RYKA Iron Girl Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

PANIC. Completely out of nowhere. Waiting on the beach in the corrale and I was calm and ready to race. As soon as the race director said we could get in the water I FREAKED out. Swallowed a little water which normally I would have coughed off but I couldn't breathe. I tried to get under control before the air gun went off but no such luck. The race started...without me. I tried to swim but I couldn't take a breathe out so I tread water for what seemed to be minutes. I told myself to calm down and I was NOT going to quit. After all the blue caps were swimming I finally started my race. A little trouble at first but eventually I got into it and was back, ready to race. I knew I had some time to make up so I concentrated on form and just getting to the other end.

Not sure because I'm not sure what caused me to panic. I wasn't nervous before the race and I didn't have any fears going into the swim. Obviously, I need to swim faster but I'm working on that.

Running up that huge hill certainly didn't help T1...when I saw my time for this I was like no way but then I remembered the timing mat was before the steep hill. Anyway, I feel good about this. I'm sure I could get faster but not what I need to work on right now(hmmm...swimming)

Nothing.

Percieved exertion had me faster than what I was actually going. This tells me I do not know how to race on the bike. I felt like I was pushing the entire race and not slowing way down on hills like I normally do. I guess I need more training at Cartersville..Aside from my bike not shifting gears properly and the cluster f*** on the way back in on holiday road the ride went very well. My bike..well during a race there's nothing that can be done. As for the idiots in their cars blocking me from passing the bikers in front of me because they wouldn't get over..well that just made me mad. And by mad I may have been yelling a little. I wanted to go faster, this is a race and all but because of traffic I couldn't go around and had to significantly slow down. Boo.

Ride faster. Push myself harder.

This went smoothly. Found my lost inhaler in my running shoe which made me happy.

Nothing.

Well this wasn't the best run for me. It didn't feel good (not that it's supposed to but in the wow this is way hard today) My breathing was out of control the entire run and after the turn around I had to use my inhaler while running to try and calm myself down. There's being out of breath because you are working hard and then there's being out of breath because your lungs aren't working at full capacity..I know the difference by now and I was experiencing both :) I will say that me having to use my inhaler in no way inhibited me or my race. I ran what I could and would have had the same run regardless. Anyway, I know I can do better on the run.

Push past the fatigue. Stay focused on moving forward. Run faster because I know I can.

A very long walk back to my car...twice.


Overall this was not the race I trained for and planned on having. I beat my goal or well one of them, but my time was not where it could be. Obviously starting the race with a full on panic attack is not the best but I was over that before I got out of the water. My bike could have cooperated with me and changed gears without the grinding and also when I changed them. It would wait a minute or so before changing sometimes, but whatever I love my bike. My legs just didn't do what I expected out of them on the run but whatever I love them too :) Seriously though just had a bad run today. What's that saying...Any given Sunday?


The only issue I have with the race is the traffic on Holiday making it very difficult to pass. Otherwise there were more than enough water stations with excellent volunteers.