I know, I know. Nobody reads blogs anymore. Everyone has moved on to podcasts. Which is probably a good thing since I only update this blog about every 2 years. I mean- after all, isn’t a blog for sharing fun happy stuff? How about honest stuff? Well, if you’re up for honesty and triathlon, sit back and read about my tale of 2 races. …
June 27, 2021 Chattanooga Waterfont Sprint Triathlon
I love this local race. This would be my third time doing this race. The difference this year? Covid. 50 lbs heavier. You see, my “Covid 19” weight gain started in the fall of 2018 right after Ironman Chattanooga— my first and only Ironman, which technically wasn’t, since the swim was canceled due to flooding, which is ok, since technically I crossed the finish line about 5 minutes too late so I technically didn’t finish. Altho in my heart I did. Alas, I digress. I slacked on training afterwards, and kept right on eating. I worked a job where drug reps brought us lunch 5 days a week — need I say more? Boom. 50 lbs… Actually from my lightest in 2018 to my heaviest last month— 65 lbs. ugh. I mean— really? Who the heck loses 90 lbs and then regains 65?! 🙋🏻♀️
Back to the race. I showed up because in May I joined a beginner CrossFit class, and was still doing a little swim, bike run/walk, and wanted to do a Sprint just to get my head back in the game. Because I do love triathlon so much! The race did not disappoint, either. The swim was 400 yards downstream in the Tennessee River. I took my time, alternating crawl with breast stroke and back stroke, and survived.
The Bike 12.4 miles
The bike has always been my best of the three legs. My first year of triathlon in 2013 I averaged 14 mph on the bike, and by 2018 I was averaging 16.5-17.3 mph on the bike. Much thanks to weight loss and winters riding the trainer. So mostly I was curious to see what I could do. My outside rides this spring had been 14.7-15.3 mph. Oh! Did I tell you I had Covid last September? 10 days of fevers, thankfully never went into my lungs. No hospitalization, although to this day coffee doesn’t smell heavenly anymore (no worries, I still drink it!). But wow the post-Covid fatigue has been a bitch. Soooo tired all the time. Naps most days. Bed early…. I could bike or run ok, but then exhausted for two days afterward. I’ve read that the vaccine seems to have helped some long-Covid symptoms, and I must say— I’ve been feeling so much better since mid-May. (Yes I’m vaccinated! Aren’t you?) Anyways! Digressing again. The bike starts off with a climb up Riverfront Parkway, and I forgot about that until I was on it. Shoot! But I made it up. Then it was flat and fast for the next 11 miles or more. At the turn around I looked at my watch and I was averaging 16.2 mph! Hot tamale! Yes!!!! Wow! And I felt good. I mean- I was giving it all I had, but I was delighted with my pace! Everything went well until the last mile when there is a somewhat long slow climb and I was done. I managed to keep upright on the bike, but it took everything I had. Even with the fast descent back into transition, I closed out my ride at 15.9 mph. Which was still the best ride I’d had all year. Thankful and so glad it was only 12 miles instead of 56! How in the world did I ever ever ride 56 or 116?????
The Run 5K
In every triathlon I’ve ever done, with the exception of this very race back in 2017, I walk the majority of the run, because I go too hard on the bike and I’m exhausted after. This time I wanted to try something different. I ran a minute, walked a minute, rinse and repeat for 3.1 miles. I didn’t get too tired, and I really enjoyed the run. I was very very happy with it!! My goal was sub 2 hour race— and I did it in 1:55. I was seriously expecting more like 2:10, so I was very happy. All in all, a wonderful day and very inspiring to be back in the triathlon world again!
So, I decided to do another triathlon, to see if I could beat my time. I know it was only 3 weeks later, but hey that’s 9 FitCamp sessions, and I’ve lost 4 lbs in 3 weeks, so why not? I reasoned I could probably do the run a bit faster, and possibly the bike.
July 17, 2021 Sweetwater Sprint Triathlon
I found this race online, and quickly decided to go for it. Mainly because the swim is a pool swim, and only 150 yards at that!! Even without a current I could swim 150 yards and survive. This local triathlon was small, but well supported, with about 100 participants. They had us self-seed with fast swimmers in front and slow ones in the back. I was among the last 6 or 8 to enter the pool. The swim was great for me. For me. 3:53 pace, now that I actually looked at it, that totally sucks! But I didn’t panic, or get out of breath with anxiety, and I didn’t stop. So (rolling my eyes at that pace, 🙄🤦🏻♀️ geez) for me, it was a good swim.
The Bike 12.4 miles
I had been told by a friend that the first mile or so was a long slow climb. The rest was doable, beautiful country roads. Well, let me say, leaving transition and the first half mile was great! Fast and fun. I love the bike! And then that long so #*%+*% climb started. OMG. It was almost 2 miles of steady slow climb. And finally, with my heart pounding in my throat, and sweat dripping off my face onto the bike, I just couldn’t go on. So off the bike I hopped, and walked my bike up that long slow hill. Finally got back on at the top, and had a few miles of flats to hopefully make up some time. I refused to look at my watch because I knew I was barely at mile 3, and didn’t want to be discouraged. Finally, we made another right hand turn and much to my dismay, there was a hill to climb. Ugh. This one steeper and long. Honestly I can’t remember if I made it up that hill. I think I did. Another mile or two of rollers and then a huge gigantic hill. Even the downhill first didn’t propel me halfway up. And so, off the bike I jumped again, and walked. By this time I was done. Done physically and done mentally. I’m only 6 miles into a measly 12.4 mile ride, and I’ve walked my bike up two hills (maybe three?). What was the point? I looked at my watch by this time, and my pace was 11 mph. Wow. Awful. Anyways, suffice it to say, I had a few more miles of flats or rollers and did enjoy the scenery, until about mile 10 there was another steep climb (I realize steep is subjective. It was steep for me!) and once again, hopped off the darn bike and walked. At this point I thought about getting in the bike truck the next time they passed. I knew I was last by a long shot because I hadn’t seen any cyclists since a few passed me in the first climb. Discouraged???? A little. My thoughts wavered between “I will NEVER do this race again!” to “if I can drop 40 lbs and train hills, I’d like to come back and crush these little mf hills!” Damn addiction. Triathlon gets in a person’s blood. How else do you explain it? Why not say nope that’s not a race I’ll ever do again? Nothing wrong with saying that. But instead I’ve already called my step son who lives in Sweetwater and asked him to help me ride these hills! ……
DNF (Did Not Finish)
Two good things about that bike course. Beautiful country roads, and the last mile was all downhill. It was fun to hit 36 mph for a few brief moments. Soon it was over with, and I knew I was done. I was 1:20 into a sprint triathlon and as wore out as I felt- i figured the run would be mostly a walk and at least 50-60 minutes. I felt a little sick to my stomach from the electrolyte mix I had been drinking, and clearly discouraged with the bike ride of 10.3 measly mph. So I turned in my chip, went home and took a nap.
Next year? Maybe! Next week? Maybe that too in Nashville. I do love triathlon. I definitely need to drop some serious weight before I tackle hills again. And hopefully Fit Camp (a beginner level CrossFit) will continue to strengthen my quads with all the squats and lunges we do. It was humbling that I did so much phenomenally worse today than 3 weeks ago. But— you know what? I’m alive, healthy, and will “tri” again. We’ve all survived a crazy year of Covid, and I’m just so thankful to be here to live to race another day.
🏊🏼♀️🚴🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️✌️
Midlife Triathlon 