This year’s triathlon season began this weekend in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Since it was my only tri of the summer, I was really looking forward to the weekend! Sadly, I had a cold leading up to the race but was so happy to wake up Sunday with an unstuffed nose and a clear head. We had a fantastic day on Saturday playing on the lake before Sunday’s early morning rise. The sun was just creeping up over the trees and the lake looked calm and peaceful.
Note to self…don’t ever forget to bring oatmeal for out of town races or you’re breakfast will be this hodgepodge of brown rice, almond milk, banana, and blueberries. Luckily, it tasted a little better than it looked!
We headed down to the pier to load our bikes onto the boat. I thought it was neat to drive to packet pickup in a boat, but arriving at a triathlon by boat…EVEN COOLER!!!
I loved the wind in my hair as we bounced across the lake heading towards the race site.
Look who was leading the way and even more excited to arrive!
We unloaded our bikes at the pier and made our way to the transition site. The Ripon Medical Center triathlon is a small (around 200 people) community race. The transition area was easy to access and the other races were warm and friendly.
The best part about the morning was watching the sun rise over the lake!
It was stunning!
Our pre-race pictures!
Just before the boys entered the water, my parents and the BOY got dropped off to watch the race and cheer us on. I was feeling a little nervous before entering the water.
The boys went in about 10 minutes before me making the swim look easy (because for them…it is!).
Finally it was our time…
While I was out in the water, the boys came out of the water and went into transition. My Dad got some awesome action shots along the way!
What felt like hours later (although it was closer to 16 minutes), I finally excited the water and strolled my way into transition.
My thoughts on my swim…the first 5 minutes went wonderfully. I was calm, my stroke was strong-ish, and I channeled my inner Olympian. Then I hit the first buoy, slowed down a bit, rounded the second buoy, and my goggles fogged up completely and I had no idea where I was going. I was able to make my way back to the beach, but my goggles were already starting to leak. I finished the last few feet breast stroking with my goggles on my forehead before dragging myself out of the water. My swim was slow, but steady and I was thrilled that I stayed calm and actually had some fun this time.
I took my time in transition feeling excited to have the bike and run ahead of me. It was a gorgeous day to be out for a bike ride!
I mounted my bike and rode off towards the 1 mile long hill that started the 15 mile bike ride. It was a tough transition powering up the hill, but once I made it to the highway, I hit my stride. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride and I love biking through the rolling hills surrounded by greens and farmland. The miles flew by, and I got a lot of practice switching my gears. I passed a few people around my age around mile 5 and then was on my own for most of the bike, except for the speedy guys on aerobikes whizzing by me. The ride was hilly, but for me the hardest part was riding the one mile back down to transition along the winding hill at 25mph. I kept one hand on the brake and my eyes fixed forward hoping that I didn’t fall. I arrived safely to transition about 15 minutes after my brother…
Before heading out for a hilly 5K run. Didn’t my dad get some incredible photos?!
When I made it back to transition, there was only one portion of the race left and it was my favorite! I hit the run at full speed and then realized that I was headed back up another huge 1 mile hill. Yikes! The 5K was non-stop up and down, and I was happy that I had been training in the hills this summer! I saw my brother right before the half way turn around point, and my parents were waiting for him at the finish.
A few minutes later, it was my turn to sprint to the finish. With the help of the hill, I had whole lot of momentum (and some adrenaline) to carry me across the finish line with the Fam cheering me on the whole way!
During the last uphill portion of the run, I felt the strongest that I had all summer. It was an amazing feeling! It’s been a year of ups and downs and a few weeks of stress, but climbing up that final hill, I finally felt like a triathlete! When I crossed the finish, I was in great spirits. I loved everything about this race. It was well run with some of the friendliest and most enthusiastic volunteers that I have ever seen. And…who doesn’t want to dig into a huge slice (or four) of watermelon when they’re done?! Not to mention that I did beat my brother by a full four minutes : )
Post race…we were all smiles!!! And, planning to return next summer to compete in the Green Lake Triathlon again!!! I hope to see some of you there!
We boarded our boat to head back home for some food and a victory beer!
Plus a few handfuls of chocolate covered raisins…one of my post race favorite snacks!!! All in all, it was such a fun and exciting weekend, and I am thrilled to have competed in my third tri season. Even though it was the shortest of the three, it was definitely a weekend to remember! I am huge fan of the sprint distance triathlon, and I see many more in my future : )
A few days post race, I am feeling incredible! My shoulders are a little sore (will someone please refer me back to this post next summer when it comes time for training in the pool?!), but I was back on my bike this morning for a leisurely ride, and I am looking forward to my family visiting this weekend. Saturday, it is back to Wisconsin for the Rugged Maniac Mud Run!
Final Results
Swim: 16:00
Transition 1: 2:40
15 mile Bike: 55:49
Transition 2: 1:40
5k Run: 24:43
TOTAL: 1:40:50
Overall Place: 71
Division Place: 3/10
Female Place: 16/73