A Swimming Success

Jason and I completed the Pterodactyl sprint triathlon last Wednesday. I have wanted to do a tri for a very long time. Previously, I posted about my bad ear being the reason I never participated in one. That was in March after I got my very cool ear plug that fits my ear canal and keeps all the water out. That's when I started swimming. The first time I started to do the freestyle, I thought I was going to die and that I was crazy to think I would ever be able to complete a triathlon. I couldn't control my breathing in the water and I wasn't used to having my face in the water. It was so foreign to me. But, every week I went and improved every so slightly.

When my dad and Mary Lou came in May, my dad, having been a swim and water polo coach for over 30 years, gave me some great tips. They really helped me improve. Our trip to Costa Rica was helpful too. Though I didn't do as much lap swimming as I thought I might, being in the water and putting my face in helped me gain more confidence.

Our race was in the evening and it happened to be a very hot and muggy day. While waiting in line for the bathroom, I was talking with a lady who is a swimmer. She said she was planning on just doing breast stroke the entire way because of all the people in the water. It reminded me of what my sister always said about swimming in a tri and how most people don't do freestyle because of the crowds, being in a lake, or they just don't do it very efficiently.

I was in the second wave and Jason was in the 4th, so we didn't start at the same time. When I left for the swim, what I had been told was right, it was really crowded! I was very nervous, so my breathing was fast and I knew it would not be a good idea to do freestyle just yet. So I did breast stroke and tried to avoid as many people as possible! I wasn't very competitive in running out into the water and getting a spot, I kind of stayed in the middle where I felt like I could move. Even still, I found people swimming on top of me and I on top of others, especially when I did some freestyle. I definitely did more breast than free, it was just easier to see where I was going that way. The best part was, that I felt great afterwards and completed it in about the time I thought I would. Not bad for my first swim race!

I didn't push hard during the transition either, but I guess I pushed hard on my bike because I  averaged about 18.8 miles per hour, which was more than two minutes per hour faster than I trained and there were a few hills that were pretty decent! I saw Jason riding as I was on my way back. He finished his swim a little faster than I finished mine, time-wise, and took a while to get his compression socks on to save his legs from the running later on, but he wasn't quites as fast on the bike as I was, which surprised us both! I guess I had a little fire behind me!

My transition to the run was pretty quick. My stomach hurt on the run a little because I was trying to stay hydrated for the bike. My sister told me that's common with a lot of triathletes. Running is better on an empty stomach, but it's not so with biking. Despite the heat and my stomach ache, I managed to pull 7:55  average minute mile for the run, finishing the 3.1 miles in about 25 min. Jason did well on his run too. We both did about what we thought we would. I was able to run in with him when I saw him coming. It was a great race! He said he felt much more comfortable in the water this race than his last one and this one was twice as long, so that's a sign of good improvement. I feel like a tri is a good challenge, but doesn't kill your body as much as some of the long-distance running.

I went for a swim this week and already saw improvement over my last swim, so I'm excited to keep going and keep on improving!