Let The Triathlons Begin

This past Saturday was my first triathlon of the season. Last year I did two and fell in love with them. A triathlon gives one such a sense of accomplishment and inspiration. When I completed my firt tri last July, I couldn't believe it. Me. World Girl. Many a thing has been said about me, but being an athlete has never been one of them. Not only did I complete the triathlons, but I did a good job finishing respectfully.

On Saturday, I did the Lake Padden Triathlon in Bellingham, WA. One of the fun things about having done this tri alone, was I got to meet new people. I chatted away those who were racked next to me (Racked means where you have your bike hung. It is your designated transition area.) When I went to warm up, I met all kinds of people who opted not to wear wetsuites. We bonded while shivering. I even met a gentleman who was visiting from New Orleans and decided he would do the tri. Very impressive.

I was in the recreational category, wanting to ease my way into the season. It was a 1/4 mile swim; a 10 mile bike ride and a 2.6 mile run. Swimming is my strong suite, so I plowed throught the 1/4 mile. I swear I was a mermaid in a former life. Then onto the bike ride. The brochure mentioned that the route was a bit "hilly". Ahem. Why, yes it was hilly. The first mile was straight up hill to be matter of fact. Hills kill me when I ride. It just knocks me over. The last two mile of the ride were much worse. The hills were considerably steeper, and at one point I had to get off my bike and push. Wow. Then the run was easy. Easy soft dirt trail. I finished a lot sooner than I thought I would, so I'm quite pleased. Next is Clear Lake on July 9th; Seafair on July 17th, Danskin in August and then if I'm really a bad ass, I'll do an Olympic sized tri in September (1 mile swim; 26 mile ride; 6 mile run).

With visions of hills dancing in my head....
World Girl