My First Olympic Triathlon: Best in the West Triathlon Festival

Best of the West Triathlon Festival, September 13, 2015 in Sweet Home, Oregon was my first olympic triathlon. This race, an olymipc distance triathlon was one of my big scary goals for 2016. It almost didn't happen after I got bit by a river otter three weeks earlier. My doctor warned me if I did this race I might run the risk of not being able to run my first half marathon two weeks later. I am so thankful that everything worked out. The Best of the West Triatlon Festival was a fun weekend making new friends and getting know current friends better. The weather was beautiful and we got to spend a few nights in the Wonder Wagon! 

This was my first open water swim. I spent most of the season and my training in the local community center pool. I was able to do some open water swimming while camping earlier in the summer during some family camping trips. I was able to get two practices in the Siletz River before my triathlon. I was so nervous. Looking at Lake Foster, Friday night at packet pickup made me even more nervous. Thankfully the water was warm so I didn't have to worry about wearing a wetsuit. 

Mr. W, the girls and I all sighned up to volunteer on Saturday, during the half ironman distance race. There ended up being some confusion and serious lack of volunteer organization. Mr. W and the girls ended up helping on Sunday during my race with the Tri-a-Tri and Splash & Dash. Mr. W was worried he was going to miss me during transistion but it all worked out. I loved seeing the girls during the start of my run. In exchange for volunteering we got to camp on site at the festival which made the weekend so easy. It was great to have all the comforts of home.  

The volunteer mix-up worked out perfectly because Mr. W, the girls and I got to cheer for my friends Miranda and Alycia who raced on Saturday, the half ironman distance. It was so much fun cheering Miranda and Alycia on throughout the day. We got to hang out with Miranda's husband and daughters. I loved the energy of the race venue. It was helpful to see the transitions as the olympic transitions were similiar. It helped to calm my pre-race jitters. 

Miranda and Alycia running to the finish! 

Amazingly enough I slept wonderfully the night before my race. Since we were only a short walk from the Wonder Wagon to the transition area I got to sleep in till 7am! Thankfully my deep puncture wounds that were a bit infected a few days earlier were healed and I no longer had open wounds. My friend Alycia gave me some medical strength super glue and "new skin" just in case. 

My first 100 meters I had a difficult time catching my breath and I had a brief "Holy shit what the hell did I get myself into!" Then I had the thought, what would Wayne Dyer do? I am a huge fan of his. I remembered that he lived in Hawaii and swam often in the ocean. That made me remember the first time I swam in the ocean in Hawaii.  I remember how calm and relaxed I felt. I instantly calmed down and got into a routine with breathing with my strokes. Yes, conversations happen in my head that that! I was one of the last people out of the water. I was slow BUT I felt strong. I could have kept swimming. The water was warm and clear. It was beautiful. I have to say now, that the swim was my favorite part of the race. Next year I am going to practice more in open water. I really enjoy the freedom of open water. I love getting into a rhythm that I can't get in the pool.   

With the swim behind me I was ready to hit the bike course. I realized that the benefit of being slower in the water means that you pretty much have the entire transition area to yourself and you don't have to worry about drafting. I was doing this race to finish. NOT for time. The bike course was beautiful! I realized quickly after the first hill that I need hills to my bike training. I was pretty much alone on the bike course. Just me and my thoughts. That can be dangerous. I have a theory that the fitter and faster the male cyclist is, the more likely they will pass by you if you are a woman and say NOTHING. After a pack of guys whizzed towards me, headed towards transition saying nothing I hit a low. Then a man in bright red shirt with the motivation of high school cheerleader who took the time to yell to me "Good job!" with a big smile as he rode past me. He completely changed my attitude.  It was then I realized that my rear tire was going flat. I knew that I was coming to the one and only aid station at the turn around. There was no pump. I know....I should have had one. Add that to the list. I am pretty much clueless to bike maintenance which is something that I will be working on in the upcoming season. Triathlon is a consistent learning process.  Thankfully there was a SAG truck and I was able to get pumped up and back on the open road.   

The run was what I was looking forward to the most. I knew out of the three events the run was going to be my strength. Trail running during the spring and summer. It was warm. I passed a few people which boosted my confidence which needed a bit of boosting at that time. Cramps in my quads and hamstrings was a new thing for me. Not sure what that was all about. It couldn't have been being dehydrated as I was hydrating with Nuun the day before and was hydrating througout the entire race. Added more brick workouts to my growing mental list of things to do different for training. Again, the course was beautiful. It reminded me of running in Bend. There were aid stations every mile, they were full of enthusiastic volunteers. I loved the movational quotes along the course. I saw the gentleman in the bright red shirt again on the run. Again he was full of smiles and words of encourgement as we passed each other on the out and back run. 

It was beyond fabulous to cross the finish line with my girls and Mr. W waiting for me along with my friends. Going into this race not only was I dealing with a infected foot from a wild animal attack I was dealing with some hip and lower back pain. I was doing physical therapy twice a week and daily exercises to strengthen my core. Because of my hip pain and the stupid otter bite my training got sidelined almost a month. My physical therapist advised me how to train leading up to my triathlon urging to me to do the race when I was doubting my abilty to finish. The physical therapy worked! I biked and ran pain free, except for those cramps during the run. I had to wear to wear my new hat from my recent Kid Rock concert. Hell yeah, I am an AMERICAN BADASS! I might have been slow but I FINISHED! I pushed through a lot of fear and sef doubt. I know what I need to work on and improve. It was as I was enjoying a handful of gummie bears that I saw red tshirt man leaving the transition area with his bike. I went over to him and introduced myself. I thanked him for his words of encouragement and told him how much they helped. I've thought about him often and how simple his words were and what a difference they made in my race. I hope my words can be that helpful to someone else during a race. I always make a point of saying encouraging words as people pass me or I pass them. 

My support crew and cheering section. It was a fun weekend but also sad. I found out that my friend Kate passed away after two year battle with breast cancer. I thought of her throughout my race, as I had wrote her name on the back of my hand to help motivate me throughout the day.  It made me even more appreciative that I am able to run, bike and swim. Made me hug my girls and Mr. W a little tighter. 

Swim: 52:34

T1: 3:46

Bike: 2:08

T2: 1:48

Run:1:07

Finish Time: 4:14