Esprit de She, 2016

My first triathlon was the Esprit de She Sprint Triathlon in Naperville in June of 2015. I was hooked afterwards. I was on top of the world. It's a weird race due to the logistics of the course, but it's fun. It's women only and there's no cares in the world of skill level. All of the women out there racing are doing just that ... racing and encouraging. I swore last year I'd do it again and I counted down the days until I was able to race the course in 2016.
The thing with racing is ... it's unpredictable. Weather. Other athletes. You. All of it up in the air. The race last year that I raced in 2:00:22 all I wanted to do was beat it. I wanted to be faster this year, after all I'm stronger, smarter, and a Half Ironma now.

I started the race weekend by running some errands before hitting up the expo. I had to pick up my packet, get body marked and get the heck out of the sun and heat because it was HOT. In Chicagoland the past few summers we've been lucky. Sure, it's been summer but not sweltering. I rocked my pink and purple hair, got everything I needed and got the hell out of there.

I relaxed the night prior and had a mix of protein and carbohydrates and went to bed early. As soon as my alarm went off in the morning I yelled "IT'S RACE DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!" I got ready and was on my way. I was so dang excited to try to better my time and see what I had learned the year prior.

I set up in transition, knowing more this year than last year. I remembered the year prior I fumbled with how to get my bike off the rack and getting my pockets filled with things I thought I needed. THOUGHT. I didn't need them. I know now. I was set and pleased with my transition set up. Simple. Water bottles in place on my bike. And everything below in order of when I'd need the items.

Having been set up in transition and having a start after 7:30am I had some time to take everything in and catch up with friends. That's right, fellow triathletes that I know from the gym, the pool, other races. It's a crazy world and I'm lucky enough to be a part of it.

The event was starting, swimmer were lining up and I was convinced it was going to be a beautiful day. When I raced in 2015 the race was delayed due to rain, not to mention it rained during my entire swim of that event and left the roads slick for riding and a heavy humidity in the air for the run. This year the sun was bright, skies blue, the temperature wasn't too warm and the humidity had luckily dropped from the day prior.

My cheerleader mom and godmother got to the race and met me. It still wasn't time for my wave to start yet! I was getting anxious. NOTE: Not nervous, but anxious. I felt so ready for the race and wanted to race my heart out. 

I posed for one last photo before I headed off. Once again it was the curse of the purple swim cap. When I race I get purple swim caps. I mean don't get me wrong, purple is a great color; hell I had it in my hair for the race. But I want variety in my life, a color swim cap other than purple is all I'm asking for.

I lined up with my group and then something happened. The blow up arches for the start and finish deflated and fell to the ground. I'll admit the race crew was quick to fix the issue and even hold them up with long poles so athletes could get through to continue racing. 

And I was off!

My swim felt so much better than last year. I remember getting kicked last year and panicking, thinking I couldn't do it. This year I was passing people. You read that right, I went around other swimmers! And just like that a flat 18:00 after I started I was out of the water from my half mile swim. 

I ran out of the water, up the beach and hill and hit the pavement to go into transition. Here's the thing about triathlon: You never really look good doing it. Don't get me wrong I feel like I look great, better than last year even. Then you see photos of yourself wearing wet spandex as you run after you swim and you're carrying your swim cap and goggles as you mentally strategize your next move. Then you think when you see them "Eh, who cares and you share it on your blog for all to see.

I knew my swim was faster this year than last year and I knew I was capable of a great bike ride. The tricky thing is running through transition with your bike in biking shoes. Maybe someday I'll get a flying mount on my bike, but until then I sorta run through transition with my biking shoes on like a little girl wearing adult high heels tromping around the house.

And like the wind I was off. It's a pretty flat two loop out and back bike course. On my way out I was saying "On your left" nonstop. Which that means I was passing riders like crazy. I was comfortable and felt strong. Then the turn around happened. Oh holy head wind. It was rough. I felt my speed decrease and riding in aero position was extremely difficult. I peddled on and still passed some people, got passed by others.

Loop two was ahead of me and I was back to saying "On your left" and made up some of the time I lost on the return of loop one with the head wind. Bummer about loop two and heading back because there was the same head wind. I made the best of it and finished the bike in 47:20. I also knew that time was faster than my year prior.

It was back into transition to run like a little girl in high heels to rack my bike and get my run gear. I can't get it right everytime, I put my race belt on all tangled up based on the photo my mom took of me. But you know what, I never noticed. It didn't effect me, I didn't feel it. 

For me the run is the most mental challenge for me. There's always the option to walk and when I'm running slow I sometimes think I could walk faster. This for fact I know is incorrect. Running is also where I struggle with pain. I get hip and knee pain and it always lingers in my mind "Doctors told me I'll never run, maybe I shouldn't do this." Now let's be honest, in the middle of a race is a pretty terrible time to think "Maybe I shouldn't do this".

Not that it should matter but I got SO MANY compliments on my hair during that run. It kept me going because as I looked at my watch as I ran along I noticed I was slow. I was hoping that the time was wrong. I knew my swim and bike had been faster than the year prior and suddenly my run was becoming slower with each step I took.

And then suddenly 35 minutes and 01 seconds after I started my run I crossed the finish line. Not my fastest 5k. In fact it was downright slow in comparison to others I've run. But it also meant that 1 hour, 47 minutes,  and 05 seconds after I started the race I finished. That also meant I cut almost 13 minutes off my race time from the year prior. THIRTEEN MINUTES!

I'm not gonna even lie I was freakin' excited. I had not only finished, but finished strong and exceeded my exceptions of improving a little bit from my time a year prior. Waiting for me was my trainer, my pal, my motivator. 

Aside from my run I had improved on all times from the year prior. My swim. My transitions. My bike. And my overall finish time. I'm an average or below average swimmer. I'm ok with that considering where I started from. I'm am above average cyclists if you look at my times and stats. I'm starting to fly through transitions. To be 232 out of 1,508 through T1 is something I'm not too upset about. To be 364 out of 1,508 on the bike is something I'm not too upset about. Even to be 590 out of 1,508 through T2; I'm not upset about it. And if I'm being honest to be 1,065 out of 1,508 on the run; I'll take it. Above all finishing 681 out of 1,508 ... beyond my wildest dreams.

Who knows what next year will bring as far as time, weather, athletes, health. But I do know one thing it's a short race but it's so incredibly fun that I already am looking forward to what 2017 has in store.