This past weekend was one that will always be remembered. It was a weekend that was full of firsts and full of lasts.
It was the last time that I will every step foot on my college campus or hang out with my same crowd again. The last time I will see my professors, eat in the caf (I'm not too sad about that one), or live in the dorms. Graduation was amazing. Much more fun and funny than I thought it would be. It was full of laughter, excitement, and nervous jitters. I'm glad in the end that I decided not to skip it. The proud look upon my mom's face was all the solitification I needed to know that I had made the right choice in deciding to walk.
This was a weekend of firsts, my first triathlon in fact. As soon as Kevin and I left for Louisiana the nerves hit me. The butterflies grew and I felt like I was going to be sick. Only 18 hours until race time. I needed to chill out, relax and calm down if I wanted to be ready to go come race time. Pre-riding helped a bunch in calming the nerves, that is until my chain snapped. I'm pretty sure the entire park heard me scream out as the resistance on my bike went from full to absolutely nothing. "Oh crap." Was the only thing that went through my mind. As I made the "walk of shame" back to the car, chain in hand and a frown upon my face, I tried to not think about the race that was yet to come. Thank goodness Kevin's son, Will who is a bike mechanic was there and he was able to save my bike! And might I add, my bike performed beautifully on race day!
Race morning. Finally this day had come. I was so stoked I could barely hold it all in. We got to the park early to set up transition and get numbered. Thank goodness Kevin was there to help me set up my transition area because I forgot my running shoes, my race number, my gloves, and my GUs. Ha that would have been a long day without those things.
I tried not to look around, not to look at the women or the bikes that I was getting ready to compete against. There's not point in psyching your self up for nothing. So I kept my head down, warmed-up in the water, and made it my mission to podium at this race and to be someone that they never saw coming.
This race couldn't have gone better! My swim was dead on. I started near the front, passed all kinds of people, got punched in the mouth in the process but that's part of the fun, right? Came out of the water at 14:38, ahead of Kevin (haha I told him I would never let him live that down). Ran to transition and nearly fell over. I must have been a riot to watch stumbling trying to get my shoes on. 3 mins later and I was off on the bike. The course was amazing! Tight and twisty. Not a lot of rocks or climbing. Some sick drops and straight downhills. Love it! Of course I crashed once. Couldn't complete a race without doing that! Completed the bike in 1:08, 2 min in T2 then out to the run. Some climbing on the run but it was a great run course. The 3.5 miles went by rather quick! 35 mins on the run for a total time of 2:01:52. I beat my goal time by 29 mins. I was over the moon. Oh and might I add I did cross the finish line with a heel click.
I beat the girl I set out to beat. I won my division and came in 4th overall. Not a bad way to start off the triathlon career if you ask me! Overall this was a freakin' awesome GT weekend!
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