Triathlon Season begins ...

So, I didn't forget to bring anything major this time. Yay, me!

However, I did forget to actually, you know, get in the water a few times before a race to dust off the cobwebs. AND! It's a really good idea to try on a wetsuit *before* racing in it. Turns out that thing is a little tighter than it used to be!! Hee hee.

The Approach Bethany and I left Framingham at the ungodly hour of 6:00 AM to get to Ludlow, MA. It was cold and rainy. I, of course, was hoping she would suggest we bag the triathlon and just get breakfast. Sadly, she did not at all suggest that. More importantly, we went to TWO Starbucks and both of them were closed. Starbucks, please open your stores at 6:00 AM on Sundays. Please. I had to drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee! It's just not the same. It's not terrible. It's just not the same.

The Swim That out-and-back swim looked much longer than 1/2 mile. The water was surprisingly warm. Which was nice, since we were in the water for such a freakin' long time. I kept holding my breath under the water instead of exhaling. That wasn't helpful. Neither was the ultratight wetsuit that wouldn't actually allow me to take a full, deep breath. Luckily, Bethany and I were swimming together to keep each other company.

The Bike Nice. A couple of hills. No major incidents. My feet and upper arms did get quite chilly, though. A long-sleeve shirt, for me, might have been too much. But a short-sleeve was not enough. Go figure. AND! We successfully had our energy-gel packets without littering. I kept them in my shirt pocket until the end of the race. Score one for the environment. Yay, us!

The Run Nice. Parts of it reminded me of running through downtown Wellesley. There was one guy, who we referred to as "Blue Short Guy," that was stopping to walk. Every time Bethany and I passed him, he would run again until he passed us, and then walk again. Methinks he should have tried the slow-and-steady thing. But, hey, whatever works, right? He suggested a bakery in Ludlow that has the best custard tarts ever (in his opinion). Sadly, we didn't go there after the race (see The Recovery). Bethany kept me going at a good pace for me. Verrrrry slow for her. Thanks, buddy!

The Transitions Oooh, these were fun. I think almost five minutes is acceptable if you're not racing. Ellen (our first triathlon coach), would have been sooooooo disappointed. I'm not in it to win it, so, I'm OK with the five minutes (for now). I did not bring an extra bottle of water to rinse the sand off my feet after the swim. Oh well. Very minor detail. I didn't even notice the sand on the bike and run.

The Recovery Post-race breakfast at IHOP in Shrewsbury. The country omelette is great! The grain and nut pancakes are pretty good, too, especially with strawberry topping! Bethany favors the Vegetarian Black Bean chili omelette.

Things to Think About Getting caught up in the adrenaline rush at the beginning of a race is a bad thing. I used to wear myself out at the beginning of a race trying to keep up with the crowd. I’m in these things to have fun, not to win; I am *far* from being an elite athlete. I don’t care if I’m in the back of the pack; I just want to finish.