This was a very anticipated race for me. It was my trirock three peat! This whole blog started when I was training for the inaugural trirock in 2010. That was my 2nd tri and my first sprint distance race. I came back in 2011 & did the sprint faster & a lot smaller then the year before. I remember finishing that sprint amazed with the triathletes doing the intermediate course they added that year. The swim seemed SO FAR! The bike & run double what I had done. Shortly after that race I found myself signed up for Lavaman & I was going to be doing that distance!
After finishing Lavaman & getting ready for Vineman I figured why am I doing the sprint? Why not move up this year & go further. WOW seemed like a great idea until race day!
I was so nervous about this one! I had not kept up the level of training after Vineman. I had not done the race distance in any sport (maybe the run) since July! I was sure I would finish I just didn't know how pretty it was gonna be.
It gets weird doing races alone now. I show up with no one there to take pics with or talk to pre-race. This time I ended up talking to the girls right next to me who also said they were nervous BUT had just done ironman in JULY! The one gal was lapping me the whole race saying hi each time.
My wave was the third wave so getting going was quick! Before I knew it I was making my way thru the swim course. It seemed sooooo long! I have seemed to master one key element to triathlon...peeing in my wetsuit ;) definitely warms things up. Although this race the water was kinda warm & I was getting HOT in my full suit.
Turns out my swim time was better then Lavaman by a few minutes! I got out on the bike & on the course which was new this year. It was flat for the most part. We had to do 3 loops (the course was changed a few days before the race-shortened & made 3 loops instead of 2). There was one bridge we had to go up & over 3 times that was the only minor hill. There was a lot of turns to navigate but other then that it was hammer time!!!! I wasn't passing anyone but was happy with my momentum. A new thing on this race was roving race medics. It's actually a new program where instead of aid stations there was medics all over the course with first aid on them. Lucky me some of my friends are race medics! I got a few "go Katie" cheers as I rode the course.
After the bike I got out on the run course. Now indefinitely wasn't passing anyone! I felt painfully slow. I had no power I just chugged along. It was getting HOT. Certain parts were breezy (we were right on the water) but some sections were direct heat no breeze! I was doing a run walk at no particular interval. I did notice that every time I ran I passed this one gal who I exchanged comments about the heat with BUT when I walked she was passing me. I finally decided just run with her at her pace it was obviously more manageable then what I was doing. As soon as I committed to running with my new friend (stranger) she was no where to be found! She had stopped to go to the bathroom! Eventually she did catch up with me & I asked if I could run & pace with her. She said yes :D The run on this course was 2 loops we had hooked up during the second loop. She was running between 10:50-11:50 pace which was perfect for me. We both agreed it was better to have someone to run with. I can say if I was not running with her I definitely would of walked way more. We both had a goal time of sub 3:30 & were on target for that! We were joined in the last few miles by my friend Amanda she was one of the race medics. These medics were running lap after lap, checking on runners. "You ok?" "How's your hydration" "how's your nutrition" etc etc At one point I got salt off one of them. You literally couldn't go 1/4 mile without having a medic pass you. Amanda ran with us & chatted for quite awhile then she pulled off to check on a runner. My friend & I were about to get to the final .2 anyway. This is where I had hoped to see my peeps that were coming to see me finish. I let her get ahead of me as I scanned the crowd lined up & didn't see anyone :(
I got to the finish & beat my previous times by a lot! It ended up not everyone made it but I managed to find my friend that did make it. It was fun for someone new to see my big race.
The 4th event was fun drinks & breakfast with friends & family followed.
I was so nervous about this race & in the end it was one of my best races :) I'm very proud of all my trirock race. I hope I can find a way to do this one every year.
