I did it..I didn’t stop once..I completed my FIRST TRIATHLON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok, maybe it was a mini-tri.
Do you remember that just THREE WEEKS ago I decided that I was going to do the Pink Tri which I participated in today. Just three weeks ago my friend Madi decided that she was going to do it with me as well.
Three weeks of training, three weeks of wondering what we were doing..to have a GREAT sense of accomplishment.
This is what I fueled up on today: 3 gluten free pancakes and 2 bananas–1/2 eaten before and 1/2 eaten after the tri.
We were so nervous…we got lost on the way there and Madi had to call her mom at 6am–sorry Mom. But we got there and got painted up and ready to go.
We then headed over to the pool to scope out the group of participants in the longer race. I know that I said I was going to do the longer race, however, I decided that going the medium amount of 200m swim/7km bike / 2km run was a better start for someone who had never done it before.
It was good for us to check out the scene, know how they swam and transitioned. We then waited and I had to take care of some girlie stuff–why does it always come on race days. The last race that I did this happened as well..my body is out to get me!
We got all kitted up and had to take one last picture before RACE TIME!
We were ready. We had our tags on our legs and I had to try my shirt on before the race of course.
The Pink Tri is a series of Mini-Tris around Australia which are for women only and raise money for Breast Cancer. I signed up for the race for my grandmother who faught Breast Cancer and won in the early 1980s. Not only did she win, she healed the shoulder which had limited movement as a post-operative situation which was partially due to the way in which her surgery was done. This wasn’t through more surgery–it was through intensive and painful massage. My grandmother is the strongest woman I know.
We got into the pool and instead of doing laps, you went from one marker to the next–basically an ‘M’ shaped–equaling 4 laps. I am not a strong swimmer–and have only started swimming in the past three weeks. It was overwhelming starting as a group of 10. I got cut off, kicked in the face, etc. There were much slower people that I had to navigate, my arms were tired and negative thoughts started jumping in my mind.
I quieted them.
Got out of the pool ran–IN MY SWIMMING SUIT–down to my bike. Chucked on lyrca pants, socks, shoes, headband and helmet and my pink shirt from above.
The safety pins popped off…so I had to re-do my number.
I get to the place where I could mount my bike and my damn chain had fallen off. I didn’t panic, because I knew that I could fix it. I just put my hand on the chain and with the help of a organiser I was able to get going. Greasy hands for the whole bike ride and run–this is after I had tried to wash them off. I also got grease on the sweat band that I had on my arm and then rubbed it across my face–AWESOME.
I bolted. I didn’t want to leave anything behind..I want to pour my energy into the bike. I did. I kept saying to myself ‘Your grandma didn’t give up, so neither or you. Smash It. You are not tired, your legs are only warming up‘.
I got through the bike and started the run. It was hot. By that time it was about 9am and the sun was beating down and we were running on grass. Hot, steamy, grass. And it was TWO LOOPS–anyone find it hard to loop? I rounded the first loop and there the finish line was staring at my face. Grrr.
I just kept running. Repeating that ‘I can, I will, I am. Running across that finish line is gonna feel amazing, so you gotta keep going‘
I saw the finish line and bolted. I didn’t want to leave anything out of my body that I couldn’t give. Crossing the finish line was such an incredible experience. There I was, running a freaking Triathlon. This was FOR ME…for me only. For no one else, but for me 🙂
Madi was in a different group of starters so she was behind me, I cheered her on and I was so proud of her.
DONE! HAPPY! FEED ME!
The results:
- Overall time: 41:24 🙂 I was really proud of that. I had written on my hand 40…and I told Madi that I wanted to get in the low 40’s for the race today.
- Swim (200m): 5:24
- Bike (7km): 23:43
- Run (2km): 12:16
- 6th out of 43 in my age group
- 24th overall out of 233 participants in my run
I am really proud of how things ended up. I say to anyone–go out and give it a TRI!
This has been such a journey for me. I am ok with the journey I am on. Madi said to me today, after we were talking about training for the huge triathlon in February, ‘Michelle, I no longer eat because I want to lose weight. I eat to fuel for my exercise‘. This is where I am focusing the rest of my journey.
What’s one thing in your life that you must get done before you die?
~Thank you for your support, it has meant so much to me. M
You have until 10am Eastern Time to enter into my Giveaway for an awesome charm trio…can’t wait to read your entry. 🙂
Awesome, awesome job out there!!!! You rock!
Something I want to do? Climb a mountain. It’s a “way out there” goal right now, but one I’m hanging onto….
That’s such a great idea. If you want to go to Africa and climb Mt. Kilo…I’ll go with. perhaps a blogging retreat. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
IM SO SO SO PROUD OF YOU.
In awe, Woman.
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Miz.
That’s so awesome!! Congrats, great job! 🙂
One thing I want to do before I die? Be able to run without my respiratory problems getting in the way. My PT is actually starting to push me to start running.. it’s really scary because I could never do it before but I definitely want to.
That’s an awesome goal. I am now going to have to kick up my running for the next tri. I am scared out of my gord to push beyond 6km normally. But it’s small baby steps. Keep up the great work.
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! So amazing! You did such a great job getting through those glitches! You didn’t let them break you and you stayed strong. I LOVED when you said SMASH IT to yourself!
You are ONE STRONG PERSON -body, mind and spirit 🙂
CONGRATS!
Thanks Marisa. I was saying it outloud to myself. I also you the ‘lazer gunning’ people out of my way when biking. Didn’t work so well in the swim, esp. after getting kicked in the face :(. But I did have fun.
Wow, congratulations!! And what amazing times!! You should be so proud of yourself.
Your grandma sounds like such an amazing person. How wonderful to have such a positive role model!!
Thank you. Yeah she’s pretty amazing, I am very blessed. SHe’s going to run/walk a race with me in Dec when I am home. She’s 70 🙂
Yay!!!!! Michelle, I am so proud of you and it sounds like you’ve got bitten by the bug. I am doing things I never thought I would do training for all these triathlons. When I run across the finish line for my half marathon in December it will be a big moment and a bucket list accomplishment for sure. I’m in for the mountain climbing trib as well. But a more immediate goal is a half ironman in the next two years!! I predict you too will cross that off your list in the near future. Yay for your first being behind you. Here’s to many more in the future!!!
I am totally bitten by the bug. I love the challenges of the variety in the race. It’s awesome.
First let me say you are amazing! If all those things had happened to me I might have gotten frustrated and given up. But you are an inspiration to push through.
My first response to what I want do before I die is a marathon. Even if I have to run/walk it instead of run I just want to finish it.
My second thought was be a mom. I want to adopt so bad because being a mom is so important to me to love someone who needs a family.
Doing a marathon–amazing idea. Being a mom–me as well.
Awesome job!!! I want to be a mom, when the time is right
Allison, I totally agree with you about being a mom. Of course there are all these career goals, etc. But being a mom–for me–is the ultimate.
Congratulations!
I love your motivation – focusing on how amazing it’s going to feel and my favorite line is “I didn’t want to leave anything out of my body that I couldn’t give.” That’s a feeling I’d like to have – I was always in team sports growing up and so the feeling of a race, isn’t quite there. Your Tri adventures are definitely making the birdies in my head chirp… I wonder if I could do it… if I could get to that point in my life… I can bike, I could start swimming again… but could I ever get to the point where I can run? Even as an 8-12 yr old that was the part of the mini-kid tri’s that I didn’t enjoy. But now I wonder… I can be strong… we’re all strong… it’s a journey and you’re rocking it!!!
Thank you for the inspiration and congratulations on your accomplishment. Also congratulations to your grandmother for not only fighting cancer but also inspiring her granddaughter 🙂
Anna–I think that you can do anything that you put your mind and HEART into. I think many times we can intellectually conceptualise what we should be doing, but it’s when our heart and soul are in it that we move beyond all barriers. Start small and work your way up. Keep in touch.
Congratulations!!! You are an amazing woman and I am so proud of you!!
This was such an exciting post to read, I am running a 5k this afternoon and am super pumped now! 🙂
Congratulations ~ you did an excellent job!
To do before I die? Change the world so that all women can discover the joy of their natural beauty without trying to look like someone else. 🙂
What a great goal Katie.
Yahoo!! I am SOOO proud of you! Seriously, HUGE accomplishment!! A triathlon is on my list, and I’m thinking 2k10 will be the year to accomplish it. And I’m learning to run, so a marathon will have to happen eventually too 🙂
Again, girl, you’re amazing!!! Love this blog and love you!
Thanks Jess. It’s totally do-able. Find a small one and go for it.
Uhh…So impressed. You’re a much stronger woman than I could ever be! Great example for us all Mische!
I just gotta keep going for it. Put your heart into anything and you will succeed.
I am so proud of you and happy! Congratulations on doing so well on the tri! I love your cause, too 🙂
Thanks Ashley. I can’t believe it.
YOU FREAKING ROCK MY FACE OFF.
LIKE WOAH.
Nice work lady!!!
I love that you say ‘Rock my face off’ that makes me smile 🙂
Yay!!!! You did it! You are inspiring and I’m so proud of you! What can you NOT do, right? NOTHING! P.S. Loved the sign! 🙂
That is so true.
i just saw this! i am soooo proud of you. way to not freak out when your chain popped off!!!
tre awesome!
You were cheering in my head the whole time..does that creep you out. 🙂
Congrats!!! I’m proud of you, and I KNOW you’re proud of yourself which is the biggest accomplishment!
Thanks Kat!
Awesome job! Way to squish your negative thinking. 🙂 Woohoo!
Squishing negative thinking has become a hobby of mine 🙂
You are amazing!
Don’t know about amazing–maybe crazy. Thanks.
Well done! I bet you feel amazing!
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