{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

{race report} Playtri Festival Sprint Triathlon

• 6.05.2012

I did it! The race was so great and I had so much fun doing it. It was really great to see all my fellow group members out on the course. I could not have done it without them. I’m also very thankful for all the coaches at Playtri who believed I could do it! Your support was invaluable. I need to especially thank C and our other awesome Playtri friends who’ve been encouraging me for the past eight weeks. Y’all are the best!

Race Recap:

Swim (500 meters) - The swim was harder thank I thought it would be. When you jump in the water (deep water start), your heart is already racing so by the time the whistle blows to signal the start, I had a very hard time catching my breath and slowing down my breathing. The course looked so long (and felt long) but I managed to complete the swim. It took me a lot longer than I wanted it to but that just leaves lots of room for improvement.

Bike (12 miles) - I felt sharp out of the transition and ready to hop on my bike. I didn’t fall either! The first half of the bike felt very fast and I was averaging 17 mph. The course was slightly hilly. About half way through the bike, I dropped my chain! I hoped off my bike and just stared at it for a good 30 seconds. After just a few shaky minutes I managed to get the chain back on and get back on course. The stop definitely set me back on the bike and the increasing winds on the back end of the ride didn’t help either.

Run (5K) - Transitioning from biking to running feels very strange. After my shaky legs got settled, I found my rhythm (albeit…a slow one). I ran with my “teammate” Becky and I’m so thankful that she stuck by my side. She definitely pushed me and helped me get to that finish line.

Finish Line - Wow! What a crazy feeling! I’ve ran races before (short ones) and crossed a “finish line” but this one felt very different. I saw so many encouraging faces along the race course but coming in on the last stretch of the run was awesome. All my biggest supporters were there to greet me and I felt pretty dang proud of myself.