"Irongirl" Triathlon in Boulder

I really can't believe I got talked into doing this thing but now it's over, I am glad I did it! One of my good friends, Amy, asked me to do this triathlon with her up in Boulder. It was Aug 27 and since I had turned the big 4-0 only ten days earlier, I decided it was a great challenge for me to take on! I am NOT a swimmer... that part scared the crap out of me and this particular swim was in open water- at Boulder Reservoir! Seriously??!! But Amy was an awesome training partner and pushed me out of my comfort zone (you know, barely breaking a sweat 3 times a week at the gym!!) The swimming was probably the hardest part for me but after a month or two of training, I felt more and more comfortable in the water. Amy's friend, Courtney, had done the "Ironman" in St. George this past March. Now THAT I will NEVER do!!! She is amazing! She was also very instrumental in getting me through this crazy thing! She had a wetsuit for me to use, and she met Amy and I at a local reservoir a few times before race day. The wet suit was very helpful but the great advice and training tips from Courtney probably saved my life!!!



For me, swimming is hard work. But swimming in a wetsuit in open water is nearly impossible! Just getting the wetsuit on is a challenge!!! This is Amy trying to get into the wetsuit- Courtney is helping her! It seriously took two people to get those things on! We laughed so hard that day, just picturing how we were going to do this on our own on race day! Oh well... that's what practices are for, right??!







Since the race was in Boulder, the four of us, Courtney, Amy, Denise and I drove up to Boulder the night before and stayed in a hotel. The morning of the race, we woke up WAY early and TRIED not to panic... I, personally, didn't do too well on that!! I was really nervous! I just didn't want to drown or have to be "rescued" by the spotters in the reservoir!!! (I had dreamed of that happening for weeks before the race!) But as we pulled into the race area at Boulder Reservoir, it was a beautiful morning and the adrenaline started kicking in! Whether I was ready or not, the big day was here so I might as well enjoy it!





This being my first race, I was shocked at how many people were there! The transition areas were really crowded and I wasn't sure how that would all play out! The picture on the right is my "transition space". This is where I had to change from the swim out of my wetsuit and into my biking clothes. It was chaotic and pretty close quarters! Lots of women coming and going at different times, shoes and helmets being thrown on and wetsuits taken off!! All the while the clock is running so you are hurrying to get done! It was crazy but overall, a pretty smooth transition!






Once the swim was over, I felt so much better! It was only 1/4 mile swim but for me, that was LONG! When we first started swimming back in June, I couldn't even swim one length of the pool without stopping! So I had definitely made progress over the course of training through the summer. But 17 lengths in the pool still just about did me in! Having finished the swim leg of the race, I was thrilled and ready for the 17 miles on the bike. It was a beautiful ride through Boulder and after that, we finished with a 5k run along the reservoir line.





Yay! So glad I decided to do this!! After a big milestone birthday, I needed something to push towards! I had a blast with these three ladies and appreciate them helping me along the way! I was definitely not fast but I was just glad to finish! We are already talking about doing this again next summer and who knows, maybe one or two similar races between now and then! Now that I know a little more of what to expect, I would like to try again and would work on getting my time down!! My friend Amy definitely has "the race-bug" now... She and Courtney are training for the "Half Iron Man" next August! Don't worry, I am NOT setting my sights THAT high... I would DIE if I had to swim a mile, run 13 and bike 56!!! Kill me now!!! But I will be cheering those two on for sure! I'll stick with the smaller ones- these distances were just about right for an old lady like me!