South Davis Rec Center Triathlon

Today was a good day!! I finished my first ever Sprint Triathlon!!!! It was held by the South Davis Rec Center in Bountiful. Last month I competed in the Bountiful Triathlon with my dad and brother as a relay, and it was basically the same course, but this was in a Swim, Bike, Run order (Which is what they are normally). I was so nervous I could hardly sleep last night, but I managed to get some rest, and was up bright and early at 5:30 AM. Nick dropped me off at the rec center at 6:15 so I could get a good spot on the bike racks. Packet pickup was at 6:30 and I was able to get my packet and my timing chip and get my numbers marked on me. I was #44, which was also the start order. I got a great place for bike since I was there so early and I got all of my gear laid out and ready to go. By then Nick came back with the kids and my brother Chris. It was fun to see them, especially Carson....he had worn his "Running" outfit so he could be like mom. It was so cute!

One of the fun things they do is mark your body with your number.....I don't know why...but that makes me feel like an official athlete when I have #'s on my arm! :)

Here are my biggest fans.....(it was a little early for both of them to be up and out of bed, so they weren't the most photogenic!)

Since the starting order is determined by your number, I was close to the front of the line for the start of the race. They do a wave start and have swimmers start 10 seconds apart. As you can see there are a lot of swimmers.....can you tell which one is me???

Here is a close up of the same picture.....can you find me now? I am the one in the white cap waving at the camera! My brother Chris did a great job taking pictures of the whole event. When I was waiting for the race to start I looked up and saw my Parents sitting with Carson and Chris. It was so fun to see everyone there to cheer me on!! So I had to wave and say hi...and also make sure they knew where I was!!!

Here I am taking off once they said "GO"......It was a mad house in the water....it is a great idea to have the fastest swimmer first and then the next fastest and so on....in theory. But to be able to be so accurate in determining the fastest swimmer when people 'estimate' their time is not so realistic! So of course it got a bit crowded in some of the lanes. I ended up passing 3 people, but it was a bit crazy in doing so. I kept swallowing water from people kicking water in my face, smacking arms, and I even got a foot in the face.
The girl in the pink cap is Lora Erickson, she is the blonde runner (If you are involved in the running world, you will know who she is). She started before me and it was fun to be in the pool with her...we were swimming neck and neck for quite a few laps....

And then I finally passed her! But then she passed me once we got out of the pool and started running to the transition area! But it was fun for a moment to be ahead of her! :)

My swim time was 8 Min 35 Seconds for 400 Meters. I got out of the pool, and headed outside to the transition area to get ready for the bike ride. I was surprised how hard it was to even jog after I swam! But I made it to my bike, dried off my feet, put on my shoes, shirt, helmet, and gloves and took off!

I had a great ride, no problems or issues, but I saw one guy carrying his bike and one walking his bike. I felt bad for them, cause if that was me I would be crying!!! So I was just glad to make it back with me and my bike in one piece. The course was 10 miles, and went down 200 West to Pages lane, then down to the legacy parkway, then turned onto warehouse road in Centerville, then back to pages lane and back to the Rec Center. It is a really fun course! As I came around the corner of the Rec Center, I heard a crowd of people cheering for me! It was fun to see my family and friends there cheering me on and it gave me a huge boost of confidence!

I rode the 10 mile bike in 39 Min 12 Sec. I racked my bike, took off my helmet and put on a hat and strapped on my number belt, which also had my ipod. I love to run to music!

I knew the 5K run would be my hardest part, not only because it is running, but because it was last and I knew I would be tired. But I just kept telling myself to keep going and not to walk or stop. It took about 1/2 mile for my legs to adjust to running from biking, but after that I got into a good rhythm and was able to keep going. I ran the whole time!! I didn't stop or walk! The best part was when I turned the corner of 4th North and saw my family standing there and Carson came running toward me because he was so excited!!!

That is when I realized why I do this. For my children!!! They inspire me to be a better person and I hope I can be a good example to them. I want to teach them that if they want to do something they can do it!! I want them to set goals and achieve them. It was the best feeling to see Carson running and then to see Kaylee clapping her hands and smiling at me!

It helped me finish strong!!!I finished the 3.3 miles in 31 Min 59 seconds. My total time with transitions was 1 Hour 22 Min 46 Seconds. I did it!!!!!!

My awesome family!!!

This is after the race and we were waiting around to see the results. Lora Erickson, the Blonde Runner, came and talked for a bit about the race. Last Saturday she taught a triathlon clinic I attended and was able to meet and get to know her. She is amazing! In fact, she was the overall female winner of the tri. For more info on her checkout her website www.blonderunner.com.

My friend Ashley also competed in the Novice Division of the Triathlon. She did fantastic!!! We had to strike a pose in our cool new shirts from the Tri. (They actually were awesome running shirts, not just tshirts!).

I am sure I will be a little sore and stiff tomorrow, but I felt pretty good most of the day. In fact, once we got home we had yummy waffles with my family and then everyone took a nap, except for me. Then we headed to Lagoon for a few hours to play! So I definitely had a full day today!! But like I said....it was a GOOD day! I can't wait to do another triathlon soon!!!