I ROCKED!! I did awesome and I'm so proud of myself.
We got down to the swim start about 15 minutes before my start time. I was watching all the swimmers and was amazed by how terrible some people were, (and then I remembered my Pleasant Prairie experience) My heat got into the water and I stayed back not wanting to get in the middle of thrashing bodies. I started to swim and felt good. I was relaxed and strong. I really liked how the swim was set up because the spectators could easily watch you from the shore. I could see Jeremy follow me the entire way. I could hear him cheering for me which was definitely encouraging. He said I ended up passing almost everyone in my heat :)
I finished the swim and got to transition in 40 min. I ripped off my wet suit, got a snack and threw on my spin shoes. I was off on the bike and passing people the whole way. We started by heading north and directly into the wind. This was definitely where I felt the wind the most. My legs were on fire as I kept shifting gears trying to find a comfortable one to ride. My only complaint with the race was that the bike route was crowded. We were on Lakeshore Drive and had 2 lanes to ride in but other bikers were not respectful about the riding lane and passing lane (we were in Chicago and the drivers here don't seem to understand the difference between driving lanes and passing lanes either) So I was always trying to maneuver around people. My average speed ended up being just over 20mph and I finished the ride in 1:14.
Back in transition I slid on my running shoes and took off. I felt good for about the first mile and then my legs started feeling like lead. The sun was hot and I was tired. I made myself keep running. Every mile they had a water station so I would allow myself to walk by the water station to grab a drink but then I had to to start running again. You don't realize how long a mile really is until you have to run it! The last 1/4 mile I picked up my pace. As I crossed the finish line I heard them say my name and you have no idea how proud I was. I managed to keep my run pace at 9:47, which is considerably slower then what I train, but I didn't stop :)
I finished the race in 3hrs and 41secs. I wanted to break the 3 hour mark but can't really complain about 41 seconds. What a difference between the first race and this one. Jeremy and my sister were somewhere down at the finish line but I didn't see them. I ended up walking back to find my bike and I even rode it home. I felt so great the rest of the day. Yeah, my legs were a little tired but besides that I was hyped. I conquered my fear of swimming and I finished the triathlon.
I am officially addicted! I love the sport and there will definitely be more in my future. There will be pictures posted soon. So check back to see me swimming and running :)
