Englewood Triathlon

July 16, 2016 - Englewood, FL

Redemption! I decided to sign up for this race, about a month ago. I wasn't going to race it, because I already had the international distance triathlon the weekend before, but, Carolyn talked me into it. I wanted to see Michelle and Kimmi complete their first tri and I wanted to do a better swim than last year, where I had a panic attack in the water!

Carolyn, Robert and I got down to Englewood around 5:45. Just in time for the packet pickup table to open up. We got our shirts and bibs, then got our chips and body marking done, before going back to the car to get bikes and gear. We then headed to the transition area to set up. It was great seeing all the familiar faces. So many Sarasota peeps doing this race! I got all set up, made a trip to the restroom (without falling down the stairs like last year!) then headed to the beach. There were 4 start times, and I was in the last group. The water was perfect. Smooth, with not much of a current. We watched the 3 other groups head out, got lined up along the water, then ran in when it was our turn, around 7:15.

Swim (400 meters): We were a tight group for a while. I kept in the thick of it, trying not to get kicked in the face. We didn't have a long swim, before turning to the right at the first bouy. I was having a great swim. I felt strong and was passing by other swimmers! We had 4 bouys to pass, before turning right again, heading back to shore. I little jog up the beach, before crossing the timing mat. T1 was a bit of a mess. I took to long getting ready. I grabbed my sunglasses out of my helmet, then had to reclip my bangs, so they wouldn't fall in my face. This messed me up. Plus, I was talking to the woman next to me, which also helped me to loose focus. I grabbed my bike and started running out of transition. Thankfully, Gina was there and saw that I didn't have my helmet on! I turned around, set my bike on the ground, and ran back over to my spot, grabbed my helmet and set out again! Swim- 10:02, T1 - 2:46

Bike (13 miles): because of the transition snafu, my heart rate was up, but I was pushing hard. I had a shorter ride than the weekend before, so I really wanted to push the pace. I like this out and back course. The road is pretty smooth. Just one section where there was sand on the road, but there was a spot for the riders to get through it safely and volunteers on the road, to point it out. I had some good speeds going, clocking my fastest 5 mile split at 15:46! I passed Wendy, Jackie and Carolyn about 9 miles in. Carolyn stayed on me for the rest of the ride. I had to work hard to stay in front of her! :) Very happy with my bike. T2 was much quicker, as I only had to slip off my bike shoes, slip on running shoes, grab visor, washcloth and put on my bib belt as I ran through the transition area. Bike - 43:09, T2 - 0:53

Run (5K): I felt really good on the run. Looking at previous years times, I knew I needed an 8:30 pace to come in at a similar time as my best previous time. So, I worked on keeping that pace. The weather was so much cooler today, than last weekend, so that helped a lot. I was passing  people constantly and really didn't have any issues with keeping that pace. Since I had a small water bottle with me, I didn't need to stop at the water stops. Just kept plugging away. It was great seeing friends near the finish line cheering. I ran over the finish line with a big smile and a 3 minute race PR! Run - 26:29
Finish: 1:23:17
4th in age group