The Race

Yesterday I participated in what will surely go down as the most difficult and yet most beautiful triathlon I have done/will ever do. I think I did it in slightly over 2 hours, and I'm okay with my time, even though it seems longer than my last race time.

I started at 6:40 ish, relishing in watching the sun rise over beautiful Fontana Lake. Ironically, the 70 degree water felt warm compared to the 50 something degree waters. I even passed a bunch of hot shot young guys who really didn't know how to swim anything more than a half-hearted sidesstroke, and I was a-okay with that.

The bike was long (18 miles), and hilly, and even chilly, but it was also beautiful. I got to ride through beautiful rural Wisconsin through farms and fields, past marshes and little ponds. You could see the atmospheric levels where the fog met sky or where the fog hadn't quite been burned off by the sun. I think I banged it out in a little over an hour, and at one point hit 36mph going downhill. I will never ride a bike without a helmet, because as exhilarating as that was, it was also a little unnerving being slightly out of control.

The run, in general, seemed short. But it was HARD. Really, really hard. The first 1.5 miles gradually went up hill, but the last quarter of that was on a hill so steep, virtually nobody could run it. I cut myself some slack when I saw very athletic looking 20 something year old males walking uphill in exasperation. Plus, my heart rate was about 184 beats per minute, and I'm sorry, but I'm not havin' a heart attack for no race. Running down the "killer hill" was much easier.

I went home, ate a burger, took a 2 hour nap, drank a few beers, and slept deeply for almost 9 and 1/2 hours. I feel great today, though my neck on the right side is sore-either from how I slept or stabilized myself during the race.

Next year, if I do this race I'm doing it right. My parents are NOT allowed to go on vacation. They can take my kids for the weekend, and John and I will enjoy a weekend getaway, complete with the Lake Geneva Wine Fest celebration after the tri race.

But, I'm already having nightmares about that hill.