speedvegan

1/4 mile swim – 10 mile bike – 3.1 mile run

Total Time: 1:22:10
Swim: 17:33
T1: 4:34
Bike: 30:25
T2: 1:49
Run: 27:50
Overall Place: 427
Category Place: 22

I must have gone over it a hundred times in my head, but it didn’t hit me until the most inopportune time — in the middle of my work day. I finally realized that I did something remarkable yesterday. I completed my first race since last year’s accident.

My road to recovery has been mostly smooth. I have taken it easy. I have been extra careful. I haven’t been Liz. Sometimes, having a bit of hyperopia is a good thing.

I didn’t know if I’d make it to the race or not. If you have followed my blog long enough, you know about my difficulty with getting to start lines — not for lack of motivation or drive, but due to factors I can’t control such as broken feet and being struck by vehicles.

I thought about that as I stood on the beach yesterday. The surf was rough and I knew the swim would be difficult. But there I was. I had made it to the start. In a way, I had already reached the finish line and the race would be my “victory lap.”

I had packed my gear and gone to bed early the night before. I needed to be up by 4:30am to make the 5:30am registration. No pre-registration this time ! I wasn’t as nervous as I normally am before a race. I had a raw fruit and nut bar for breakfast, gathered all my things and walked outside my apartment. It was pouring.

It rained until I reached the park. I went through registration, body marking, picked up my chip and calmly set up transition. Geoff said he would come to the race, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I started walking towards the beach a few minutes before race time. I had heard some people say the surf was rough, but my brain hadn’t processed it so I was still in “relaxed mode.” For some reason, I turned around just before leaving transition and saw Geoff looking for me. It was so nice to see him. We walked to the beach together and that’s when my stomach flipped.

The Swim
Swimming is my weakest discipline. I know that and I’m OK with it — as long as I don’t have to battle 6 foot waves like the ones I saw in front of me. A photographer from the local paper got a shot of me as I analyzed the situation. The photo actually made the paper so I must have looked pretty scared. I was.

Waiting for the start.

I looked around and saw that I wasn’t alone. I just had to make it out of the water. One, two, three, breathe. Between that and Geoff’s words of encouragement, I felt ready. I had a good idea about what to expect after seeing the “30 – 39 men” struggle with the surf. My wave was next. The horn went off. I took a deep breath and ran in.

Swimming out into the big waves.

Swimming out was the hardest part. I struggled to get to the first buoy. Shortly after passing it, I came across a woman who was nearly drowning. Someone shouted “she needs help !” I’ve never been a lifeguard and I don’t know anything about saving a drowning person, but I grabbed her by the arms and started swimming towards one of the surf boards while telling the guy on it that she needed help. She grabbed on to the surf board while he told her to breathe. The rest of the swim was pretty uneventful.

Finally coming out of the water.

The Bike
I took too long in transition, but I learned a lot and will probably do better in the future. The ride portion was my favorite part of the race. It was windy on the way out, so the way back was great. I was a bit disappointed because it was supposed to be a 10 mile course, but my computer only registered 9.5 miles. Maybe my computer is off.

Finishing the bike leg.

The Run
The run was brutal, of course. I haven’t been running much and not at all in the last couple of weeks, but I made it. It wasn’t my strongest run ever, but I was trying to be cautious and conservative in order to have enough fuel for the end.

Sprinting to the finish line.

I’m the one who swam, biked and ran the course, but all my friends were there in spirit. Their positive thoughts and words of encouragement fueled me to keep moving forward, especially in the rough waters. I also have to say that having Geoff there made a huge difference. Every time someone’s come to watch me race, I have felt pressured to perform which, ironically, has always affected my performance. But with Geoff, I felt that even if I was the last one in he’d be there cursing at the people tearing down the finish line and just as proud as if I’d won. That helped keep me relaxed, focused and happy throughout the entire race.