I was nervous going into this sprint triathlon. Why? I hadn’t done a darn thing since my 70.3 Ironman in 2 weeks. My body had been tired, so I let it rest.
The weather forecast was rainy. I hoped for the best. I was thrilled because my best friend Heather was doing this race too. We haven’t raced together in a few years, so I was super excited. It was a blast to see so many of my friends at this race. I love racing with friends. It makes racing fun to see them on the course and cheer each other on.
Jodi and I were there representing Tri Living It. Nichole, our amazing coach was there . It’s awesome having your coach at your event. You want to rock it and make her proud. Jodi killed it, taking 1st in her age group! I pray I am half as amazing as her at 50ish. 🙂 Love that she’s my training buddy. She pushes me to be better!
SWIM
Despite a chilly morning, the rain held back. YAY!! We started the swim. I felt strong. In the water, I tried to pace myself. This was the safe play, not knowing how my body would do. It worked. I felt good the entire time. This was a 300 meter pool swim. I LOVED that they spaced us every 12 seconds. It made the pool swim SOOOOO much better by limiting crashing into people. Thank you TriUtah for that!
BIKE
I jumped on the bike and felt strong. The wind had kicked up, but I still felt good. The second loop the rain started and the wind was really blowing. More people were on the course , so I did think I slowed down a bit with the weather and people. Not a fan of being road kill from the bike.
RUN
Shockingly my run was good. It still was not as fast as I wanted, but better than it has been. I felt strong and steady on the run, which is surprising because once again I had been so TIRED coming off the Ironman.
I was thrilled when I crossed the finish line. Feels awesome to finish strong!! FINALLY!!!!
Great surprise at the finish line, Mark, one of my friends and fellow athletes was there cheering on his daughter in law and Jodi and I. It was great to see him and feel his support.
My best friend Heather finished awesome as well! I am so proud of her. She hasn’t raced in a while and did fantastic. She shouted my name while I was on the run, and she was biking. Seeing her on the bike, I wanted to be biking with her. I can’t wait to bike with her this summer!!
I love the Women of Steel Tri by TriUtah. I’ve done it almost every year since 2009. Heather is the reason I am doing triathlons. She’s the one that talked me into. Women of Steel is a great sprint tri for new gals and seasoned gals. It’s women only and has fun spirit about it. The course is great with a mix of easy and a challenge. It’s well organized and well staffed. A pleasant experience for woman looking to do a triathlon.
My wonderful husband was there taking pictures and cheering me on. He was so sick and really didn’t want to be out there in the rain and cold. He was a trooper to support me. It’s so nice to have a cheering section at your race. It helps fuel your fire. I am always grateful when he can come!! He’s my lucky charm.
Race Stats
Total Time: 1:20:11
Finished 8th in my age group 34-39
#32 overall of about 600 women
Next up – Daybreak Triathlon June 8