I am just going to say it, I LOVE this new sport of triathlon. It really is so much fun and so very challenging. A month ago after finishing the Tri for the Cure, I barely waited 4 hours before signing Bob and I up for the Littlefoot Triathlon a month later. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with this IT band pain and the week leading up to the TRI I was all butterflies and nerves. The pain has been slowly improving, but I knew I would have to be tender with the race and pay attention to my body.
Well, the morning of the race showed up and we arose to a brisk 49 degrees. Oy. Normally speaking August is a hot month and the water temps are in the low 70s. Well, this August has been different and the water temperature was a shiver inducing 64 on Saturday AM. Man was it cold and neither Bob nor I have wetsuits (a problem that WILL be rectified before Half IRONMAN next June!). I still laugh that we actually got into that water, but we did.
Bob's group began their half mile trek right at 7:05 and I started mine about 20 minutes behind him. Just like the first TRI, the first 100 yards were just a mental fight against the cold. The temperature of that water literally sucks the air out of you and you have to fight to breathe and exert yourself swimming. It is so challenging and only a wee bit scary.
I LOVED the swim. I have been training so very hard to get more comfortable in the water and am beginning to love that event of the TRI. I felt good and came in 8th of about 30 women in my wave. Bam.
The bike was a fantastic course and one I really enjoyed. It was hilly though and required quite a bit of exertion. I loved my aero bars and felt so confident cruising down the road. I definitely was passed by the serious racers, but held my own quite well. Bob went out hard and made up a lot of his lost time in the swim on his bike.
With my IT band, I was most concerned about the run portion (which was new....running is my thing!). I went out easy and decided not to push it. I was feeling it, but it wasn't excruciating and I knew I wasn't damaging anything. The run was nice, but I was definitely glad when it was done. Still not completely back.
Bob finished well and felt great and I pulled into the finish about 15 minutes later at a great 1:20 time. Over 10 minutes faster than my first TRI. Feeling antsy to go further, but grateful that my leg was done.
My finishing picture wasn't as victorious as the first TRI, but I put it in to remind myself that you can't always have an awesome, perfect and strong race. It was good, but I definitely have some rehab work to do on my leg.
The Littlefoot Triathlon was a fantastic end of season race and I must now put TRI racing on the back burner, after all.....snow is coming. Looking forward to many more of these races with the hubby. Can't wait until we have our IRONMAN medals hanging next to each other!
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