Mooseman Triathlon 2011 is complete! And what a weekend it was...
After the difficult decision to pull out of the race last year due to the weather, I was a bit worried about what might happen this year. Mother Nature was pretty good to us this year! It was a bit chilly in the morning, but by the bike/run, it was perfect. The 70.3 racers also had fantastic weather today.
Mark and I both registered for our race on Friday night so we would be all set to go on Saturday morning. I had a car issue (battery died) and a rude cop who berated me for speeding (because I was worried the jump my friend gave me wouldn't last--hence I was speeding, but he did not need to be so aggressive!) However, Friday's obstacles were totally worth it to feel ready the next day.
We woke up bright and early (4am) on Saturday, gathered our gear, loaded our bikes, and drove up to Bristol, NH. We arrived at the race starting area at a very solid time, which allowed us plenty of cushion to set up our little stations and mentally prepare--or so I thought.
At around 7:20 they had us get intp our swim waves (I was in the 6th wave and Mark was in the 1st!). The canon went off and the first wave took off. It didn't look too bad. The air was very crisp and cold, but the water didn't feel too bad just wading and swimming in the shallow area. I felt ready--I'd been preparing for 12 weeks and the swim was the discipline I felt the most comfortable in. So, what happened when it was time for my swim wave to go???? I moved forward to swim, but couldn't! It was like this massive shock took hold of my chest, body, and mind! I looked around and noticed several other women having the same issue, but they seemed to move forward. I kept trying to move, but I was flailing and gasping for air. It was absolutely terrifying. I also couldn't get over the feeling of being a total failure if I did not push myself to complete the swim. I again tried to get my bearings--I backstroked and then assumed a regular position. I was looking down towards the bottom of the lake and saw a giant fish which elevated my blood pressure--it was a disaster! I looked around for kayakers or other swimmers, but they all seemed to be moving forward. I kept thinking if I could just get to my coach's kayak, he would calm me down and help me regain focus; however, I had to reach his kayak. With that new goal in mind, I somehow beat the mental (as well as cold water) shock and pushed forward. I slowly regained my breath and resumed a shaky, but functional swim stroke. Once I did that, I started to pass some of the women in my age group. Then, I began passing people in the swim wave before my wave. By the time I was turning the first corner, I realized I was going to be OK. At that point, I sped up and tried to regain my lost time from earlier. I continued to pass purple and yellow swim caps until the swim finish. When my feet touched the sand again, a surge of relief and accomplishment flooded my body. I had finished my longest open water swim in my first Mooseman race!
I ran onto the beach (with a new appreciation for it) and had my wetsuit stripped off by some helpful volunteers. I knew I would have to make up some time on the bike, but felt fairly confident in that as I had done the course many times before. I took some time in T1 because I wanted to make sure I had everything set for the bike and was mentally recovered from my near disaster during the swim. I debated about wearing a windbreaker or not, but ended up skipping it--thank goodness because I really heated up on the bike course. The bike ride went very well, I knew after about 14 miles that I could easily beat my best time on the course, so that only pushed me more. I ended up finishing it in 1 hour and 40 minutes which was 20 minutes faster than my practice rides!! Woo hoo! I had definitely gained back my lost swim time.
The run. I do a lot of running, but I am just not fast. I go to track practices (or complete track workouts on a treadmill), I complete all my miles, I add in speedplay running, but I just can't ever seem to run very fast. I knew this, so I didn't try to kill myself on the run. After all, this was my first Mooseman; I wanted to enjoy crossing the finish line! There were so many supportive S2 crew members and volunteers out there--it was a moment to soak in. So for the run, I took it very easy in the beginning (partially because I could not feel my feet as they were numb from the swim and bike) to conserve some energy. It was a challenging run with a few painful hills, but the volunteers really made it go by fast--at least until the last mile. The last mile did drag, but when I entered the finish area I was thrilled! I saw many recognizable faces, and of course Mark (who had finished well before me) was there for a hug and a kiss.
I still don't know my overall time for the race ( I honestly forgot to look after and it is not posted online yet), but I do know that I am proud of this accomplishment. I was very dedicated to my training for the last 3 months; I am eager to see what I can do over the next 3 months!
Thank you to Sean Snow, the S2 crew, Melissa DePalma (my awesome workout buddy), my family, and Mark. I have been looking for a better month--I think June has certainly started out with tremendous positive energy!
Also, congratulations to all of my teammates and the other racers! It was a fantastic experience to volunteer at the 70.3 today; I was right in the thick of all the race action!
