What you may or may not have been waiting for!

So my triathlon is over!!! I lived through it!! My uncle who also did it with me and my dad drove us down to St. George. I took my one sweatshirt just in case I wanted it on the bikeride (and I did!). We got our stuff and they wrote our numbers on our arms Friday night. On Saturday we got there to set up around 8 and it was COLD! It was nice inside waiting to start, and lucky we were there so early 'cause it took almost that long before the race started at 9 for me to be able to feel my toes again. The water was nice, and when I had to run outside again to get on my bike the temperature was fine. I wore my sweater on the bike but took it off for the 5K run. Here are my stats.

What stinks is that swimming is my best event. I came to the conclusion that when that is the case, it doesn't help you at all. The amount of time in the water is so tiny compared to everything else that it gives you no advantage to be fast there. Also because afterwards, having spent so much energy doing well in the pool, getting on a bike is THE WORST. I just felt sick the almost the whole time on my bike. I wouldn't look at my watch, even on the run, which is slightly sad because I even went back to get it out of my jacket pocket on the bike/run transition after almost getting out of the zone without it. If not for that, I would have been exactly on time with what I said in the previous post---I guessed 1:35, and my final time was 1:36! I am totally happy with that, though :-) It was fun when it was over, and now I can say that I've done it, but I probably won't do it again. Unless I get a real racing bike, then I'll consider it; for now I'll gladly enter as a relay member only. The run was fine and so I might consider doing just a 5K in the future too.

my uncle, my dad, my uncle's friend, and me (in no particular order)

We each posed by a cactus when it was over. The actual race was on paved surfaces. I'm amazing!

Wednesday

First of all, I'm eating dried fish. My mom didn't complain about me making the house smell like Iceland again but there were other murmurings from my brother.

I went swimming and running tonight. I timed my 400 yard swim at 7min 15sec. Then I went down to the regular track and ran (mostly) 3 miles. I can say that since I know how many laps are in a mile on that track. It took less than 40 minutes with a bathroom break. I'm going to guess my bike time will be around 45 minutes. I've timed myself twice on 10 miles and it was about 52 minutes each time, but there won't be any stoplights and I'm going to use my iPod to help me keep going at a good pace. I don't want to be too generous because I know it will be hard to get started on the bike after swimming.

Using those times I'm going to make a guess as to how I will do.

7.5 min swim

45 min bike

40 min run

and rounding up for transition times gives

1 hour 35 min

Now I have a goal to keep in my head while I go--that will help too :-) Everyone cheer for me this Saturday!

well, they brought up journals...

...and since this is pretty much my journal I felt guilty for not posting in a while. I'm planning a spoof report about how my sight is going bad, and it's going to be fun, so every time I think about writing on my blog, I think of how I want to finish that so I can post it. But I suppose I do have other things to say too!

My triathlon is next weekend. This past week I did double workouts--swimming and running. I managed just fine. The week before (or two weeks...) I worked up my running. I ran 2 miles without stopping, then 2.5, then I switched tracks and thought I did three but there is no way that's how long it was. I guess I don't know how many laps to a mile are in the small track at the gym. So there's a breach in my keeping track of progress.

I realized also that the weather might be cooler than I had imagined. I don't know what I'm going to do in the way of apparel for the race! I thought I knew but it may not be enough! I have ideas. Maybe if everyone crosses their fingers that I won't freeze, I won't :P

The following is a sequence of events that makes me happy, but took me off guard at it's swiftness

-Katie complained about needing an accompanist, I mentioned that I am one...

-Symphonic Band needed a piano player, I walked in at an opportune time

-Katie actually gave me music

-Wendy needed an accompanist, Katie told her to go to me

-I was approached with a request to be an on hand accompanist at a musical audition

-Grandma's choir started again (I play for that)

-After the musical audition they had me come back to help with callbacks...

-...And asked if I would be in the pit orchestra for another musical

-Colby's accompanist totally fell through and he came to me for help

-Wind Ensemble started

-And I have to learn and practice exciting duets for accompanying class

I love to share my talents! It's totally fun for me but in the next 5ish weeks I have over 10 performances, which is fine, but getting in all my other work and schoolwork is going to be interesting. I am on the verge of resorting to caffeine! Aaahhhh! Oh well, what can you do.