Big Foot

So I had my first race of the season on Sunday June 22nd I raced the Ram Racing Big Foot Triathlon. I was so excited, not nearly as nervous as I was for the Half IM last year. Granted I had never done an Olympic distance but hey it was shorter, should be easier, right? The swim was pretty smooth and I powered through it! Came out of the water with a 28:35 clocked time. Not too shabby. Running into T1, with bare feet and on rocky ground, not cool, but it must have been the adrenaline pumping because I didn't really care. Threw the wetsuit down and zipped up the jersey, I was out of T1 in 3:33 and onto the bike. The course wasn't bad, but I just remember pushing my legs as hard as I could, trying my best to beat out as many people as I could and checking the back of calves as I went. So far I hadn't seen anyone in my 20-24 age group and I was STOKED! Onward and into the T2 after a 1:18 bike. Out of T2 in 1:38 and on to the run. This is where the real race starts!

Now the run was harder than most of the training runs I did because it was through forest-preserve like terrain. Oh yea and it rained the day before so everything was wet and muddy, the sun was beating down on me with barely any shade and I was still trying to push, yet to see anyone in my age group pass me. That was until this slim little thing in a onesie flies past me. I think I could feel the wind hit me as she ran past. In my mind I was like, there's no way I'm catching that, you go girl! The last half mile was probably the hardest because there was a huge mud hill to climb up and I admit, my "jog" up was more like scaling. The finish line was just ahead and I sprinted in. All I could think as I crossed the finish line was "Did I just come in 2nd in my age group?!"

Well not every story has a happy ending, I waited around for the results and wouldn't you know it, the very last group they announced was mine because they were having issues with the results. They actually called me up to ask me what Age group I was in. I told them I was 24 and while that was true, per USAT regulations you are grouped by the age you would be on December 31st of that year. DAMN IT! But 6th out of 26 in my now 25-29 age group wasn't bad but I was definitely disappointed that I went from 2nd to 6th, and I laughed thinking about how I cheered two women in that age group on as I let them pass me. Oh well. I took my bike, and my 2:51 time and headed home. There was so much more excitement yet to come and I was happy to have my first race of the season under my belt.