After I ran my
last half in August, I was looking for another race to tackle. I was thinking perhaps another half before the year ends. During my search, I came across the See Jane Run (sprint) Triathlon and Duathlon. I have never done a triathlon or a duathlon before and I thought that if I had enough time to train, I would like to try to complete one. So I researched it some more and found out that the event site was only about 15 minutes away which was GREAT. Yay! But then I quickly was disappointed to find that the race would be in the beginning of October which only left me about two months to get ready. Boo! I felt that this was not enough time for me because A). I'm not a strong swimmer B). I haven't rode bike for over ten years.
But I couldn't let it go. And of course I kept seeing messages like this everywhere:
I wanted to stay active and knowing myself, I needed a goal in order to do that. So I had to sign up for something, anything. And I kept going back to this SJR event. I told myself that OK....I KNOW I won't be able to do the Tri because I didn't have enough time in my schedule to devote to really get strong at swimming. I work full time plus both my boys are very active in after school/weekend activities. But maybe the duathlon was possible because I'd just need to focus on learning how to ride a bike again (instead of focusing on swimming AND biking). I hemmed and hawed for two weeks and in the end of August, I took my old bike out for a spin and surprisingly did OK! I went out for six miles that first day and was super sore but felt good. This gave me a little bit of confidence.
With my heart beating out of my chest, palms all sweaty, I pulled out my credit card and paid to register for the duathlon during the first week of September. Yikes. A year and a half ago, I couldn't even run a full mile without stopping. This is part of the reason why I had so much doubt. Everything is still so new to me and we all fear the unknown right? I also knew full well that I only had a month to get ready which scared me but I was going to practice what I preach: No Excuses. Period.
As the training days went on, I noticed I wasn't sore from riding the bike anymore. I figured out a good RPM for myself and how to focus on keeping at that pace. I also did a ton of research on proper seat height, proper foot positioning, good pedal stroke, proper cycling form, etc. If you guys are interested I can talk about everything I learned in another post. But if you are going to try to do a cycling race, it is SO important to read up on these things in order to prevent injury.
About two and a half weeks before the race, I was SUPER sick with a bad cold. I tried to continue on with training but just made myself weaker/worse. So I had to stop a full week to rest. This set me back but I told myself that if I finish the duathlon without passing out then I've accomplished my goal.
I had a ton of anxiety leading up to the race. There were just so many unknowns. Where do I park my bike? Will it be really crowded in the transition area? Will I be the only one not knowing what they are doing?!! I had not had any time to get to Shadow Cliffs Park (where the race took place) to try out the course either. So taking a possible wrong turn and getting lost during the race was something that was weighing on my mind too! I have to thank my sister for talking me through my freak outs and my anxiety. Having experienced a duathlon before and having much more running experience than myself, she was able to talk some sense into me. She also let me borrow her lucky helmet! :)
I picked up my race packet the day before just to reduce a little bit of anxiety. At least I'll have my bib ready and not have to worry about that right? I got to the car with my stuff and looked at the goods. In the packet there was the bib, a home arrest looking ankle bracelet and a sticker with a number that matched my bib. I had no idea what that sticker was for so I went back to the store and asked them. Had I stopped to think, I probably would've figured out it was for my helmet. This is what happens when I freak out...I can't think!! Of course when I got home, I had to frantically message my sister...WHERE ON THE HELMET DO I PUT THE STICKER?!! Front? Side? Back? As if it meant life or death if I put it on wrong. Turns out it doesn't matter.
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My husband and I arrived at Shadow Cliffs about an hour before my start. The Tri ladies started before my race and I was able to see them all start their races in the water. It was so beautiful and inspiring. Swimming scares me because I don't swim often and I have no idea if I can go 400 yards. But this just means that I'm going to have to do this someday!
This is the transition area; it is a fenced off rectangle in the parking lot. I decided to wait in the car a bit because I had arrived so early. But I should have immediately picked out a spot to set up my transition and THEN go back to the car. By the time I got there with my bike, most of the spots were taken and I didn't want to move anyone else's stuff to make room for myself. My husband helped me set up my spot by a tree which worked out fine. This event probably needs more bike posts because I did notice all the other trees were also soon taken.
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| pre-race stretches led by the SJR team |
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| #word Story of my life. |
There were four different entrances and exits into the transition area....all with timing strips on the ground to record your time (off the ankle strap they gave me at bib pick up); you have to go into the proper entrance/exit in order to get timed correctly. After familiarizing where to go and when, I headed to the start line. The first leg was a 1 mile run. There is a pretty steep hill sometime in the first quarter mile but everything else is flat. The course is on a dusty, gravelly trail. The weather started off cool but it got hot QUICK.
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| Me trying to say hi to my husband! I was so happy to see him right before I have to leave on my bike! |
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| I'm happy to see I'm NOT landing on my heel! #noheelstriking |
After the one mile, I went into the transition area and I wish I had gone faster here and not take my time. I think I could have gotten out with the bike a lot quicker if I had a water bottle already attached to my bike. Instead, I futzed with a Dasani bottle and stood there and drank it. Time wasted. At the time, I didn't really care about my timing; I just wanted to finish. But when the results came out and I saw that I ended up in SIXTH place in my age group, I start to think in my head different things I could've done that would've landed me in top FIVE!
The bike leg was 8 miles. I thought it was going to be all flat but there was a steep incline right at the beginning of the leg as you exit the park. Maybe have your bike already shifted to a low gear before you start if you want to do this race next year. There's also another steep but short hill sometime after mile 6. I debated getting off and walking at this hill. It killed me. I wanted to quit. My legs were simply not trained enough for this. But I somehow pushed through and made it. This was one of those 'fitness accomplishments' that I am proud of and will never forget. One day, this hill be like cake but on this day it was one of the hardest things I had to do. :(
This race has also taught me that if you do care about your timing, then getting a bike that is better suited for this road would be ideal. The only bike I had was a mountain bike. This route was all road/pavement/cement. And because the bike distance was short, I wasn't too concerned with not having a road bike. But on race day, it was very discouraging to have so many (who had road bikes) pass me up on the bike leg because I was working twice as hard to keep up on my mountain bike. The only reason I got sixth place (and not last place! lol) was because my short little legs can run even though I'm not so great at the bike thing. Anyway, I recommend getting a road bike or a hybrid bike for this race.
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The above (not so flattering) picture is of me re-entering the transition area. If you look at my mountain bike it has the knubby, bulky wheels. The road bike next to me has thin, light, smooth wheels...perfect for speed on the roads. Again, in the end, it will not matter what bike you have if you're not concerned with timing. Don't let this stop you from trying this race. There were ALL KINDS of bikes there; I definitely wasn't the only one with a mountain bike.
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| My husband was able to come into the transition area to help and coach me at this point. I needed those words of encouragement because just a few moments ago, I thought about quitting! |
I knew that this last leg was going to be tough. In my training, going from bike to running, was the hardest for me. The last leg is a 5k
with hills. Getting off the bike, my legs were feeling like lead. I felt like I was running with weights on my ankles. In water. Upstream. After awhile, I was able to run that heaviness off and felt good with this last 5k. But as with every race, I was SO GLAD to see the finish line!
I REALLY want to encourage all you mamas to try this race or something similar. Or try something new that you feel intimidates you or scares you. You might wonder why you balked at the idea at all once it is all said and done. I had so much fun learning all these new things and accomplishing something I never thought I'd do. This SJR women's tri/duathlon event had such a supportive vibe. I found being with these other women, a lot of them also moms with their husband/kids cheering them on, is so empowering. This event proves that moms CAN do ANYTHING!
I had a busy weekend. I completed this duathlon and then went straight to San Jose to pick up my bib for the SJ Rock and Roll mini marathon for the next day. Race re-cap coming up for this event with pictures! Stay tuned!
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