Back in the Game

Last night, I competed in my first Aquathon of the season. I've done many of these in the past, but largely sat this year's series out and cheered from the sidelines. For some reason, I felt the urge to get out there again and see what I could do.

Leading up to the start, the skies were a little dark and rain seemed imminent. The water was churning with sizable waves. But I really like waves. I think they make the swim a little more interesting and propel forward momentum. I'm sure most would argue otherwise. I came out of the water as the third female, and raced through transition. I always have such a hard time transitioning from the swim to the run. I feel dizzy and faint. I definitely prefer biking as an in between event, as in a triathlon.

I passed both of the leading females within the first half-mile. Then I tried to get into a rhythm and hold my pace. I felt pretty good and strong, which definitely gives me confidence going into Ironman in 15 short days. That's shockingly soon. I ended up being passed in the last 400 meters by a former UW track star. She passed me like I was standing still. And at that point, I had nothing left to give. I crossed the finish line in ~36 minutes and felt like I was going to puke. It's so painful to sprint when you're an endurance athlete. I can maintain a steady pace forever, but I can't sprint at all anymore.

It was a fun race and Kate, Karen, and I stopped at New Orleans Take-out on the way home, which was of course the highlight of my night. I indulged in a dinner of crab cakes. Now how's that for a post-race recovery meal?