This morning, my mom and I completed the Women’s Trek Sprint Triathlon in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin!!! Woohoo!  But, all the fun began yesterday.  We drove up to Wisconsin yesterday morning with a packed car…lots of clothes, gear, and food! And of course, bikes!

 

We arrived at the expo to pick up our packets.  It was my mom’s first expo and she was very excited, especially when she saw our cute tri tank tops.  We met some sweet and interesting people from all over the country.  Many commented about how lucky we were to have such an amazing race in our ‘backyard’.  We enjoyed the free samples and found a new protein powder that I am eager to try called Tera’s Whey.  We also learned about the Swim Angels who would be lining the water with noodles if we need some help during the swim.

We got our race numbers and then racked up our bikes in the transition area.  I got a pre-look at the lake and the swim…which always makes me nervous!  I have never done a pure open water swim across a lake and it was a LONG way across that lake! 

 

  

Afterwards, we headed straight to the outlet mall one mile down the road.  We did some serious damage at the Nike outlet, Loft outlet, AND GAP outlet before checking in to our hotel.  It is always nice to reward oneself after weeks of training and hard work!

It was very motivating to see a city full of female triathletes.  There were women all over (in the fitting rooms, at the gas station) with their race number inked on their arms.  I love seeing all the cars packed with bikes and fabulous stickers.

I hopped in the shower and my mom helped me with my traditional tri hairdo…yes it’s the double braids that I used to wear in elementary school.  The only hairdo that works under my swim cap, helmet, and is still (somewhat) acceptable for post-race pictures.

 

We weren’t sure what to do for dinner, but accidently found a Noodles near our hotel.  Neither my mom nor I had eaten there before and pasta is always the perfect pre-race dinner.  We had a whole wheat noodle and chicken dish with grilled veggies and feta.  It was tasty, light, and fresh and we got to eat outside enjoying a beautiful evening.

I also got a chocolate milk for dessert!  Back at the hotel, we got ourselves organized, relaxed a bit and then headed to bed. I was exhausted and fell asleep before 9.  It was going to be an early morning with a 5:00AM wake up call on race day…

 

It was an exciting and busy day today, so I am off to bed.

Stay tuned for Part II (Race Day) with more pictures and results!