Liz crossing the finish line
July 21
Weather: A gorgeous, ideal summer morning. 70 degrees, sunny with a few puffy clouds.
Goal: To complete my first Triathlon; a goal I had wanted to achieve for over 20 years!
Result: Completion! Total time: 1:44:08
Swim: 20:33 T1: 3:04 Bike: 45:57 T2: 1:45 Run: 32:49
Fans: Mike and Nick. They were awesome! Cheering me on and sharing in my incredible happiness! THIS was the pinnacle of the season!
Riding toward Transition 2
Review: This was the event that motivated me to do all the others, before and after. I had wanted to do a triathlon for years and finally got up the nerve. The course was great. The lake was warm and calm and provided for a quick swim. Transitions were easy since I chose to swim, bike and run in basically one outfit (bathing suit with added shorts for bike and run). The transition to running was the most difficult but I knew it was coming and I knew the sensation so worked through it quickly. The hardest part of the bike was one “known” hill on the course. Many women get off their bikes and walk it; not me! The final push into the finishing corral was awesome. The emotion of all my dreams becoming a reality took over and I cried tears of happiness. The organization, Irongirl, that produces the race was awesome. They were supportive and encouraging and helped by providing a lot of information to be prepared. I will do this again and again!
Showing off my finisher’s metal with Mike!
Ugh moment: The wait before the swim was brutal. All my nerves were jumbled. You never really know if you are ready and I wasn’t 100% sure, especially about the swim. A woman next to me gave me a nice side hug and assured me that it was going to be great! She was wonderful.