i tri

i survived my triathlon! it was so much fun! it was not as intimidating as i made it out to be in my head (i was sooo nervous right before it started, i kept thinking what did i get myself into?!) it ended up taking me 1 hour 24 minutes and i got 10th place out of the 29 novice females.

here's the play by play.... 

after a little bit stressful morning (running a little late and then hitting stop and go traffic) we made it to fernandina beach 45 minutes away from bill and katie's in jax (we woke up at 5:50 ouch). i got there to set up my transition area and got my race number written all over me. so hardcore.

my orange cap meant i was in the novice wave of starters so i got to watch four other waves go before our turn. i think they really just gave me an orange cap so my husband would cheer louder for me. the ocean was beautiful, and surprisingly not too cold to swim in at 7:45 in the morning. there was a slight current that kept pulling me off course so i really had to focus on where i was headed.

there's me smokin the competition, and in the background you can see the buoys we had to swim around. they're shaped like giant shark fins and this week just so happens to be shark week... eek!

it took a lot to force myself to run to the transition. i was a little frazzled at the transition since i never practiced it before (i put my helmet on before my shirt? ha. luckily it was a v-neck so it fit over). and please note in this picture my cool anklet timer, or is it a house arrest anklet?

this is me finishing the 10 mile bike. i was so proud that i didn't make a fool of myself on the bike or take anybody else out. i mounted/dismounted without falling over. very big accomplishment, since i'm still rusty on a bike. and i passed people with ease (even when there were cars coming since it was an open course) holler!

 i don't have a very good picture of myself running in at the finish so hopefully the course photographers got a good one. brett was the perfect husband on raceday. he tried to help me calm my nerves, held my junk for me, took lots of pictures, and cheered. that watermelon was soooo good, one of my favorite parts of races are always the fruit at the end. 

here's team freya, my cheerleading section. it was great they all had matching green shirts so i could easily spot them. emme was the best team captain. 

and now here's what i've learned from this experience/what i'll do differently next time/and tips for anyone who wants to do a tri:

1. try to train in the real conditions that the tri will be in: the gym is convenient and all, but it's not realistic at all with the ac and no humidity! swimming in the ocean was so much harder than swimming in the pool! and the ocean makes you thirsty unlike the pool!

2. people brought tubs of water to dip their feet in to clear off sand and grass before they slipped on their shoes/socks. i brought a towel and just stepped on it which worked pretty well too

3. don't have your bike on too hard of a gear! for the second half of the ride i made it easier and it made a big difference

4. on the bike try to concentrate on your breathing so it can double as a cool down

5. push yourself on the run since it's almost over anyway! i didn't, i wimped out and let myself jog, how lame

6. wear spandex, your thighs will thank you

7. wear a shirt with sleeves, your snotty nose will thank you

8. if you decide to wear a watch for pacing, actually start it when you start ha

9. make sure you smile and try not to look pitiful anytime you see a camera on the course (tip courtesy of julie)

10. pack everything you need the night before so the morning of you can just run out of the house