheer on. I love the out and back courses for that reason!! On the way back I started leap frogging this guy. I don't even know his name, but we exchanged a couple of humorous comments back and forth. I couldn't ever hear his bike coming, but I could hear his bib flapping in the wind when he'd come back up to pass me. I did end up in front of him at the end though :) of course....ha! I'm so full of it. I did feel like there was a head wind every direction I turned on the way back. My lower neck/upper back was killing me and I was SO ready to get off the bike. But, I always feel that way at the end of the bike. I like it, but it certainly isn't my favorite part. That comes next! My Garmin only caught 53 miles, but those with bike mounted counters got all 56. So, it has my speed at 19.9mph which I was ticked at, but if you take my total time and use the 56 miles you get 20.8MPH. Which seems more like it to me :) TT: 2:41:29 20.8MPH and my cadence was 83. I need to be able to push higher gears with a faster cadence. I now know where to work for next year! Still almost 10 minutes faster than last year on the same course! My new bike finally paid off. 13th fastest female bike time/93 - not too shabby.
T2: This wasn't my best transition. I had a hard time with my socks (I need to learn to run sockless in tri's!) and the TTT girls were chatting with me too. I mean, it wasn't super slow, but I just felt it wasn't as fast as I should've done either. 1:24
Run: FINALLY! The best part about tri's is always the last part :) I had discussed with myself that if things went well I could pull a 1:45. At least a sub 1:50. I didn't quite think it would happen, but I tried to convince myself that I could. You have NO idea until you've done it how much pushing for 2.5-3 hours on the bike takes out of your legs. Last year my run was horrendous. So, I was hoping for better, but you never know until you start running. At Blackridge I had put a water bottle by my shoes to take for the first of the run and I loved having it! So, I did it again and was SO grateful that I did. It was a lot cooler than last year, but it was still HOT and the sun was out and the first few miles are the most exposed. It was nice to just get water IN my mouth to rinse it out when I needed it and a little splash here and there as I ran was good too.
This course is a 2 loop course. Each loop has 2 out and backs. One at the beginning and then one about 2 miles later....so a total of 4 out/backs. On the first out/back I saw Angela and Di in front of me. Both of them started in my wave, but with Angela in a relay and Di a stronger swimmer and biker it didn't surprise me. I kept trying to see if there were any Athena's but I could see. The nice thing about tris is that they put your age/category on the back of your leg so everyone can see who their competition is! This was to my great benefit! After that first out and back I dropped my water bottle at the aid station and asked them to fill it up for me to have on my next loop. The volunteers were totally awesome!! So, my only goal at this point was to catch Angela and Di and keep my effort strong. The first mile marker I swore. Yup. I did. I could NOT believe it had ONLY been ONE mile! It felt like at least 3. This was going to be a long run...
The second out and back I saw a lady I thought could be an Athenaabout 3/4 of a mile ahead of me, but there was NO way. I was going to win this hands down...remember? Well, I glanced back and sure enough I swore I saw an A. I won't admit another cuss slipped from my mouth. When I'm tired and working hard I think I turn into a potty mouth!! The A lady (this is what I shall call the Athena leader at this point) was between Angela and Di, so I figured if I just caught them I could over take her. HA! Little did I know. Within the next 1-2 miles I caught both Angela and Di. When I passed Di I asked her if another A had gone past, because I hadn't seen her. "Yes!" Crap. Seriously?!? How did this happen?!? I asked how fast she was moving "About like you" Double crap. I now had my work cut out for me.
See, ever since Race-tri announced that they were giving away $100 to the winner of Athena I figured I'd win. I had done so by over 20 minutes last year, so I had it in the bag. Plus, I was faster this year! So, this lady really took the wind out of my sails. I wanted that win. I'd planned on that win. What would I do in my brain and to myself if I LET her win and didn't do all that I could do to catch her. Now, if she won and I left it all out there...well, then she won and I couldn't beat myself up, but if I didn't give it my all to chase her down? I'd kick myself for a LONG time. So, I was happy my legs were moving and I felt like I was ready to run. The chase was on! I was going hunting!!
The 3rd out and back (start of the 2nd loop, miles 7-8, last GU down) I tried to see her infront of me. I kept swearing she must've been a mirage. I would pass people I thought were her and they didn't have the A! But then, I saw her on the turn around. I now had less than 1/4 mile to close. I, again, thought I saw her and caught her after that turn around, but the lady had an R on her leg for relay. For a moment I thought "I've been chasing a Relay?!?" Then I looked up ahead at the aid station and I could see her just turning and heading down the long sunny road stretch. Here we go. I shouted to the volunteers about my bottle and they had it ready for me. I would grab a handful of ice and cold, wet sponges out of the garbage can as I ran by throw back what liquid I could and NOT stop. I was on a mission. I wasn't going to let that $100 run away that easily. The volunteers having my bottle ready nearly saved me, I swear! That long sunny stretch it was SO nice to have cold water to splash on me and in my mouth whenever I wanted. BUT, my legs were dying...oh, I had a headache. I needed water. I should just stop chasing her. She is in front. She deserves this. I don't, I'm tired. Stop. NO! Look!! You are closing the gap bit by bit. You can do this. You are strong. The run is YOUR thing. GO GET HER!! I kept willing her to stop at the aid station. Even for just 4 steps, but she didn't. I was having an epic mental battle! I'm glad I was slowly reigning her in. Otherwise, I would've lost that mental battle. I thought I could catch her at the next aid station, but she was still a good 30 feet in front of me. Crap. Well, then it was going to be the last out/back turn around. I could do it. Just keep going. Run hard. Chase her down. Then, I did!! At the turn around I was right on her heels. Those 180 degree turns when your legs are exhausted are torture to stop and restart all that momentum! I thought "What is going to happen when you pass her? Maybe you shouldn't. You're tired. You could just hang on her heels and let her set the pace then bust out a finishing sprint! Wait. What if she out sprints you?!? She may have more kick at the end than you do! What then? Lose by 2 seconds after all this?!? You've worked your stinkin' butt off to catch her!! Why are you going to give up now. Put space between you! You're running faster than her because you caught her!!" I'm glad my good sense took over. I passed her within the next 10 feet and she said "nice work" as I did and I muttered "great job to you too!" as I passed. I think I could HEAR the moment her eyes saw the A on my leg. Her footsteps grew stronger. She was coming for me!!! I turned it on and ran scared as we passed mile marker 11. Only 2 to go....only 2!
As we finished that last out/back I saw Di and asked how far behind me she was "about 50yds" CRAP! No time to stop at the aid station. None at all. Did my run through grab of ice and sponges and threw back some gatorade. I was now running scared. Waiting for her to overtake me. That mile 12 marker took FOREVER to come!!! I swear I was running like a bear was chasing me. All the while my legs aching and fatigued, wanting to stop, head pounding....can't stop, must go faster....can't stop. I remember passing people, but it was all a blurr until I came off the Provo River Trail finally and saw the last turns to the finish. I had done it! I couldn't hear her behind me. I only had the finish sprint to go! I was SO happy!!! I'd earned this win. NO way would I have run that fast if I wouldn't have had her to chase. She kept me going. But, I truly felt like it wasn't handed to me, I'd earned that Win!! She was only 40 seconds behind me, but knowing all I went through...40 seconds is a lot for just 2.1 miles!
(see?!? no one close behind me! I did it!)
You must understand as well that this was a HUGE mental feat for me. SO many times recently I have given up the fight. Resolved that I suck at running and that is that. Take the HOMM trail half. I gave my podium away. I let that lady pass me and I didn't answer her push when I know I could've. My brain gets in my way SO often and then I beat myself up and regret it. I finally stayed strong. I finally stopped listening to the voices that told me I needed to stop. I finally realized the Lord has blessed me with a strong body and I'm going to use it to the best of its ability! I guess you'd have to know how acutally crazy I am to understand how much this win meant to me. Yes, the win was nice, but it wasn't beating that lady, it was that I won the battle in my head. That is a rare occasion.
TT: 1:48:09 AP: 8:15 splits: 8:18, 8:16, 8:07, 8:28 (the race is on) 7:54, 7:56, 8:24, 8:23, 8:06, 8:30, 8:22 (finally passed her!), 8:18 (running scared), 8:33, 7:48 (last .1 into the finish).
I was SO exhausted when I crossed that finish line! Proud of my hard work, but exhausted. They gave us only one water bottle and a bottle of recovery chocolate milk (my ultimate FAV! LOVED it!!). Then I sat and ate my weight in watermelon. I didn't see the other Athena come in and for a while I wondered what had happened to her. I just missed her in my post race daze. After I felt like I could walk, I grabbed another slice of melon and went to sit with my TTT girls and cheer people in. That is when I saw the A lady and we chatted a bit. I told her she kept me going for most of the race. She said that when I passed her she tried to answer, but I was just too fast. Oh, I love it! I'm glad I took off and didn't stay on her heels. Run MY race, not hers!
I wasn't sure then if there were any other Athena's out there. I checked results on the way to hang out and saw that the A lady was the only one in front of me. Woo Hoo Doggies! I'd done it. I'd earned my $100!!! Now, the cost of the race was more than that, but still cash prize baby. CASH prize. No longer eligible to run for a collegiate team...HA!
(someone is happy!!!)
(no one stuck around to podium with me, so I had to strike a pose! Big girls takin' it home baby! See the envelope?!? Yeah, not only my 1st place medal, but $100 cold, hard, cash! I'm thinking I might try and convince hubby it is the beginning of my Boston fund for 2014 :) ).
The rest of the afternoon was just fun. After I finally stopped saying "why do I do this to myself" I felt better and walk around, grabbed my phone, answered texts, did the awards, cheered in my peeps, took pics, passed up my pizza in lieu of a coke and bummed water bottles off people because I was SO thirsty! It was finally time to go home...4:00. I'd been gone all day and now got to go home and take care of my babies. It was definitely a pizza night!
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