Daybreak Triathlon June 4, 2016

The Daybreak Triathlon happened about 3 weeks ago now, but I just haven't gotten around to writing up my race report.  Well... here it goes...

I signed up for this race a little last minute, as I felt decent enough to run it.  However, I got a sinus infection earlier that week.  I thought it had gone away, but I ended up catching a cold the Friday before the race.  Then I started to have doubts... should I run it?  Should I not?  I decided... what the heck.  Run it.

Saturday morning/race morning rolls around and I'm realizing that I headed out of the house a little later than I had hoped to.  Instead of letting anxiety get the best of me, I took a deep breath and relaxed.  I told myself everything would be fine.  I got to the race site, grabbed all my gear and my bike, and headed to transition to set up.  Our tri team had some reserved bike racks, but I decided to find my own spot, so I wouldn't feel so squished. 

After getting all set up and ready, I found my teammates and we chatted, took our team pics, and had an inspirational speech from our mental toughness mentor, Nate.  We are a pretty good looking group, if I say so myself!  And we had such a presence at the race... Bee Bums everywhere!

SLTC Bee Babes with our fearless President, Rory.

Salt Lake Tri Club

Jennie, Joyce, Jodi, Janet.

With Gerald, getting photobombed by Janet

We had to walk over from transition to swim start.  It started to get pretty hot and sweaty in my wetsuit (even half up).  We got to swim start, and helped each other zipping up suits.  Janet made me laugh, which helped to calm some of my anxiety.  She had put on her wetsuit backward, at first.  Her second attempt wasn't much better... she was trying to put her foot through her arm sleeve!  It made us all laugh... just like me putting and wearing my helmet backward at the Ice Breaker Tri in March.  Oh fun times!  We got a little bit of a warm up in the water.  The temperature felt great, having been so hot in the wetsuit, with the sun beating down on us.  We watched the Olympic distances triathletes go by, and then our waves started heading out.

There were a few waves ahead of my wave start.  As I went off, I got this sudden bout of anxiety.  I couldn't get my rhythm going, and I started to panic.  I tried to think of what Erin would tell me... so I focused on my form and slowing down my breath.  Before I knew it, I was feeling a lot more calm, and the swim went well.  There was a lot of vegetation growing in Daybreak Lake - more so than any place I swam in back in Virginia/Maryland (at least that I could see/feel).  I almost felt like I was in that scene from "The Little Mermaid" where Ariel swims through the area of the "Poor Unfortunate Souls," and ends up getting grabbed by some of them!

The water was quite shallow still, so if you stopped to tread water, or if you were close enough to the shore, you could feel the sliminess and the vegetation grab your foot!  Ick!  I finished my swim in about 25 minutes, and felt pretty tired heading up to T1.

I was slow getting my wetsuit off.  My sinuses had cleared up being in the water, but I still felt exhausted from my cold.  I donned my bike gear, grabbed my bike (thankfully putting my helmet on the right way this time), and headed out.  I went off at the same time as Janet!

Her hubby, Mike, caught this picture of us!  And off we went up towards the copper mine in Herriman.  We rode the route just last weekend, which went great, but today I could not will my legs to move.  I felt like I was going about 2 mph.  I finally got to the intersection, which would take me up the final climb before the turn around.  I was grateful to make it up the hill without having to get off my bike to walk, and then for the rest on the downhill.  I made up a little time on the way back.  My second wind started to kick in, and it brought me back to T2.

Bike Dismount.

 

Bike pictures are not flattering for me ... at all.  I look tired in this picture... and I really was.  The run back to transition just about killed me.  It felt so much further than the way out.  When I got back, I got on my run gear and headed out.  It was so hot by then!  And I felt a little pain in my glutes/hamstring which wouldn't go away.  I did a little run/walk to try to get me through that next 3.1 miles.  I was also giving my Rip Laces one more shot, as they started to hurt my feet at my last race, and they were doing the same thing again today.  They started to make my feet feel numb.  I caught up to Michelle, and met my teammate, Valery.  I also chatted with Eric along the way.  We got to the final bend back towards the finish.  There was a small dam to cycle the water through the lake, so I dunked my hat in it to help cool me off.  My hamstring was still aching, so I listened to my body and kept the run/walk going...

Seeing the finish line was awesome!  My body was tired.  I just wanted some cold water and maybe some oranges!  I definitely was looking forward to the protein pancake breakfast at Adam's after the race!

I loved seeing all my teammates at the end!  They cheered me, and all of the rest of us on!  Despite being sick, I'm glad I raced.  I definitely paid for it later (as my cold really set in big time the following week).  I loved seeing so many of my teammates make the podium too!  I know I'll not likely place or podium, but I do love the feeling of just finishing, knowing that I conquered some fear of mine!

Thank you, US Tri Sports, for this awesome race!

And thank you, Adam, for hosting the team breakfast/brunch after the race!  Because that's what we do best... eat!  That's why we tri!