First Triathlon: Tri for Fun 8.21.2010

My first tri is over and done with and I can honestly say not only did I have a great time doing it, but I met all of my personal goals!

Laryssa helping me pin on my very official bib!

I participated on Saturday in the 23rd annual Tri for Fun in Pleasanton, CA and I have to say that it is a great race if you are looking to do your first tri race in a not super competitive environment. Before the race I was really worried that no one was going to be crazy enough to wake up at 4 am to go to a tri race in Pleasanton and I would only be one of a hand full of people competing- which would have been intimidating and sad. Luckily, there are plenty of crazy people who want to get up early, pay money to work out and be in Pleasanton way too early in the morning! I should never underestimate the outdoorsy-ness of Bay area folk!

Pre-race photo with a back drop of all the people participating. I am looking very sleepy eyed in this photo because well- I was very sleepy! A big thank you to Laryssa and Andrew who woke up pre-sunlight to watch me race. You're the best!

About 1,000 people were competing that day and most of them were tri newbies like myself! That made the whole feel of the race very welcoming. A few days prior to the event I was starting to get a bit nervous and second guess my ability to even finish this short little tri, but once there at the event, the fact that so many people were new like me, made all the pre-race butterflies go away.

I was definitely happy that I had gone a few weeks before to watch Brian's race so I wasn't totally clueless on what to do/ expect. But it was nice that they had people there assisting you in setting up, understanding the course and walking you through the ins and outs of the whole experience.

Everyone waiting for their swim leg to start.

The swim was a short 400 meter in warm 70 degree water- no wetsuit needed thankfully! Those things are a pain in the ass as I am realizing. I got some really good advice pre-race from Brian to just sprint when the race starts so that you can get away from the throngs of other swimmers and have some actual room to swim. So I waded up right into the front of the crowd and started the race with a nice sprint to the first marker. I had SO much adrenaline going at that point that all my training to pace myself went out the window and I ended up sprinting the whole 400 meters- which isn't too bad cause it was a short distance. This turned out to be good because I ended up being one of the first girls in my division out of the water. Laryssa and Andrew said that they had to run over to the transition area to even see me get out of the water. Ok, swim part done!

Waiting with Laryssa for my portion of the swim to start. It was quite cold outside of the water, but once inside it was a great sprinting temperature.

The biking was 15 miles, short, not hilly and actually really beautiful. It was a really nice ride and we were all able to go pretty fast due to the mostly flat terrain. I did quite a bit of passing on my bike (but don't worry all those people whizzed past me when it came time to run!) and it was quite the array of bikes that people were racing with. Some people had full out tri bikes with special wheels and tri handle bars and others were doing the race in totally beat up old bikes or beach cruisers. It was a huge mix.

Lastly, the run... my nemesis! All I can say about the run is this- I really wanted to stop running- often, but all I could think of was 'what will I tell Laryssa if I stop running and walk? She will kill me!' Oh and she would know if I walked- since she pretty much knows my running times and ability (or lack there of!). Any ways like I said all those people I passed on the bike ride went right past me in the run! Hahaha! This race definitely showed me that I have a long ways to go before I am ready to really run an Olympic distance tri.

This was a hilly run on a loose gravel trail so there were some obstacles for me as a new runner, but I am very happy to say that while I ran slowly, I ran the whole time. Thus completing my goal of wanted to be able to start and finish my first triathlon without stopping in the middle.

I was also able to accomplish my other goal which was to finish in under an hour and a half. I finished at 1 hour 14 minutes with the winner finishing at 55 minutes. I am super super happy with that time and am glad that it is my jumping off point for future races.

Finishing the race after being passed up on the run by many many people. But finishing strong. my actual time was 1:14- you have to deduct 15 minutes from the time due to the swimming wave I started in.

All in all I think that this race was great closure to a summer of training and I can say that I fell in love with this sport. Sadly, for the next few months I need to back off of the training so that I can get my grad school applications over and done with. Also so that I can save some money for X-mas and 2011 races (the start up for this sport is mad expensive!)

However, since I am reducing my training schedule it has opened up time for me to really start to teach Laryssa to swim! We have started with the basics (kicking and breathing) but I am hoping to get her ready to do some tris in 2011! I can not wait to see her progress in the pool and be at HER first sprint triathlon! In exchange she is going to attempt to make me a runner :)

We'll have to see how the trade off goes for the next few months! I am sure there will be many peg-leg days in my future, but I do feel satisfied to know that Laryssa will also be feeling the burn from swimming!!

Elevations a Bitch: Liz:0- Running:1

Went for an easy 4 mile run today now that I am staying with family in Utah for the next few days... and I nearly died. Why did no one remind me that I run at sea level in San Francisco and that my family lives WAY above sea level. It is also damn hot and dry here. I think I was only able to run about 2.5 miles of it and the rest of the time if felt like ralphing on the side of the highway.

Oh running, my evil nemesis, you never go away do you?

A shout out!

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to two people here.

1. Robbie- for being an awesome sport and now swimming with me on Wednesdays (when I don't flake on his ass...). He pounded out two 500 meters last time with a smile on his face. I am super excited for next Wednesday when I KNOW he will be up for a pyramid of 400's, 500's and 600's :) (I might even be able to eek out a 800)

2. Laryssa- who on her first time swimming went into Lake Anza with us on Sunday and did some open water kicking drills. Open water swimming is totally scary, but she pulled through and didn't give up! Next time- swim class in a pool, and I know it will be so much easier.

A big Whoot Whoot! to all of my new swimming buddies!

Somehow we are now in August!

Wow I can't believe that we are now in August! I have no idea how that happened. Well work has been crazy- which is the main reason for why I haven't posted anything in ages. That and my mom came for a visit so no training happened when she was here.

The past two weeks have been pretty standard. I have been running more with my co-worker Laryssa and she has been helping my running a lot. It has been a nice change of pace to get out and run around the neighborhood instead of on a track or on a treadmill. It is a bit easier to try and keep myself motivated when I am running on the streets, plus Laryssa keeps me entertained the whole time :)

I've had a few good swims here and there, but apart from our last long bike ride I hadn't been on a ride til this Sunday. This Sunday we all decided to take it a bit easy since some of us were sore, some of us were still reeling from the party we went to on Friday and some were feeling a bit lazy. So we all decided to do the "steepest" hill in Berkeley.

It was short, but tiring. Centennial gets up to 11% in its grade at one point so it is by no means a little hill. Luckily, it doesn't last for too long.



That was a good push for all of us. I must say it was very taxing on the legs and was by no means a piece of cake. On the way up we ran into a guy trying to do the hill as well. He was doing little switch backs to try and make it up- I think he almost took down each of us as we tried to pass him! He almost ran right into me and I don't think that if he had I would have been able to do anything fast enough but just fall flat on the pavement!

After our short little ride we went on a 3 mile run- which was not super enjoyable, but something that I need to get used to doing more and more. On the way we ran into a little blue and white Budgerigars Bird (a budgie) that was clearly a lost house bird. We were able to scoop it up and spent some time trying to find the house that it came from. Luckily one neighbor was home and we left the bird with him in hopes that if he couldn't find the house the little guy belonged to at least he would take him to an animal shelter. Then back to the run.

My running is slowly getting better- ever so slowly. I am still not up to running on real hills yet, but at least I have figured out a way to keep going even when I feel like giving up. It is a short 100 meter improvement each week, but at least it is improving! And thank god I don't get as horridly sore any more!

This coming week I'll be in Utah spending some quality time with my grandma and the only thing that I will be able to do is run, so I hope I am able to push myself to do it!