My First Tri!

This is me setting up my transition area before the start of the race. If you notice, I bought a really obnoxious looking bag so that it wouldn't get lost amongst the chaos.

This is me during the swim. Just looking at it makes me tired. It was fun though. My elbows aren't high enough...I started to lose form as I got tired. Considering I've never had swim lessons or anything, (I taught myself how to doggy paddle when I was 14) I am pretty surprised I even got in the water at all!

Transition #1, swim to bike. See that silly grin on my face? That is me thinking "Holy crap, I didn't drown!"

This is me finishing the bike portion, coming down off the mountain. I was so HAPPY at that point. That was the funnest part of the whole race. It was 10 miles mountain biking. (Originally I thought it was going to be 8, but I was wrong. It wasn't bad though.) I had a blast! You can see the blue timing band on my ankle.

Transition #2, bike to run. At this point I was feeling pretty good.

This is me after the 3.2 mile run. That was the hard part. My legs felt like lead. But it was amazing how quickly it all went. Once it was over I felt great. I didn't injure myself or push myself too hard at all. Even today, the day after, I am feeling great. I am not sore at all.

I was so happy to finish. I finished in 1:39:43. But who's counting? ;)

The look on my face...I was thinking "I can't believe I just did that!" and "I'm starving, someone get me a banana before I drop Rae!" That's my sister and her boyfriend in the left of the picture. They drove a long way to see me. My mom, stepdad, hubby and kids were also there. I had the best cheering section. When I came to each transition I could hear my kids screaming "go mommy!"

My friend Stephanie, did it with me. She did so awesome. It was so great having someone to do the tri with. One of the best parts of my journey to the triathlon was the friendships I made along the way. Stephanie is such a great person, full of strength. I'm not even sure she knows how great she is. My other friend, Jodi, couldn't do this tri, but she is training with us for the one in September. She has also become a great friend.

Hubby and I also grew closer throughout the process. Through it all, he was always there cheering me on. When I gave up on myself, and felt that I wanted to give up, he was the one telling me not to give up. He was there telling me that I could do it. He helped me overcome my self-doubt. He is my biggest fan. Thank you sweetheart!

This whole experience has been amazing. There were times when I didn't feel the work, pain, and sweat were worth it. But now, I can see how I've grown. I can see how I've become a stronger person. I had a breakthrough during it all. I learned a lot about myself, about my abilities, and even about my irrational fears of inadequacy. It was hard to get to this point, but it all paid off. With the help of the Lord, when I needed it most, I did it!

Now I am all excited for my next tri. I am thinking June is looking good...