Ann Arbor Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I am mixing up freestyle and other strokes to keep on going... on the return the freestyle came a lot easier and I felt stronger on the last 400m than I did on the first.

Swim more freestyle. HTFU!

Here is where I realized that I was missing one sock. One of my most favorite Smart Wool socks. This took about 2 minutes out of my transition as I was looking around frantically for that darn sock. The good thing here is that I can bike without socks, so I was not so worried for this leg... I just knew that the run was going to suck.

Bring two pairs of socks. :)

Freaking eh. Every hill meant a new photog waiting to take humilating pics of me panting, struggling up hills and generally making nasty faces.

Here is the not cool thing.. I had to use the big ring for 85-90% of the race... HILLS INCLUDED. I could NOT shift to smaller rings to save my life. Tom at Bikesport MI lubed her up a bit so when she did switch gears it was smooth - but all of a sudden I lost the bottom two rings and I knew that the big hills were commming.

The start was rough. Not going to lie. My legs were a little frazzled from the crash Wednesday night and the general excitement of the race. But I like the bike. I need to love the hills!

Once again I finished stronger than I started. I passed quite a few people out there and only the Men 40-44 ag passed me, even then it was only 5 or 6 superstars.

MORE HILLS.

My heart broke a little in this transition. This is the exact point where I doubted myself. Not at the start, not on the bike... but right here.

I was all racked and ready to put on my shoes when I had to stop a moment and realy think. CAN I do this 5 mile trail run sans socks? I have not ever ran more than 1 mile without socks, and never in these shoes.

NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

But I cannot let one stupid little sock keep me from what I have been training so hard for, right?

To continue or not was the biggest question. And belive me when I say this - that made me mad. How dare I even have to consider pulling out due to a sock.

Then it hit me. BT was here. Matt was here. Jaclyn was here, Joanne, Kimm, Trixie, Robyn, Glen, Rottieguy, Bob, Ranger, Kristen, Leah, Andrea, Kelly, SweetP and Brickey were all here, if not physically at least in my heart. MY tri club was here. Lana was here. My support system was all right here with me in that little 2' by 4' transition spot.

How could I have gotten 14.5 miles into a race - MY race and then think of quitting? Was a piece of wool so important that it would stand in my way of completing my dream?

HELL NO.

I had come too far emotionally, physically to stop now. Today is still my day - I showed up and toed the line after a bike crash just 4 days earlier. How is a piece of wool going to beat that?

It wouldn't.

So I grabbed the body glide and went to town. NOTE - it is amazing what goes through your head when you have time to stop and think about it. This was the longest 3:09 minutes that I have ever had.

When I applied the body glide to my shoes (the collar) as well as as parts of both of my feet I forgot my arches. Guess where I blistered? Oh yeah. Today, almost a week out from the race, they are still bright red and scabbed over. My arches got rubbed raw.

Dang sock thief!



Body glide every conceivable square inch of my lower body. Seriously. :) No, not seriously, however I would have to remember that any rubbing will equal blistering or chaffing, so body glide is a great thing.

When it doubt - glide it out!

Making hills my bitch since mile 2 on the Poto - this is for sure my new motto. :)

I walked a LOT. Not that I couldn't run, only that I couldn't run well without the rubbing raw of my feet making me want to puke a little.

I am not kidding.

It was LONG, PAINFUL... awakening.

I had a lot of alone time out there. People passed me left and right and I started to break down. Not crying break down - but in my head I started to let the happenings of the last week set in. Please learn something from this - don't let negativity creep into your head at mile 2 of a 5 mile trail run. I love trail running, yet I was in a funk. I needed someone. ANYONE. I just needed someone to appear so I wasn't alone.

Mile 3.5 they came. A fellow female 30-34 AGer that was struggling more than I was. Thank you God for allowing me this. That was it! I found someone that I could cheer on and support and that made me feel so much better. I walked with her and got her to run a bit more than she was previously. I told her that if I can run with raw feet - she can run with me! I think that she needed someone too as she said she was about ready to quit.

We talked, laughed, ran, walked, and shared our training stories the last 1.5 miles. That last 1.5 miles went by in such a blurr - I really am blessed that someone came by just as I needed them.


So, when I say that I finished the race in part because of all of you... please know that I meant it. I am not weak - but I am stronger because of you.

After tackling the last uphill of the race - I came barreling into the park and all of a sudden the pain dissappeared. As people came into focus, the memory of the blisters, the trails, the broken heart all faded away.

I ran down the finishing hill to chants of my name. I felt like a superstar - there waiting for me was EVERYONE! My tri club - my BT friends - my mentors, friends... my family of triathletes!

I felt so excited to have done it! I took "HTFU" to a whole new personal meaning, and I did it.

I was had made my goal and accomplished my dream.

I was a triathlete forged in blood and dirt. And I came out of Ann Arbor stronger than I had entered.


BRING TWO PAIRS OF SOCKS!!!!!!!

Walking around, tearing off shoes examining blisters, talking with BTers and FASTers. Eating the best dang chicken sandwhich ever (I think that it could have been cardboard and I would have been just as eager to chow it down honestly.)

Stood in line forever for a massage, but decided to not do it since my endorphins were dropping and I wanted to get home.


Really? I cannot put limits on myself, I can only allow myself to move forward. By that alone I was a success. I refuse to think in terms of speed right now. Finishing is my goal and I did it. TIME will improve my abilities.


In my head I swore off AA next year. But now that the pain has subsided and I have a full season ahead of me, I have decided to come back and show AA what I got. This time prepared to run with or without socks, and ready to kick some major biking hills azz.

I am glad that my first race was so difficult. I do not think that I would have the same respect for the sport if I did a smaller race. I know now what it feels like to struggle out there. I needed that.