This Saturday was an awesome sprint triathlon in Albuquerque, and I had my personal best for the season.
I had a couple of internet friends that I was going to meet at the triathlon, so we had plans to meet early. The race was held at Kirtland Air Force Base, and there were over 600 folks registered. The morning was super crisp and cold, and I had a great night's rest and it was easy to be there by about 6:30 in the morning. Open racking is my favorite (you get to park your bike and gear at any untaken spot on the racks), and I ended up right near one of the sets of people I was looking to meet. I met the other group in the bathroom-- of course!!!! We chatted and visited, and ultimately the race director ended up delaying the start until about 8:45. That worked out well since it gave me more time to chat, visit and hydrate, and go to the bathroom.
The run was my best all season, with a 42:29 time for the 5K. I was second from the last on the run, but was hoping I could make up time on the bike and I was sincerely hoping to set a personal best on the run. My fastest time this year had been 44 minutes, so I was really watching my time and pushing myself. In my fantasy life I was going for 36 minutes, and while I didn't do that, I was still so happy with going faster than I had before in a triathlon. I am still going to keep working on the dream of doing three back-to-back 12 minute miles and doing a 5K in 36 minutes.
The bike was a lot of fun because I passed some folks who passed me on the run and did the 20K in 57:49 and that is also a personal best for me! Two PR in the same race and I was so jazzed. I don't know why I was so slow on the swim, it took me 15:30 and I've done the 400M swim in as little as 13 minutes.
Overall, the whole race was a personal best for this distance at 2:00:59. I was trying so hard to be under two hours and I was REALLY close to that milestone. I also looked at the overall times, and if I can cut even six more minutes off my overall time I would be tenth from the last as opposed to my current finish of fifth from the last. You know me, I am all about celebrating the success though, and being fifth from last is great compared to spending most of the first year being the absolute last person.
My next event is the Tallahassee Turkey Trot, 10K, when I visit my daughter (Mary) and son-in-law (Dave). They are willing to be sports and do the Turkey Trot too. I told them they can go for coffee and a bagel when they finish the 5K since I will be so S-L-O-W-L-Y finishing the 10K. In the Duke City Marathon it took me an hour and 38 minutes to do 6.2 miles, so my goal is to do the 10K in 1.5 hours. I figure they have this amazing thing in the air in Tallahassee called oxygen, so I might be able to make that goal.
There are two choices of sprint triathlons in December. I will only do one of them: the Polar Bear Triathlon in Las Cruces, NM (Dec 5) or the Jingle Bell Triathlon in Rio Rancho, NM (Dec 12). Then I guess I go into withdrawal because there is nothing on the radar for January, February, or March. Any suggestions for sanity maintenance? I am thinking about setting up a series of 5 and 10 K runs for the community. There might just be five or ten people who would do it, but that would be better than nothing.
I would like to do a 100 mile bike ride or another 1/2 marathon.
I have decided that for Christmas I am going to request the Newtons that I let the sales clerk talk me out of last month. I've had dreams about those shoes ever since I didn't purchase them. In the dreams I run faster, easier, and with more joy than I ever have before. I REALLY want those shoes, so that is what I want for Chrsitmas. Maybe I don't "deserve" them, but I think if I am dreaming about them, I might actually need them. I know that sounds nutty.
Your crazy, exercising friend,
Patricia
I had a couple of internet friends that I was going to meet at the triathlon, so we had plans to meet early. The race was held at Kirtland Air Force Base, and there were over 600 folks registered. The morning was super crisp and cold, and I had a great night's rest and it was easy to be there by about 6:30 in the morning. Open racking is my favorite (you get to park your bike and gear at any untaken spot on the racks), and I ended up right near one of the sets of people I was looking to meet. I met the other group in the bathroom-- of course!!!! We chatted and visited, and ultimately the race director ended up delaying the start until about 8:45. That worked out well since it gave me more time to chat, visit and hydrate, and go to the bathroom.
The run was my best all season, with a 42:29 time for the 5K. I was second from the last on the run, but was hoping I could make up time on the bike and I was sincerely hoping to set a personal best on the run. My fastest time this year had been 44 minutes, so I was really watching my time and pushing myself. In my fantasy life I was going for 36 minutes, and while I didn't do that, I was still so happy with going faster than I had before in a triathlon. I am still going to keep working on the dream of doing three back-to-back 12 minute miles and doing a 5K in 36 minutes.
The bike was a lot of fun because I passed some folks who passed me on the run and did the 20K in 57:49 and that is also a personal best for me! Two PR in the same race and I was so jazzed. I don't know why I was so slow on the swim, it took me 15:30 and I've done the 400M swim in as little as 13 minutes.
Overall, the whole race was a personal best for this distance at 2:00:59. I was trying so hard to be under two hours and I was REALLY close to that milestone. I also looked at the overall times, and if I can cut even six more minutes off my overall time I would be tenth from the last as opposed to my current finish of fifth from the last. You know me, I am all about celebrating the success though, and being fifth from last is great compared to spending most of the first year being the absolute last person.
My next event is the Tallahassee Turkey Trot, 10K, when I visit my daughter (Mary) and son-in-law (Dave). They are willing to be sports and do the Turkey Trot too. I told them they can go for coffee and a bagel when they finish the 5K since I will be so S-L-O-W-L-Y finishing the 10K. In the Duke City Marathon it took me an hour and 38 minutes to do 6.2 miles, so my goal is to do the 10K in 1.5 hours. I figure they have this amazing thing in the air in Tallahassee called oxygen, so I might be able to make that goal.
There are two choices of sprint triathlons in December. I will only do one of them: the Polar Bear Triathlon in Las Cruces, NM (Dec 5) or the Jingle Bell Triathlon in Rio Rancho, NM (Dec 12). Then I guess I go into withdrawal because there is nothing on the radar for January, February, or March. Any suggestions for sanity maintenance? I am thinking about setting up a series of 5 and 10 K runs for the community. There might just be five or ten people who would do it, but that would be better than nothing.
I would like to do a 100 mile bike ride or another 1/2 marathon.
I have decided that for Christmas I am going to request the Newtons that I let the sales clerk talk me out of last month. I've had dreams about those shoes ever since I didn't purchase them. In the dreams I run faster, easier, and with more joy than I ever have before. I REALLY want those shoes, so that is what I want for Chrsitmas. Maybe I don't "deserve" them, but I think if I am dreaming about them, I might actually need them. I know that sounds nutty.
Your crazy, exercising friend,
Patricia
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