Melissa's Triathlon

Emma reluctantly gave me permission to use the Blog this weekend!

I did my first triathlon this weekend. Now it was not an Ironman, it was a mini mini one....1/3 mile swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.

It was scary, fun, and exhausting! Rich videoed it and you can see a 10 minute snap shot of the event on YouTube.com (enter Melissa's First Triathlon or Tynman)

I have been training for 4 weeks, and still can't free style swim without freaking out. But I did the mileage this Thursday and decided it was do-able.

So the morning starts out COLD (cold to me - it was like 68) and I am really worried about freezing in the water. So I walked down to the bay and checked out the water temperature after I set-up my stuff.

It was chilly but not unbearable. I started walking out to see how far I could walk versus swim (that was my strategy - to walk as much as I could to save my energy for what I could do ...bike and run.)I got about 6 feet out and ran into a bunch of weeds. This was a problem........a man was there with me and he picked up a sea thing (looked like a mini porcupine) and explain that if was excruciatingly painful if you stepped on one. (By the way, you couldn't see it without pulling apart the weeds and picking through them.) I asked him what this blue thing was next to my feet, as he was say "Oh that's a blue crab" IT MOVED. I screamed, jumped back, lost my flip flops, and checked to make sure the crab didn't get me. At this point, I was getting NERVOUS and started talking to myself to keep from FREAKING OUT. (BTW - The guy in the water had on water shoes, ducked taped to him to prevent him from stepping on something. He apparently was in the air force and had a lot of experience swimming in this area.)

So I head back to the transition area chat with a former employee and use the restroom (in a portal potty).

TIME FOR the RACE
The organizer talks through the basics and cautions us on the bike course to watch out for deer and wild turkey. She explained that they have been know to jump out in front of you. I spontaneously spouted out "are you serious", she responds with a chuckle "Yes but I am sure we will be fine today".

It time - the horn blows - I pace myself, planning to be at the back of the pack to keep from being kicked or hit in the mad dash of real swimmers. I basically tip toe out to the weeds and start swimming. About 5 strokes in, I'm tired. Time to roll over to my old faithful side stroke. I am hanging out at the very end of the swim with three guys. They are as bad as I am, maybe even worse (if that is possible). One of the guys and I get tangled up coming around the second buoy. He jokes about his wife thinking we have something going on, I was so tied I couldn't speak so I just laughed. I was thinking, I am so tired, I couldn't lift a leg to save my life.

I finish the swim and slowly walk to get my bike. So slow that Rich starts pointing out that if I would hurry I could beat the other three people who have not left with their bike yet. LOL

I get on my bike (Rich's hand me down, it's his bike from college) and head out. Got my energy back and competitiveness sets in. I bike at a 16.3 mile pace (my fastest to date) and pass everyone that I can see in front of me on the course, that's about 12 people. I didn't see any deer or turkey, but I did see a dead coral snake in the road.

Now to the run, legs are like concrete, but still have the energy and competitive blood flowing. About 1/2 mile in the heat sets in and I am not sure if I will be finishing this thing. I did pass two people and longed for the 1.5 mile water station. Finally I get there, two sips and the rest I pour over me. That was good for about 10 seconds. It was HOT now. I manage to finish and I didn't resort to walking. I finished in 1 hour 33 minutes and 50 seconds. That is 6 minutes faster than my goal, so I called it a success and make my way to the food station for a banana.

I end up getting a slice of pizza (the smell was overwhelming calling me), a cookie, and a banana. We then were off to McDonald's so Rich could get some breakfast and it's all over by 9:30 AM.