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 Swim
Comments: OMG! I was panicking BIG TIME before the swim. Had to do some yoga breathing to keep from passing out. I was really nervous. The water was COLDER than I expected it to be. Swimming form went out the window because of all the masses of people in my wave. Once I got in the water, I just said hey, I just need to get past these buoys and back to shore so do breaststroke and stay calm. Got kicked a couple of times and I think I kicked some people. Heard several people around me panicking so it took alot of effort to stay focused. This swim kicked my butt, big-time! What would you do differently?: Get in the pool more often. Do at least two OWS before race day. Considering that this was my weakest link of the race, I'm just glad I got out of the water.  Transition 1
Comments: Transition area was pretty far from the swim finish. I ran there, but since I was pretty worn out from the swim, I don't think I was going that fast. Rinsed my feet, didn't bother drying them and pulled on socks and sneaks. Threw on my bike shorts and t-shirt over my suit (t-shirt was backwards) remembered to put on and fasten my helmet. Getting to the bike start was difficult as there were people coming in to do the run already! What would you do differently?: Tie my sneaks better, the laces were very loose and almost got caught in my bike chains during the ride. I'd use a tri-suit to avoid having to change any clothes.  Bike
Comments: Was actually glad to be on the bike, because I knew I needed to make up time from the swim. No passing zone helped me just get my legs on before really hitting the course. Saw my mom cheering me on from the sidelines and I got a boost of energy hearing her shout my name. Tailwind on the way out made that part of the ride go well, headwind on the way back was rough though. The ride was very pretty. Passed a few people going out, almost bought it on the turnaround. Made sure to drink on the bike even at the expense of speed. Mile marker signs on the course made me smile and I really tried to remember to have fun and think of the bike as an extension of my body. What would you do differently?: Get cages to help me be able to use my whole leg and not just the quads. Thinking about getting a road bike so that I'm lighter (used my hubby's mountain bike this time out) Probably would push a little harder on the bike next time around. Transition 2
Comments: Stopped the bike to get off. Walked the bike into transition area, still pretty crowded - so it wasn't easy to get back to my place on the rack. Switched bike shorts for running shorts and retied my laces. Pulled off helmet and put on my visor. Grabbed a swig of water and hightailed it out. What would you do differently?: Having a tri suit would make this transition quicker - no need to change shorts. This was pretty fast, considering.  Run
Comments: Starting to run was ROUGH! had to walk a bit just to get my legs to feel less rubbery. Heard my husband shouting out for me to breathe (not that I needed to be told that) but I did focus on my breath and it helped me start to jog. They were giving out that mineral water at the run stations (Carol and I hated the taste, called it ass water) so I just swished it in my mouth and spit it out, poured it down my back and on my head. By the first mile I felt much better and picked it up a bit. Concentrated on using my upper body to help my legs move. Ended up finishing very strong - which I'm sure helped my time. What would you do differently?: do more bike/run bricks prior to the race to help me get over my rubber leg syndrome. get better running shoes. Post race
Warm down: Downed a water, gave back timing chip, searched for family members. Cried when I saw my husband and he says he almost cried too. Hugged mom, cried again, hugged dad, same deal. When I hugged my daugher, she asked me if I won and I said - you bet I did! Ate some honeydew melon that we brought, ate a pear and a banana. Then stood with Carol to cheer on the rest of the runners. What limited your ability to perform faster: Really just needed to train more. I really just wanted to finish this race, so I accomplished my goal. 'nuff said. Event comments: What an emotional experience! Great race for a first timer. So many ways to inspire others and be inspired by others. I joked often that it was Carol's fault/Carol's idea and I did it because she made me, but I'm really glad she asked me to do this with her. Besides the bonding experience, I know that I'm a changed woman. As it says on the medal they gave everyone - the woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes the race. So true! I know that I'm going to take this with me throughout every aspect of my life. Last updated: 2006-06-28 12:00 AM
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United States
Danskin
75F / 24C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 969/1280
Age Group = 35-40 Mixed
Age Group Rank = 179/294
Woke up at 4, determined to remain calm. Made myself a cup of organic green tea and toast with cheese and pumpkin butter. Ate just about all of the toast and drank half the tea. Tummy was in knots, so this took a while. My husband got up shortly after me and was a calming presence going about the morning routine as if we were getting up for a normal weekday. Gotta give props to my 5 year old daughter, Brianna, who just was so cooperative through the whole early morning ordeal. We all got in the car by 5:05AM, including my 75 year old mother-in-law who decided last minute to accompany us (she lives upstairs). Not a problem to have another spectator along, but she BATHED in her cologne. Add that to my topsy turvy stomach and you have the perfect equation for BARFING! I held it off with sheer willpower on the drive to Sandy Hook. We got to the island by 5:50, but getting to the parking lots took another 15 minutes! Played "Oobi" with Brianna in the back seat and hearing her giggle really helped me relax (a little).
By the time I got to the transition area, real estate was at a premium. I squeezed in between two bikes and set up as best I could. Hooked up with my sister, Carol, who got to the site much earlier and headed for the port a johns. Kept drinking water and thought about taking a warm up run but didn't. Met up with a couple of people from BT.