Now... Just to be clear... It was not the smoothest race I've ever had (not GA Multisports's fault BTW).
Two days before the race I was swimming laps at the aquatic center like usual and felt a sharp pain in my left big toe when I pushed off the wall. I figured I got some debris wedged in my callus or something, but it kept hurting! I went for a short bike ride which didn't bother my toe any. I decided to soak in a hot salt bath. During the soak, I took another look at my foot and saw a big purple blotch on the side and underside of my big toe. Not good. Turns out it was a mild sprain; well that's what my boyfriend and I figured. Hurt really bad to walk straight on it. I iced it a bunch Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday. I iced it in the truck on the way to the race Sunday morning. Lol. It was nice and numb when the race started.
I can swim so much better than last year (thanks to my coach). However, I still suck when I first get into the water. My body can't deal with the sudden rise in heart rate while in the water. It takes about 13-20 minutes of swimming before I feel effortless. Sunday just wasn't my day in the water. >:/ It stunk. Still a minute faster than last year, but a minute slower than I planned. Plus my performance in the water was pathetic. It was embarrassing. My bf says I need to "pre-bonk" in the water before the race starts instead of doing it from running. Makes total sense. I can fly in the water once I'm in the zone.
I had bought a new pair of tri shorts on eBay (Zoot - $29.99 lightly used) which had some small tight pockets on the hips. Perfect size for gels. So I stashed one in there. I planned on taking it halfway through the bike course. When I got to that point, the gel wasn't there. I was concerned beforehand if it would stay there during the swim. And it didn't. So I didn't get to refuel like I had hoped.
During the bike course I grabbed my water bottle, drank a considerable amount (hot and humid), and reached down to put it back in the cage. I looked to check that I had it lined up properly then shoved it in. Well I thought I did. I missed. It went flying behind me. Couldn't stop and go back for it. Waste of time plus it's not safe. So I was without water for the remainder of the bike leg.
I did have a sports drink in the transition area. Needless to say I took a HUGE swig of it when I got to T2.
I passed the "2 Mile" sign during the run and started picking up the pace. Up until that point in the race my sprained toe did not bother me. Then it started nagging at me. It was hard to ignore. I didn't stop though. I just figured I had 1.1 miles to go and I would just deal with it. But it was distracting and it affected my performance for sure.
During the run, I walked through the aid stations to get water. I got the burps. Now... I am not a lady when it comes to burping. I let out and they're always very loud. I was passing through a large group of older women who were walking-jogging and let out a huge burp. They all laughed. I provided entertainment for numerous groups of racers. It was funny. :) I like cheering people up.
I finished very strong. All out sprint as soon as I turned on Main St. I was very pleased with my race time. Performance could have gone better, but everyone has issues from time to time. Plus I am still learning the sport. All these bumps are just learning points.
I have one more race in Sept. The distances are:
- SWIM: 600M
- BIKE: 14.3 Miles
- RUN: 5K
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