Triathlon coming up....

[nd93]

I'm doing Seattle Danskin on Sunday .... getting very nervous! Any advice from those who did the earlier ones? I am anxious to get it over with, I'm tired of thinking about it, worrying about it, getting pits in my stomach.

[alleyoop]

I was just going to post about the Danskin on Sunday! I knew you were signed up and was wondering if you were still on track to do it! YEAH for you! You are going to have such a good time. Seriously! If you look back in the posts before the Austin one... I said the same things about just wanting it OVER!! Now, I am already thinking about next year.

Above all, my advice would be to have FUN! When you pick up the packet the day before, go to the Newbie talk by Sally Edwards. It was helpful and inspiring for me and even though I didn't learn a lot, it made me feel much more comfortable about the race.

Bring spectators! The best part about going through transition (2x) was finding my dad in the crowd. I was so glad to have my mom, dad and DH there! We got a sitter for the kids. Tell your DH that he has to come... where else would he see 3k nearly-naked women bouncing around at one time? ;)

Make sure that you smile coming out of the water, and going in and out of the transition. They have professional photographers taking pictures that they will send to you to try to get you to buy. The pictures they took are hilarious. I wish I had looked for them and smiled at least!

I ate pasta the night before and could only choke down a power bar before the race, I was so nervous. I drank half of a water bottle after the swim, before getting on the bike (and left it there). I had another bottle of water on the bike and drank it during the ride. Then, I drank the remaining half of the water bottle before the run. So, two bottles of water only. I think that it worked well. Erica said that she had gummy bears at transition and ate a handful each time she came though. That is a great idea and I think I will do that next time, too.

You have worked really hard to get to this point. Try to just relax and enjoy the experience. Wait till you see the ages of people on the back of their legs. Riding or running past a woman who is in their 60s... you can't help but be inspired by that! You will end up feeling great about yourself and your body! You are women, hear you ROAR!!

Have an awesome time, and make sure you post your race story!

[nd93]

Thank you soooo much Heather for the pep talk! I totally needed that. How were you able to see your family during the transitions? How did you find them in the crowd? I've heard the Seattle one is huge - like 5000 women - so even though DH will be there I'm not sure I'll see him until the end.

That's funny about smiling! I'll try to remember that (as I'm chanting "I will finish! I will finish!"

Gummy bears, good idea. I was going to pack some Luna bars, but chocolate on a warm day while exercising did not seem appealing.

They write your age on the back of your leg?!? I had no idea!

I feel like I'm getting ready to have a baby. My bag is almost packed, and I'm just waiting for Sunday to get here!

Thanks again! I'll write more on Monday!

[alleyoop]

I know exactly how you feel! You will do great!

Actually, your post reminds me of something: wear a bright color, and have your DH wear one too. For some reason, even though my mom, dad and DH were there, I only saw my dad(2x)! I have no idea why I was able to find him. My DH wore a grey shirt and I remember turning a corner on the bike towards transistion and seeing a line of over 200 men, nearly all of them were wearing white or grey! On the other side, I ended up wearing the Danskin shirt they gave me for the bike and run part, and my DH said that if it wasn't for my blue hat he would never have been able to pick my out. So, that is something to think about.

Yes, the ages on the leg are awesome. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you. Hang in there and no worries!

[jesseandgrace]

Good luck, they are really fun to do - you are going to have a great time!

[alleyoop]

Well??? How was it?

[nd93]

for a triathlon! We had the most perfect weather! I did it! I was super slow, but that has pushed me to do it again next year and do better! At the beginning of the swim I felt like I couldn't breathe so I did a lot of breaststroke until I settled down. I was able to switch to freestyle, but then I'd run into people so I'd slow down then too. I was really slow on the bike so that's what I'll work on next year. I did better in the run than I thought I would - I hate hate hate running! - so that was a surprise. My spot in the transitions was near the barricade so DH was able to find me easily. I don't have the pictures off of the camera yet, and I haven't seen the Danskin ones yet, they aren't up yet. I sure hope there isn't one of me getting out of the swim! All in all an amazing experience. I'm really glad I did it. My girls just love the medal they hand out - "Mommy you won! You got the golden medal!". They thought it was so funny they wrote numbers on your arms and legs.

WooHoo! How many training days left until the next one?

[jerseygirl07067]

Congratulations! What an awesome accomplishment!

Marcy

[HannaAddict]

Congratulations. I wondered how you were after your post to the retreat group. I am impressed you did this, I don't think I have the discipline. What a great experience for your girls to see you doing this too. Congrats.

Kimberly

[alleyoop]

Congrats! I am so glad you had a good time!

[nd93]

Thanks ladies! Kimberly, if I can do it, you can do it! You'd be surprised. It really is such a fun time. It's all women, and there are so many people out there cheering you on. It was neat to see all the men with the kids cheering on their wives/moms. I started training last spring, then didn't do anything for a few months, then got serious in June. For next year's I may try one of the Danskin sponsored training programs, but I have a lot of time to think about it. Signs ups for next years triathlon are in Feb I think, and the Seattle one fills up quickly. Think about it!!!