Race #8 of 2012

I wrote this almost entire blog on my phone app only to have it not save :( Then I never went back to rewrite it now for almost a month!!! Boy I am the worst.
This was a really special race too!! My previous lost blog was awesome. Now I'm not sure I remember what it was I wrote.
Sprint Sprint Triathlon was May 6th. It was a big race for me because it marked 2 years since my very first race! 2 years ago was when Desirae and I got up early morning headed out to do the mini-sprint triathlon. It was 250 yd swim, 6 mile bike, 1.5 mile run. I remember at that time I was much heavier, I was SLOW and it was HARD! BUT when I crossed the finish line the feeling that I could keep going forever and the rush of making it all the way sparked all this tri-kate stuff!
This time I was coming back to do the full sprint distance. I remember 2 years ago barely completing the mini sprint and looking at the real triathletes going 500yds swim 12 mile bike 3.1 mile run in amazement!
I felt very nostalgic and sentimental coming back to this place. I still don't feel like a real triathlete (will I ever?) I see so many true athletic people who have probably spent their entire lives doing sports with ease. That is not me! BUT my return to Mission Bay is different. I have an Olympic distance race behind me, several sprints, so much experience with all 3 sports & the distance well its FUN!
I was also racing with some friends & teammates, along with several of my teammates coming down to watch, cheer and take pics. I have to say one benefit of meeting the TNT peeps is the support, they understand what it means to have someone there.
Doing a sprint is so much different then the longer races. I literally should be done in under 1.5 hours. The normal triathlete should be done in an hour! So there is not the same amount of fuel and water needed. My transition area was super basic and I was not really stressed about it. As long as I had goggles, swim cap, wetsuit, bike shoes, helmet, running shoes I was good to go. Once I got all set up I got to hang around with my teammates and friends. What a difference it is to come back and stand in the same place with out the nerves I use to experience race morning. There is still some nervousness but not the same gripped with fear kinda feeling I use to have. I am filled with confidence that I know what I am supposed to do and I can do it.
The swim I am not scared of anymore because I put so much focused effort into open water salt water swimming. AND lets face it the bay is NOTHING compared to some of the choppy, huge wave ocean swimming I am doing. The distance well I can do the distance. I am just not fast by any means. The water is not ideal it is cold and DIRTY! I was excited and this race has a lot of first timers so they are all freaking out. The buzzer goes off and I swim off. The splashing and chaos doesn't bother me but for some reason it takes me F.O.R.E.V.E.R to do the swim. I am sure I am passed by every single person in my wave and I am the last one out of the water. That was not very good feeling and I was sort of embarrassed when I got out and everyone was waiting to cheer me on....OH WELL SUCK IT UP AND START MOVING. I also felt slow in T1 I decided to put on my socks and bike shoes (I would like to stop wearing socks on the bike to save time eventually). Its so hard with wobbly legs to get shoes and socks on wet feet. So I sat down to get it done. The thing with that is out of the swim you are totally fatigued and sitting down involves getting back up and the heart rate is a mess! I got changed and got going and once on my way thru the bike out I was in GO MODE! I really tried to push it on the bike, its a flat course and I wanted to beat my previous sprint times AND I had sucked on the swim so I wanted to make up.
The bike course was 2 loops around fiesta island. I wasn't passing people AND was passed by my friend who was in the wave behind me! I was giving it all I had knowing I may suffer on the run for it but willing to do it.
The second transition I am usually much faster! There was a bit of distance to where my spot in the bike rack was to cover so I actually stopped took off my bike shoes to run in transition. I took off on the run and definitely felt fatigued, BUT STOKED to be 3.1 miles from the finish!!! My friends/cheer squad was all over the course and it was so cool to get little boosts of go KATIE! along the way. Then I ran into another friend coming to watch on the run course (twice cause it was 2 loops). Coming around to the final finish was the best feeling. I sprinted in and I was done. 2 years of an amazing journey crossing the same finish line. From mini sprint to being on my way to 1/2 ironman....WOW....all I can say is our God is an awesome God and I am so blessed for the journey He has me on