Chicago, Round 1

August 26th, 2012. My first Olympic distance triathlon. I had a new bike. I had new running shoes. I had a new swim suit (because I still didn't understand wetsuits). But I had actually trained. So that was something, right?

The swim was in Lake Michigan. It was in a harbor, so somewhat protected by the waves that can develop. All I remember is the madness of the start. Limbs flying, we're producing our own waves, people swimming over other people. These chicks were for real! But I'm a strong swimmer, so I took off  with them. And made it. Finished that swim in 32.28. Not terrible, I didn't think, for my first time.

Then my nemesis. The bike. But wait! I had a beautiful new bike! No longer my nemesis! And he wasn't. He did great. I did great. I rode Earendil (yes, I phrase it that way intentionally), to a time of 1:30.35. It was such a boring out and back, out and back, loop on Lake Shore Drive (LSD). They have since changed it, but that first time? Oh my how awful. You go all the way up north, you turn around, you come back down south, you can hear the transition area! And then you have to go back out and do it again. Mentally fatiguing! And Chicago, while flat, does have some unexpected inclines and LSD! I wasn't prepared for those. My tree-trunk thighs handled them admirably though. Like they still do.

So now it was time for my true nemesis. The run. And I say this because it is. I am not, evolutionarily, built to be a runner. I'm just not. I build bulk muscle instead of lean muscle, I've got ridiculously wide hips (the actual pelvis, not just the giggly stuff encasing it), and I discovered a genetic condition which makes me uniquely prone to soft tissue injuries (more on that in later posts!). All in all, running = bad. But, if I want to be a triathlete, and I was gonna finish this race, I need to run. So I did. And by that, I mean, I mostly walked again. All 6.2 miles. But I did it! Run time was 1:17.04. But damn there was nothing like crossing that finish line at 3:29.36. Only some 45 minutes behind my sprint time of approximately half the distance! I am amazing! I cried. Ugly cried. Oh it was so ugly. Sobbed into my mom's arms. I think other racers were actively worried about me. Did I care? Hell, no! I did it! I finished! I had new goals! And I was ready for all that came next.

2012--no idea weight, but less than 250!