In 2015 my best friend at the time did the NYC Triathlon, quite a few of my Hellgate teammates participate in triathlons and IRONMANs, and of course, you've seen me bopping around IRONMANs with the inspiring Adrienne Bunn.
In 2021, I participated in the Beauty and the Beast triathlon on St. Croix as part of a relay team where I was the runner subbing for someone who was injured.
However, my stance in participating in a full triathlon was similar to my stance on camping until I was 33 - no, nope, not for me, I will not do it, I'm going to hate it, NOT HAPPENING.
Well, I did it.
After getting dealt blow after blow at work in a short amount of time, and being served ad after ad for the Hudson Valley Tri on Instagram, I said fuck it. It's a small, local race, I shouldn't know anyone there, and I won't tell anyone except a few people I'm doing it just in case I really can't do it.
I never doubted my ability to actually finish, it was the time cut-offs that were making me uneasy.
On Friday, June 28, I packed the car with all of the gear I bought via Amazon, along with my mountain bike from Walmart, and headed to packet pick-up on the way to my upstate apartment.
It was a quick in and out. I grabbed my packet that included all the stickers I'd need, the race-issued swim cap, an ankle timing chip, and t-shirt, and before continuing on my journey further north, I walked down to the lake where we'd be swimming the following day. Just for a quick peek!
At my apartment, I ate a quick dinner then laid out all of the gear I needed, packed what would go to transition, and left out what I needed to wear in the morning.
I arrived nice and early to get one of the good parking spots and made my way to the transition area to set up. My poor mountain bike tires were too big to fit into the slots but I improvised, as did many others around me.
After all of my items were set up, I hung out in my area. I chose a spot next to the fence so I was out of the way of people who have done this before. It was a great choice because I ended up making friends with the people in front of me! They also live down in the city and split time upstate.
It was announced that the transition area was closed for sprint athletes and we had to head down to the swim start. I grabbed my cap and goggles and made my way down the rocky path. There was about five minutes until the safety briefing when I arrived so I jumped in the water for a quick warmup. Afterwards, we got briefed and the men were off! Once they were on their way, the women were told to get in the water so I started swimming out to the start buoy and before I even got there it was go time!
I'm a fish - I love surfing, paddle boarding, lake days, pool days, beach days - but I've never participated in a swim race. I positioned myself towards the back and just took it leisurely. While I know four different types of swim strokes, I could not remember the best breathing pattern for regular (ok so I also don't know what the normal swim stroke is called, LOL) so 75% of the time I did have my face above water making my form way too perpendicular which resulting in weird kicking for me. But I took it slow and steady! Once I made it around the first buoy I embraced it, decided it wasn't bad at all and was super proud of myself. There was an aggressive male swimmer that was splashing all over the place near me but it didn't deter me.
I was shocked I wasn't last out of the water for men or women. My legs were slightly wobbly but nothing I couldn't walk off. I did end up walking most of the way over the rocks because I am indeed marathon training and keeping the legs and feet healthy was a priority over this side quest. Once I got to the grassy area I picked it up to a jog to my bike.
After wiping my feet with my towel, putting my shoes on, then regular prescription Roka's (there was no sun so I opted for clearer vision with these glasses vs non-prescription sunnies or none at all), grabbing a quick drink of strawberry LMNT, I grabbed my bike and jogged it out to the mounting line and I was off!
The bike portion was what I was most nervous about. For starters, I was on a true mountain bike with suspension and thick tires. I overinflated the tires so there was a possibility they could explode. And the gear on the left doesn't really go all the way down.
It became clear very quickly that hills were the name of the game here. While I saw some people walking their bikes up some hills in the first half, I made it through the turnaround unscathed but I did have to walk up two short sections on the way back. Alternatively, I did get to fly down a few hills at 25 mph which was so liberating and freeing. Once I turned around and started making my way back I knew I had it in the bag.
As the distance neared 12 miles, my confidence was boosted and the prospect of finishing was real. I swooped into the dismount area and walked up the hill, then jogged my bike in, grabbed some LMNT, put my new bib belt on (I'm obsessed), and set out on the run.
Because the only tri I've participated in was a relay and I did the run portion, I wasn't sure what to expect with my legs. The run was on a trail so I just let my body do what it wanted. Once my legs settled, I was able to pick up the pace and started passing people.
1.5 miles out, a quick turnaround, then 1.6 miles back, I cruised through the finish line and completed my first sprint triathlon, and first solo tri!
Reluctantly, I did not hate this nearly as much as I tried to convince myself and others I would. Dare I say I had fun? Trying new things and challenging yourself when you're feeling really down can help elevate your confidence and mood. Sometimes you just need to hand yourself a win to feel better!
This experience reminded me that yes, I can do hard things, I've survived all of the hell I've been through in life, and you're never too old or too novice to try something new. It showed me my training is paying off, that I have a shot at my goal in Chicago, and that I should rent a better bike next time.
This was supposed to be a one and done, but I foresee another sprint with a flat bike course in my future.
And before you ask or suggest it, the answer is no. I bought a lovely $40 LuluLemon IRONMAN Support Crew tank in Chattanooga and that is what I will stay for those events.
XO,
Lynette
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