Lone Star Triathlon Festival - Sprint - TriathlonSprint

This was so cold!!!! I have no wetsuit and am too cheap to buy or rent one so on Thursday when I read it was 72 in the bay, I was very excited. However, a storm rolled through and it was down to 65 by the time my wave started :( Swimming was honestly not an option for me. The whole way all I kept thinking was "just keep moving don't let your shoulders lock up". No thoughts on speed, form, anything. Just all my energy was concentrated on keeping the blood in my shoulders or else risk injury. I honestly had no idea where I was in respect to the other girls in my wave or any other waves, I just kept looking at the boat near the finish and thinking about my poor shoulders. I tried some mental games, thinking about being hot, on a beach, etc but nothing worked.

Quite honestly I hate wetsuits so I think either I have to stick to warm-water tris or know my swims will stink.

This was pretty good, I ran the whole way and got on to my bike rather quickly. However, an idiot ran his bike in front of mine just as I was getting going and I had to bail off my bike and start over. Ugh :(

Hit him? No, that's not nice. I need to practice so I can leave my shoes on the bike. I tried it during practice and it wasn't pretty so it wasn't in anyone's best interest for me to try this again during the race.

Aack - who knew riding a bike in the wind could be so much fun??? I got going and heading out to the seawall my legs are burning, my hr is high and I look down and I'm going 14. 14??? That can't be right! Plus, I was passing people at my blazing fast speed. Something was wrong, very wrong. I looked at the people coming back in and they were flying. Then I realized - winds. I was heading into it. I knew it would be over my shoulder once I hit the seawall so I sucked it up and powered through. I hit the seawall and got going, mostly between 18-19 which is great for me, especially with the winds.

Now, this is where things get weird. Every race I do follows the same format. I'm one of the first out of the water, then about a mile into the bike I begin getting passed. My entire race is spent hearing "woosh-woosh-on your left!" as all the fast riders pass me. This race I kept catching people. I'd pass one and push on to catch the next. It almost became a game to keep leap-frogging. Only 2 girls passed me and I caught them later. It was awesome! I felt super strong and didn't burn out at all. I also never did coast. Apparently all that trainer work this winter has been working.

Not much. Just keep training so I'm even faster next year.

This was good. I pulled off to the side, got off super quickly and took off running. Racked my bike quickly and painlessly. I even remembered to take off my helmet so already this was better then last year.

Learn to get off the bike with my shoes still on it. I can take the shoes on and off on the bike, just can't get on or off without them. Also, I will grab my Gu and go rather then taking it in transition.

The run is normally my nemisis but this was my favorite part of this race. One girl flew by me heading out of transition and I never saw her again. I'm used to being passed by everyone on the run, so I don't even think twice about it. I take off running and keep telling myself to take it easy. This is not an A race and I have a 5K later this evening so I need to leave something in my legs. I'm running along, having a ball chatting with people, cheering and somehow passing people and not getting passed. I get to the first mile marker and my watch reads 8:19. How did that happen? I swore I was running 10:30s. So, I slowed up a bit more and had even more fun and the next mile was 8:45. Still sub-9? At this point I realized no one had passed me on the bike or yet on the run. And, I've passed lots of people. So, at this point I began wondering - did I freeze to death during the swim and no one told me? Maybe this is just a dream/heaven. Either way, I'm having fun!

The last mile a few girls passed but they weren't in my AG so that was ok. I picked it up 5 minutes into the last mile and really opened it up at the 3 mile marker. Unfortunately I realized afterwards that the course was mis-marked. The first 3 mile markers were very short, the last .1 miles was at least .2, if not .3. So, I open it up at the 3 mile marker and that was way too early. It took a lot to keep pushing but I came in strong. Just before the last turn, I was catching a guy. A volunteer yelled at him "you're not going to let that girl catch you so clase to the finish line, are you?". Then she yells at me "Go catch him!". At this point I'm flying. I slow down by him and go "I'll race you to the end". He declined and I finished super strong.

Nothing - I never ever pass people on the run so this was awesome too.

Crossed the finish line to the cheering of my adoring fans (ha!). Found Chad and Brittany and chatted with them while waiting for a massage.


Super rediculously cold water.


Another awesome event from EndorFun Sports :)