Cultivation Nation Sprint TRI – Wiggins, Ms 8-27-16

It’s been another HOT week here in Mississippi!  All of us girls had signed up to do this sprint TRI for more practice towards ironman coming up.  So to say I was looking forward to the race would not be accurate due to the heat.  I was kind of dreading it.  Seems like this heat has just taken so much out of me this year.  I’m more tired lately.  Hey.. maybe it’s all the training too. HA!  I’m learning the older I get that it’s ok to take a nap and here lately I need one after a hot, humid training day!  I was looking forward to getting back on the bike on the Wiggins Hills.  They do have some good training hills there and the elevation gain is similar to Augusta.. I had 1,400 on the last 52 training bike ride in Wiggins a few weeks ago.  

However, I made one mistake.  I was so going to make sure I got in a long run during the week to make up for my run miles I’d miss on Saturday due to the TRI.  I had planned to do it Wednesday night, but working till almost 7pm put a damper on that.  So I did 9 ½ miles on Thursday.  You may be wondering why that is a mistake.  Well, normally I try to not do anything hard or long after Wednesday when I have a race on Saturday.  I may do a light jog or swim, but certainly not a long one.  But I had realized the Marine Corp Marathon is only 9 weeks away and I didn’t want to miss any more miles so I crammed in miles on Thursday.  I also got up on Friday morning and did a light 3 mile jog.  MISTAKE>>>>  My legs were heavy weights on race morning. 

My office calendar..wish I had seen this on Saturday.. 

Because they offered packet pick on race morning none of us girls had picked them up early.  So we had to get in line to do that before we could go set our bikes up in transition.  By the time I got my bike inside the transition area I had to walk around until I finally found a spot to put my bike and then it was a quick set up and walk to swim start.  I found the girls already in the water.  Nestor grabbed a picture of us before we started. 

SWEET FRIENDS... WOMEN WHO TRI

Kathy and I were right beside each other to start.  I could see her for a little bit as we swam and then she disappeared.  I then saw Serina who had started behind us.  But not for long.  There I was drifting more and more to the left (middle of lake) and they were all swimming closer to shore.  I reminded myself to just stay slow and steady and make it around the big red ball at the end with it staying on my right side.  Whew, I was finally in!  I saw Serina getting her bike down to head out of transition and wished her luck.  Kathy and Jenn were already gone.  I dried off my feet and tried to change as quickly as possible into my bike shoes, gloves, helmet… (however, my transition times are SLOW).  Soon I was out on the bike course going up and down the hills.  There is even one section of the rolling hills that someone had painted words at the top of each hill that spelled out “BAD ASS HILLS”.  Believe me they were, but the roads are nicely paved with few bumps.  Makes for an excellent ride!  The country side is beautiful.  NO dogs! YIPPIE I actually averaged my fastest time that I’ve done on the Wiggins hills (I’ve went a couple of times to train with a group that rides every Sunday), so I was very pleased with my bike ride.  And then the run started.  It’s a trail run off into the woods there at the park.  It has a couple of hills and mud.  I was beginning to get HOT.  I jogged / walked off and on until it was over.   I was so glad to be FINISHED>>>  The other girls had finished ahead of me.  When it comes to race day they are in BEAST mode.  I’m so proud of them.  They’ve worked so hard to overcome injuries lately. 

So another TRI in the books.  I finished in under 2 hours and placed 5^th in my age group.  Need to work on my transitions times and I could move up in place.  There are some fast ladies in the age group 50-54! They are superwomen!  Nestor snapped a picture of us and then I went home and crashed for the rest of the day.

Check out Serina's shirt! :<>) 

 I’m glad it is only an hour drive to Wiggins because I was getting very sleepy by the time I got home.  I’m really beginning to like REST.  I did get up on Sunday and do a short brick workout.  I had planned to rest, but at the last minute decided to go ahead and do a brick.  Today (MONDAY) I’m resting.  Well resting as much as possible.  I’m at work and enjoying my lunch at the moment.  I plan to go home at 5pm and prop my feet up. 

So how’s ya training going?? Remember…