The Swim - Race Day

The swim portion of this triathlon was an in-water start.  Some start on the bank/beach where athletes run in and then dive, but this one, we stood in the water in our group (gray swim caps – last group) until the group ahead of us went and then waded out to the start area, treaded water for a few minutes and then the horn.  Being in the water for a few minutes before heading to the start got me used to the 66 degree temperature of the lake.  It really didn’t feel that bad to me – a combo of the wetsuit and adrenalin – and good ‘ole Yankee blood, I’m sure.  Then we headed out to the start!

I was having fun at this point.  The announcer gave us props for being first timers, and I yelled, “WAIT!  This is a TRIATHLON!?!?! What the hell?” which gave everyone a good laugh. As always, when I get nervous, I have to laugh.  I looked back to shore and saw my whole loving family, yelling and screaming, and I gave them a HUGE wave. I searched and searched for Matt, but couldn’t find him.  My wonderful husband was searching for the perfect photo op spot! HA!  Then, just a second before the horn went, I yelled, “GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!” and everyone in the water cheered. I do love being an extrovert sometimes. :-D

And we were off… and for the first maybe 2 minutes I felt great.  Like, “All RIGHT! I’ve got this!” Yea, I was kicked in the head and the body.  And I was running over people. But I felt ok.

And then it went downhill. Fast.  I couldn’t see where I was going.  There were no lines on the bottom.  It was dark.  It was cold.  There were no people on either side of me. And my heart rate started to sky rocket. And my breaths started coming WAY to quickly.  So – I did what my friends had told me to do – I flipped over on my back and started to kick…

And for about 65% of the 750 meters, I stayed JUST like that. L

I’m telling you what – the open water kicked my ass. Hard.  Every time I flipped over, my heart started to race and my breath started to come too quickly.  I know I have a strong stroke and I could have made up SO much time, but I really started to have to tell myself, “this is not going as you planned.  Finish this any way you can. Just finish.”  So I did.  I would flip over occasionally and swim. But as soon as I felt uncomfortable, I would go back on my back and kick hard.

Soon enough, the end was near.  I took the last turn and swam with everything I had left.  I started to hear the wonderfully LOUD booming voice of the love of my life and then the sounds of the rest of my family screaming, yelling me in.  And I was soon running up the stairs (wobbly legs, wobbly legs…), on the grass mats to T1. 

Frigging A.  It may not have been pretty, but I did the swim