I have to thank my sister, Shawna, who introduced me to these little “text to talk” things on youtube through something she posted on facebook. I wanted to share my triathalon experience and after watching these videos on youtube, I thought it was the most appropriate way! And I am going to use Shawna’s name in this conversation since she was my inspiration for this blog! Love you! (pictures follow)
Me: I did a triathalon sprint this weekend. It was so fun!
Shawna: What is a triathalon sprint?
Me: Well, you compete with hundreds of others in a swim event, bike event, and run event.
Shawna: Hundreds of people all swim, bike, and run at the same time? That sounds crowded. But you say it is fun?
Me: Yes, it is very crowded, but they split you into waves so groups start at different times so it isn’t so crowded. In my case, I had to start in the last wave because I will be 35 at the end of the year, I am considered to be in the 35+ age group, otherwise known as the “old lady” group. And yes, it is fun!
Shawna: How far do you have to swim, bike, and run?
Me: You have to swim 600 meters, bike 6 miles, and run 2 miles.
Shawna: Where do you swim?
Me: This was in Donnor Lake
Shawna: A Lake? Isn’t it cold?
Me: The water was about 64 degrees but I wear a wet suit so it was not as cold as it was for those not wearing a wetsuit. And at the start, you try to avoid others splashing and kicking you while you make your way out into the lake. Then you spend the next 10 – 15 minutes trying to find your way around the course. I got lost a few times and was swimming the wrong direction, but luckily I noticed before I strayed too far from the course. It felt like I was swimming for miles and miles, felt like I was going to drown a few times, but I made it to the end of the swim course, got out and headed to change into my bike gear.
Shawna: So, you get into a 64 degree lake with hundreds of people to swim 600 meters during which you feel like it will never end, nearly drown, and it is fun?
Me: yes, it is fun. It is even more challenging when you get out of the water, peel off the wetsuit and try to get shoes and gear on for the 6 mile bike ride as you are gasping for breath from the near drowning experience. The bike ride is 3 miles practically straight up and 3 miles right back down. It took me 30-35 minutes or so to get up and then 5 minutes to get back down. The ride down is so fast that I was nearly clutching the center bar with my thighs and praying I did not fly over the cliff at 40 mph with only a helmet to protect me.
Shawna: Practically flying over a cliff…..And this is fun? What happens after the bike race? Do you get to rest then?
Me: No, not really. You get a few minutes to catch your breath while changing gear, but that isn’t much time. Right after the bike ride, you have to change your shoes and gear again, then start running 2 miles. 1 mile on an uphill and 1 mile on a downhill. That part isn’t so bad. It is a lovely run through Donner on a paved road, but there are cars on the road so you have to watch out for them so you don’t get hit. But that run back was an incredible feeling, knowing I had completed my goal just by finishing and not stopping my momentum at any point. And once I crossed that finish line, it was such a rush!
Shawna: So is it such a rush because you won?
Me: No, because I finished. But they did give me a free shirt for participating! I did not even come close to winning. I finished 150 out of 200 in 1 hour and 21 minutes. The first place person in my age group finished in 1 hour and 1 minute. They do not give prize money anyway, it was a small trophy. In fact you have to pay $105 to participate in the race.
Shawna: You must have had to train a lot for this? How long have you been training?
Me: Since November, 2010 about 90 minutes per day.
Shawna: So, let me get this straight…. You spent the last 9 months every day for 90 minutes killing yourself so you can pay $105 to participate in a race in which there are so many people you can’t all run together, you swim in freezing water in a tight suit where you nearly drown, spend 30 minutes riding straight uphill just so you can nearly kill yourself riding downhill, and then struggle to run just so you can get a free shirt at the end since you have no chance of actually winning anything? …And this is fun?
Me: Yes, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was worth every moment and I can’t wait to do it again next year. I am already planning my training schedule!:)
Me: I did a triathalon sprint this weekend. It was so fun!
Shawna: What is a triathalon sprint?
Me: Well, you compete with hundreds of others in a swim event, bike event, and run event.
Shawna: Hundreds of people all swim, bike, and run at the same time? That sounds crowded. But you say it is fun?
Me: Yes, it is very crowded, but they split you into waves so groups start at different times so it isn’t so crowded. In my case, I had to start in the last wave because I will be 35 at the end of the year, I am considered to be in the 35+ age group, otherwise known as the “old lady” group. And yes, it is fun!
Shawna: How far do you have to swim, bike, and run?
Me: You have to swim 600 meters, bike 6 miles, and run 2 miles.
Shawna: Where do you swim?
Me: This was in Donnor Lake
Shawna: A Lake? Isn’t it cold?
Me: The water was about 64 degrees but I wear a wet suit so it was not as cold as it was for those not wearing a wetsuit. And at the start, you try to avoid others splashing and kicking you while you make your way out into the lake. Then you spend the next 10 – 15 minutes trying to find your way around the course. I got lost a few times and was swimming the wrong direction, but luckily I noticed before I strayed too far from the course. It felt like I was swimming for miles and miles, felt like I was going to drown a few times, but I made it to the end of the swim course, got out and headed to change into my bike gear.
Shawna: So, you get into a 64 degree lake with hundreds of people to swim 600 meters during which you feel like it will never end, nearly drown, and it is fun?
Me: yes, it is fun. It is even more challenging when you get out of the water, peel off the wetsuit and try to get shoes and gear on for the 6 mile bike ride as you are gasping for breath from the near drowning experience. The bike ride is 3 miles practically straight up and 3 miles right back down. It took me 30-35 minutes or so to get up and then 5 minutes to get back down. The ride down is so fast that I was nearly clutching the center bar with my thighs and praying I did not fly over the cliff at 40 mph with only a helmet to protect me.
Shawna: Practically flying over a cliff…..And this is fun? What happens after the bike race? Do you get to rest then?
Me: No, not really. You get a few minutes to catch your breath while changing gear, but that isn’t much time. Right after the bike ride, you have to change your shoes and gear again, then start running 2 miles. 1 mile on an uphill and 1 mile on a downhill. That part isn’t so bad. It is a lovely run through Donner on a paved road, but there are cars on the road so you have to watch out for them so you don’t get hit. But that run back was an incredible feeling, knowing I had completed my goal just by finishing and not stopping my momentum at any point. And once I crossed that finish line, it was such a rush!
Shawna: So is it such a rush because you won?
Me: No, because I finished. But they did give me a free shirt for participating! I did not even come close to winning. I finished 150 out of 200 in 1 hour and 21 minutes. The first place person in my age group finished in 1 hour and 1 minute. They do not give prize money anyway, it was a small trophy. In fact you have to pay $105 to participate in the race.
Shawna: You must have had to train a lot for this? How long have you been training?
Me: Since November, 2010 about 90 minutes per day.
Shawna: So, let me get this straight…. You spent the last 9 months every day for 90 minutes killing yourself so you can pay $105 to participate in a race in which there are so many people you can’t all run together, you swim in freezing water in a tight suit where you nearly drown, spend 30 minutes riding straight uphill just so you can nearly kill yourself riding downhill, and then struggle to run just so you can get a free shirt at the end since you have no chance of actually winning anything? …And this is fun?
Me: Yes, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was worth every moment and I can’t wait to do it again next year. I am already planning my training schedule!:)