Can I call myself a "Triathlete," now?

I did it!

All that training, excitement, and nervous anticipation came to a head for me on Saturday morning as I competed in my very first (but certainly not my last) triathlon, The Loggerhead Triathlon in Jupiter, FL. 

Disclaimer: Despite all the nerves, the training, and the exhaustion, this race was merely a warm up.  My "Real" race - the one I have circled on the calendar, the one I have been raising money for, and the one that will definitely push me out (way out) of my comfort zone, is still 5 weeks away.

From today.

Eek!
Five weeks to double the distance I just swam, biked and ran?

Okay, people, I can do this.  Of course I can!  I just did it (sort of).
Saturday's race was what is called a sprint distance - this was a 3/8 mile swim, a 13 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. I did it, and survived to tell the tale.  The weather was perfect, the sunrise gorgeous, and all my nerves vanished as soon as I hit the water.
I certainly didn't break any course records, but I had a blast, and (more importantly) I am feeling great today - no soreness.   Obviously I didn't push myself hard enough (right, Coach?) because I should feel some soreness today.  Going over my results, I am pleased but I know what I need to work on for next time.  Mostly what I feel right now is pure exhiliration!  I loved this race, and you can tell how much fun I was having from my photos:

Running out of the water after my swim

Getting ready to hop on my bike

Finishing strong!
(Don't pay any attention to that clock
My actual race time was 1:38:17)

I remember smiling a lot during this race.  Is that weird?  I was so happy to be actually competing, and feeling strong!  I kind of felt cheesy to be grinning at all of the others, some of whom did not look too happy to be racing, but I seriously couldn't help it.

I now have five weeks to get myself ready for an Olympic distance race... a 1 mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run.
Eek!
I am looking forward to next weekend's workout with a little fear and trepidation.  I have a sneaky feeling that Coach Lisa was just toying with us so as not to push the Loggerhead Tri Team too far.  Now that only the Nation's Tri Folks are left, I am preparing for boot camp!
See, we had about 20 people on our triathlon team for Team in Training.  Most of the team was training for the Loggerhead Triathlon.  Now that race is over, there are only eight of us left who have signed up to go the distance for the Nation's Triathlon, both in fundraising and training. 

I know that I can do this.

I've even signed up for my NEXT triathlon... another sprint distance race in Lake Worth at the end of September.  This one is on my own, no support from the Team.  I think I have been bitten by the Tri-bug!

Why Team in Training Rocks...
Part of the Team in Training tradition is the pre-race pasta party.  Here's where we fuel up, get a last-minute pep talk, some coaching advice, and most importantly, remember why we signed on that dotted line to begin with.  While we were getting situated in the dining area, a slideshow was playing on the screen in the room.  On the screen were photos of all of our Team's heros  all of whom have been diagnosed with a blood cancer.  I saw photos of moms, dads, brothers, nieces, children, and friends - some are in remission, some are still fighting, and some have passed on. 
In all of that pre-race excitement it's easy to get selfish and forget about that.   It's easy to forget the real reason we are wearing the teal and purple on race day - not just because it looks cool (it does, believe me!), but to spread the word and to let everyone know why you are racing. 
Here comes the pitch...
To those of you who have donated to my fundraising effort (whether it be money, time, items for the auction, or baked goods): Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you haven't yet donated, but still want to, please do, but call or e-mail me first.  Several of my teammates have not raised their minimum amounts and since all the money goes to the same place, and to the same wonderful cause, I'd like you to consider helping them reach their goals by donating on their fundraising webpages. I am truly blessed to have such a generous network of friends and family, and it's only fair to spread the wealth.

Before Saturday's race, I wrote my hero's name (Kim) on my bracelet and I had a photo of her pinned to my back.  During my race, many folks cheered for us - it felt good to hear, "Go Team!" and to know they were talking to you.  During the run, when I was losing steam, someone yelled at me while I was passing them, "Go Team! Stay strong for Kim!"  That was the burst I needed to finish strong and whoop it up as I crossed that line.
So, since my next race is a longer distance, I thought it would be nice to have some extra inspiration.  For those of you reading this, if someone in your life has been diagnosed with a blood cancer (Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, or Myeloma), please e-mail me their name and a photo (if you have one).  I want to add them to my list of honored heros.  I'll need all the inspiration I can get to get through those 32.2 miles.
Thanks.

Home Again, Home Again...

I've been home exactly four days, we are unpacked, laundry is done, grocery shopping complete (as if that could ever happen), and we are all back to work and camp just like we never left.
Well, except for the memories...

View of Niagara Falls from our hotel!

And the photos...
(and the extra 5 pounds I seem to have picked up)

We arrived in Buffalo, picked up our luggage and a rental car, and headed straight for the border.  Once in Canada we checked into our hotel (Marriott Fallsview - I highly recommend it!), opened the curatins, and this is what we saw...
Upon realizing that the view pretty much has a permanent rainbow, Isabella declares Niagara Falls her favorite place.  Of course, she found many favorite places during our 12 day trip.

Running along the Falls

Nigara Falls is truly magnificent.  I could not stop staring, and taking photos, and pointing the view out to everyone else.  I was determined to keep up with my training while on vacation, so on the second day, I set out to run along the Falls Scenic Route.  I ran for about an hour,  but didn't log many miles, because I had to keep stopping to marvel at the view, and take more pictures.  Seriously, how could you not stop and gawk when THIS view was in the picture?
In any case, I had a lovely run and just when I was getting a little warm, the mist (the cold mist) would blow my way and cool me off.  It was great!

After a full day of touring, it was time to head back to the good old US of A to get ready for phase two of our trip... Sarah and Joe's wedding! We have been waiting for this event for years, and it truly paid off!  Every bit of the weekend was just perfect - the hotel - gorgeous! The rehearsal dinner - delicious! The chapel - adorable and perfect! The wedding reception - one of the BEST ever!  The weather - well, let's not talk about the weather... rain on your wedding day is good luck, right?

Here's some of my favorite photos from the wedding...

 

We had a great time with friends and family.  It was wonderful to see my sister, Valerie and Isabella had a great time with her cousin James.   We can't wait for his baby brother to be born! 

After Buffalo, we went to Hershey Park, where Isabella tried to set several speed records for her age class on the roller coasters.  This kid is an adrenaline junkie (just like her dad!); if she was tall enough, they got in line to ride!  I don't have any photos of Isabella on any of these coasters, because while she and Ray were riding, I was busy pacing on the ground and my hands were too shaky to focus the camera; plus they were going too fast!

After all that excitement, we were ready to slow down a bit and went to Rhode Island to visit Grandma and Grandpa Welch.  We had a lovely and relaxing time at their summer home and spent many hours on Grandpa's sailboat, Tranquility.  Isabella even got to try her hand at steering and coiling the lines!  She was most impressed with the fact that the boat had a "house" on it, and spent much of her time below deck, trying out the berths, eating snacks from the galley, and visting the head several times.  She remarked that the only thing missing was a TV! 

So, after 12 days away, I managed to log only 7 miles running, maybe half a mile swimming, and approximately 30 minutes on an excersize bike in one of the hotels.  Pathetic, huh?  I have my first real triathlon this weekend in Jupiter and I am a little (okay, a LOT) nervous.  I did manage to do a little training this week to make sure everything was still working.  So far, so good.  The race is only a sprint, so I'm not worried about the distances (700 yd swim, 13 mile bike, 3.1 mile run).  I know I can do it, so I'm not sure what I'm nervous about.  I just hope I will be able to relax enough to enjoy it.  The forecast is for sunny skies and smooth seas.  I hope there are a few clouds in the sky, though.  That South Florida sun is brutal!

I'm going to pack my race bag now.  I have a handy checklist provided by my coach and she put everything on this list!  Tomorrow night is the pre-race pasta party (gotta load up on carbs), and then I will check into my room at the lovely Jupiter Beach Resort.  Mom, Isabella, and I decided that we'd rather stay in a hotel that is a 5 minute walk from the race, than have to deal with a 45 minute drive at 5:00 in the morning.  Honestly, I didn't want to have the added pressure of dragging a very sleepy and very cranky almost six-year-old out of bed on my list of pre-race responsibilities!

I'll check in when I finish!