We Survived the Spudman!!!

And we actually had fun in the process. I have to admit, I was really scared about doing this event. In fact, a small part of me wished I would catch Jesse's flu he had earlier in the week and not have to do it. But, I am SO glad I did! It was not nearly as scary or hard as I imagined it would be. The 1 mile swim is what I was the most worried about. They only had 7 waves this year and they started them 5 min. apart so I was stressed about being in the water with so many people. Let me just tell you that my swimming lessons paid off big time! I went from being only able to swim 1 or 2 laps, to swimming over half a mile at a comfortable pace. Our instructor even took us up to the dam to practice in open water. He helped us spot ahead, swim straight, he corrected our form, and even swam around and over us to help us get used to the feel of a triathlon.

During the race, Kirk started 5 min. before me. Once I got into the water I felt surprisingly calm. It took me a few strokes to get my head in the water and then I just kept going. It was really beautiful watching the sun come up every time I took a breath. 20 min. later I was scurrying out of the water and on to the bike.

The biking section (25 miles) was pretty easy. Kirk kept pace with a group of about 5 riders and did awesome! I wasn't sure how I would perform since most of my cycling training has been on our spin bike (I still am a bit leery about riding alone). I wanted to average 18 mph and ended up averaging 18.4 so I was pretty happy about that. No flats, no cars, good stuff. It helped remind me of how much I really enjoy biking.

The run (10k) wasn't too bad either. I was a little slower than I had planned. I took a few walking breaks to rest the knees, but since I did well on the bike I figured I had a little leverage. The weather was kind to us and kept a nice overcast until we both finished.

Overall we both did well and exceeded our time goals. Kirk wanted to do it in 2:45 and ended up doing it in 2:28, and I wanted to do it in 3:00 and did it in 2:49. We are excited to do it again someday. Next time I will spend a lot less time in the transitions and push myself a little harder on the run. I will also wear a different outfit, my Zazoosh photos make me look like a ghost in a black singlet. Most of all the fear of the unknown is GONE and I will not waste my time worrying so much in the future!!!