3:33:17
So I'm definitely not the fastest triathlete, but I officially finished and am therefore a triathlete.
It was a tough morning and I doubted my abilities constantly. I had to keep reminding myself to run my race and not anyone else's. Meaning - don't get too carried away with how fast everyone's going and just do what I can do.
Before the race I looked like this, you can see the nervous energy I was feeling.
The first part is the swim, which went pretty well by my standards. It's definitely disconcerting to start in a big group of people all swimming on top of each other. But, I persevered and swam a solid 44 minute swim, which was incidentally not the longest swim among the contestants, although the person who took longer started in an earlier wave and therefore I was in the pool alone for a good 2 laps. Being in the pool alone was a weird feeling, especially since I was aware of all the people watching me. But, I focused on my swim and not them. I was even able to throw in a bit of backstroke which is probably why I swam faster than typical workouts.
I'll be honest with you. 2 laps to go and the only person in the pool I was tempted to cut a lap - no one would know right? Well I would know and I didn't feel comfortable with it however tempting it was. So I made the turn and kept going.
Out of the swim and it was fucking cold outside. Rushed out to my transition and clothed up. There were people already in from the bike and out on the run. The ride out of transition and to the race loop was slightly uphill and I pushed to make it without dismounting. The combo of rushing off the swim, comparing myself to faster people, and pushing up the hill momentarily wiped me. On the first lap I was ready to flat out quit. I started looking for a nice grassy area to lay down near a cop so that they could call my family to come pick me up. But i kept pushing. And people were cheering me on. The best thing I had on that first lap was the other bikers passing me, sharing encouragement. I walked up two hills on every lap (that one behind the student union is a bitch by the way). As I finished the first lap downhill and settling into the ride, I decided to keep going for now. Eventually sometime in the second or early third lap I became aware that I was the only biker left. They put a motorcycle police officer trailing me and every officer I passed on the route would report my location via radio. I later learned that they shared these reports with my family. I have the deepest gratitude to the female motorcycle cop who was with me the whole way. She encouraged me and didn't let me stop when I felt like I was inconveniencing everyone. The constant hum of her motorcycle behind me was my safety net.
Me finishing the bike (with "my" motorcycle cop in the background):
As I was finishing the bike I was thinking that maybe I should cut my losses and just quit. I was quite aware that I was miles behind everyone else and it was an uncomfortable position for me to be in. My default personality just doesn't feel comfortable with inconveniencing anyone and I felt that times a million with all the police officers tracking my movements and momentarily closing the road for me while I was on the bike and would pass intersections.
But, a magical thing happened in that second transition. I was focused. Someone grabbed my bike and my four friends from work, all amazing women, informed me that they were walking with me, and off we went.
It wasn't the fastest walk, but at that point I was just focused on dragging my body across the finish line having completed what I set out to do. Having Rachel, Megan, Erin, and Michelle to chat with was a godsend and kept me sane. I thank them again - without them I don't know how I would have done it.
I struggled with excruciating lower back pain for almost the entire walk, but an hour and 11 minutes later, I ran across the finish line, with my posse behind me:
Total time: 3:33:17. Over an hour longer than I had hoped, but the bike kicked my ass with all the hills. And just general fatigue of doing the whole thing in one continuous event took it's toll as well. But I finished.