Birthday Tri!

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to do an Olympic triathlon before the season ended. Looking at the calendar, there were only two left that I could possibly make happen. They were both on weekends that did not jive with our family calendar. I got the hair-brained idea of hosting my own triathlon! I figured I could get at least one other person to come out and hang with me on my birthday while I swam, biked, and ran my way into 35. I had four other friends stick with me for the whole thing, and Doug joined us for the run. It was the best birthday I've had in a good, long while!

Because I was responsible for the route, there were no surprises on race day. Except for the wind. Holy moley. It was so windy, the swim start was actually chilly (October 4 in Texas is NOT known for chilly!). We headed out for the lake/T1 on the bikes. My dad and Daniel followed us over to the lake in the truck with our swim gear. They were our sag support for the morning. Daniel even needed a flannel shirt while we swam! This was my first time wearing my wetsuit and I loved it! This was also my first time swimming in "chop," however mild it may have been. I was surprised at how naturally I was able to settle into a rhythm of stroking and breathing *with* the chop. I took quite a bit of time off of my average pace. I swam .8 miles in 28 minutes. I felt good about this!

The five of us headed out on the bikes. The first few miles were great! And then came the headwind... Oh my soul. We were averaging about 11 mph into the wind and close to 20 with the tailwind. I felt like I was pedaling through mud! We finally turned a corner, but low and behold, it was time for our big climb. At least we weren't climbing into the wind! We came down off the big bridge, hooked a right, and hoofed it home. All in all, it was a great ride. I'm starting to feel very comfortable with 25 miles. I guess it's time to up the ante!

My house was our staging area and T2. My mom, dad, kids, aunt, and cousin were all there to cheer us on and enjoy some birthday festivities with us. Doug was all suited up and ready to run. We took off for our 10k and continued to enjoy the day. The weather for running was absolutely perfect. It was about 70 degrees with no clouds and just a bit of a breeze inside the neighborhood. I didn't PR, but only just. It was my second best 10k time ever! I was very pleased with this, considering I had just swam nearly a mile and biked 25! The course was very flat and took us around the golf course with plenty of shade and water coolers along the way. Again, because I was responsible for the route, this was a course I am very familiar with. I ran with my friend Randi for most of the route. This is amazing to me as she is a two-time Ironman and five-time marathoner. I am neither of those things, but with a little help and encouragement, I one day hope to be. Daniel met me about 20 yards from the finish and ran me in. That was so much fun! I've always wanted my kids to run me into a race, but it just never quite worked out. I guess the trick is to host your own race!

After we made it back to the house, we had a feast!  Pumpkin oreos, birthday cake oreos, breakfast tacos, beer, and cupcakes. It was wonderful. After everyone refueled and cooled down and stretched, it was time for us to say goodbye. My friends went home and my family hung out for a bit longer. As I mentioned, this was a wonderful birthday! I'm pretty sure we will make an annual event of this.

I had a great time and learned a lot. My nutrition was spot-on and my hydration was great. I was second guessing myself on the nutrition, having never done an Olympic before. With one in the bag, I feel like I could make a couple of adjustments and have a really great race. 

I've been saying that the Olympic was going to be my litmus for the half iron. Well. I think the litmus looks good. Now to download the training plan and get after it!