Lindsay Brown Triathlon

This time last year I did my first ever triathlon at the Air Force Academy. I was excited to go back and run the same race one year later. It was easy to talk Keri into signing up with me but I got a call from her a few minutes before it was time to leave and she was too sick and too sore from boot camp to race. I was so sad. Todd had just gotten back into town late Friday night, he was leaving again first thing Monday morning and Aubrey had pink eye and needed to get to the doctor. Should I really go spend the entire morning doing a triathlon!?

I drove the 45 minutes there by myself, set up transition by myself, found the locker room to use the bathroom by myself, and got in line for the swim...by myself. It was such a lonely process! I felt dumb asking some random guy to take a picture of me in transition (by myself) but told him I promised my Mom I'd take a picture hoping that would make me sound like less of a loser.



When I got in line I found Johnny Mac (Keri's friend that I've been biking with ONCE that I wasn't sure I'd even recognize) and was happy to have a friend. We chatted before the swim and I felt like less of a loser. The swim went well. I wasn't pushing myself too hard since I was approaching this tri as a "good workout" instead of a race. This year instead of doing a serpentine swim in a 50 meter pool they used a block cutting the pool in half making it the size of a normal 25 yard pool. I didn't realize that the block was higher than trying to get out of a normal pool so I lifted myself up only to realize I couldn't get out of the pool when I was done! I had to go back down (practically under water) and jump out higher. My arms were already tired and now this!? I made it out, barely, and had to basically roll onto the platform. NOT my most graceful moment.

I wasn't as cold as I had expected when I got out to T1. My feet were cold but my muscles felt warm so I quickly threw on my bike shorts, socks and shoes, t-shirt and gloves and opted out of the windbreaker. Helmet, sunglasses and bike off the rack and I was off clacking my way to the mount line which seemed really far away. The first hill is hard and I was worried I was even LESS prepared for this than I originally thought. Once up that hill though I knew I had a few miles of down hill. It was CCCOOOOOOOOLD! 40 degrees, soaking wet from the swim and a head wind as I was speeding down the hill at 30 mph. I wished I had put on my windbreaker but I was glad I had gloves on. The bike was long and slow but didn't seem as painful as I remembered from last year. It was actually fun even though there were a couple miles there that I thought I might have to walk the bike up the hill. Just keep moving. I almost fell trying to get off my bike at the dismount line and was surprised my legs were such jell-o. T2 was quick since I just had to park the bike, take off my helmet and switch shoes. I was happy to be running...it meant this was almost over.

I was determined to NOT walk up that first brutal hill but had to - same as last year. I hate that hill. Someday I'll run up it I hope. The run was fun and the 2 things I remember thinking were 1) I'm glad this isn't Olympic - I can do 3 miles right now but not 6 and 2) There is NO WAY I'm running a half marathon next month :)

I still don't have my times but I think they were pretty close to last years times. I didn't improve as much as I thought I would have but I also didn't really train for it this year. It was fun and I was so glad I did it even though it was definitely lonely crossing the finish line without anyone there cheering. I got food by myself, ate it by myself and cleaned up transition by myself before driving home 45 minutes sore and tired and by myself.