First triathlon! Race Report / novel

[laurack]

I haven’t been posting on here in a while, I kept planning to with my tri coming up but then my training was such a shambles. I’m in PT for my ankle issue and couldn’t really run much. My ankle was irritated so for two weeks before, I didn’t run at all. I went to a sports doc for dry needling in the peroneal tendon hoping this would help me. The dry needle was done Friday and that afternoon and the next day I was in pain, my whole lower leg was sore and stiff and I couldn’t walk properly. Plus I was feeling poorly anyway as I’ve had this cough forever, and general exhaustion, headache. No fevers so I figured, maybe it’s just my horrible allergies. hadn’t swam in a month, hadn’t swam open water at all as it’s been raining every weekend etc.

Day of: Woke up morning of the tri at 5am to make the decision, feeling “not terrible” leg wise but still a little under the weather but I decided I’d paid $80 and my friend was doing it so I’d go for it. We got on the road and both took ibuprofen (she had this neck issue which flared up the day before- total disaster lol). Got our stuff set up. I liked the whole buzz of the thing and setting everything up, it was fun! The ibuprofen was kicking in and I was feeling mildly better.

Swim: H & the kids arrived as we stood on the beach waiting for the start. At this point I started to panic because of my lack of swimming/total lack of OWS that year. It was go time. Everyone dove in. It was cold but I soon forgot that in my blind panic and sudden inability to swim. I just couldn’t get it together! Even though I know I can swim 1 mile in a pool without issue, swimming 1/3 mile in this lake was extremely difficult. I couldn’t get my breathing under control and found myself doing breast stroke a lot. A few times even that was too much and I went and tried backstroke but then I went way off course. ANYWAY I made it though I do believe if not last out of the water I was one of the last 2, 3 people out. Super embarrassing. Swim time: 20:29

T1: the first transition was long, ¼ mile up a hill to the transition area and I didn’t want to run as I didn’t want to irritate my ankle so soon, so I just walked. 8:16

Bike: bike leg was fine, took me a while to calm down from the trauma of the swim and I was still coughing a bit. It’s a hilly route but overall this was a pleasant enough ride. I passed maybe a dozen people which made me feel slightly better. Time- 43:53 10.5 miles, 14.2 mph

T2: quick change of shoes 1:55

Run: Was very worried ankle would flare up immediately causing me to have to walk. Ran slowly and walked up steep hills (hills bother ankle most). Hilly run but ankle held up for which I was so thankful! However my pace was slow because I just didn’t want to risk speeding up. 32:19 for 5km. Pace 10:25/mile

Final time was 1:46:54 putting me at 106th out of 127. Not great but eh, could’ve been worse.

Afterward: cough seemed worse and as we were driving home I was like, screw it lets go to urgent care, maybe this isn’t just allergies as I feel awful. Went to UC and she sent me for a chest x-ray and said I have “walking pneumonia” so then I felt pretty dumb for doing the triathlon. I’m glad I went to the doc as I don’t think this is something that will go away on its own. Now I am taking zpack, prednisone, mucinex and albuterol and while I was there they gave me a nebulizer treatment which helped.

Anyway! Will I do another triathlon? While I was swimming I said no, no way, never again. But now I think, maybe. Lol.

Thanks for listening

[arch01]

Congrats!!! Now rest up!

[wawa]

Omg, REST NOW. but way to go getting through your first one! Also I'm living that your slow pace walking up hills is my usual goal pace.

You definitely have to do it again. The open water swim just takes practice in open water. It's really its own beast and like 80% mental.

[sadlebred]

Congratulations! Now rest up to let yourself get better!

[Wines Not Whines]

Congratulations! After finishing this race with pneumonia and a bum ankle, I’m sure your next one will be easier.

[moreace01]

Congratulations! Goodness - walking pneumonia and a messed up ankle? I'm so impressed by your perseverance. And OWS is no joke. I totally get it - I can swim forever in a pool but get me in a lake and it's instant panic attack. It does get better with more practice. And dittoing above that it's totally mental.

Good luck with the next one!

[mysticmuffin]

Congratulations! Now get some rest!! Walking pneumonia is no joke, glad you got that checked out so you can be on the mend.

[hurricanedrunk]

Congrats on your first Tri! Glad you listened to your body and got checked out!

[oswin]

Wow, great job. Rest up and feel better soon.

[nannerl]

Hey! Congratulations! I had that same feeling on my OWS— can’t breathe, can’t settle, and OMG IM NOT MOVING FORWARD! And then it’s done.

[laurack]

Thanks everyone!! It was a learning experience for sure and I won’t go into another ows so unprepared! But overall I think I’ll try again.