HOD recap (with a line of SUTS)

Well...I realized I never re-capped my first tri this season. SUTS (soak up the sun).
In short.  It was fun.  I got 1st in my AG.  I finished in 48 minutes and some odd seconds. It was a marvelous experience RIGHT before I left for Peru.

My tri big and I :) <3

My grand new-found amazing friend Lana! :) 

SO HEART OF DIXIE!!
So blogging about this on my running blog-I try to separate my 'Jesus/life' blogs and my 'triathlon/running' blogs but HOD can't be blogged without saying from the start that Jesus came more than I will ever know.  *read on*

artwork I bought at the fair that I just LOVED :) 

Ok so Katie, Lauren, and I drove up Friday afternoon.  Got our packets, hung at the hotel, Lauren tries out the bike Katie brought for her to ride since hers is broken, and we freaked over doing our first Olympic triathlon in the morning.

Katie and I scoped out the lake and got marked. 

The morning comes and we wake up, set up transition stuff (so HOD is point to point..aka..transition 1 and 2 are 27 miles away from each other!), and we get in line to start the race!

Love these kids and the random crazy adventures we get ourselves into.  Without them I would not be here today.  Seriously. 

Swim:  1/2 a mile.  easy peasy.  I loved it and just enjoyed the new territory.  Not much to say.  I prayed some and just asked Jesus to let me focus on Him and honestly enjoy the journey I was about to take.

The beautiful lake that we swam.  WONDERFUL.

Bike:  27 miles.  Rolling hills.  Not a bad course.  I say a fast course actually! I averaged 20 mph.  Which training I do 17 solo and 18ish drafting.  So when I got off the bike 14 minutes faster than I wanted I nearly threw up from happiness.  But the bike was fun! This guy Steve and I played tag the whole time so that was fun.  Yes-I asked his name and introduced myself.  It happens.  I did my first water bottle hand-off which was scary but cool and good practice.  I also learned I hate eating on the bike.  I ALSO learned that electrolytes are important.  I could feel them leaving my body which was the oddest feeling ever.  So on the run you bet I took powerade at every mile!  WHEW that was close!  So.  Let's go back to that I rode 20 mph.  I say that to glory in the Lord and Him alone because all 27 miles I seriously enjoyed.  I just.
RODE.  I didn't know how fast I was going because I was in multi-sport setting and honestly I am SO thankful that I just...WENT.  It was refreshing to not have a standard.  It was wonderful to push when I wanted and just chill when I wanted (whatever that looks like in a race..).

fellow tri buds hanging out post-race!

Run:  7 miles they claim but it was 6.62 my watch reads.  So.  That's that.  Anyways.  Again.  Rolling hills.  HOT course.  So I took powerade for my mouth and water for my head to make sure I was cooled off.
So here is the slightly really scariest moment of my short triathlon life-span.  So if you have read any amount of my 'bloggage', you know that I have asthma which isn't a huge deal, but that I tend to randomly stop breathing (AKA: asthma attack while running), however after almost a year and a half of running, I have figured out what works and doesn't.  SO.  Anyways..I am running, minding my own business, and all of a sudden my heart rate SPIKES WAY UP, and air just decides to stop entering my body.  Cool huh?  I knew right off the bat this was not an asthma attack, but something not acceptable for a triathlete.  Anyways, so it happened again another mile or so later.  So.  I had to walk twice for about 2/3 minutes each time until I had enough air to keep running.  Except those about 5/6 minutes the run was quite enjoyable because I played tag with all the runners around me.  We encouraged, held MINI convo's, and reassured each other we would make it to the finish in stellar time.

Finish line pic thanks Brooke!

Something I am learning is that training is when you put in the work, and the race is when you show off, yet just chill, GO, and make sure to enjoy the journey that is set before you.  At the end of the day, despite my time goals, I really just want to dwell on the fact and awe of what my body is being able to accomplish.

the first faces I saw as I crossed the finish line:  Blaire and Brooke.  I did some marathon training with these two wonderful girls and they were perfect to see as soon as I finished!

 Finish:  it was incredible.  We ran around the track once, and that heart thing tried to happen again, but I gave in and slowed down so I could cross happily.  I decided 15 extra seconds was worth my happiness when I saw all the insaners and friends after crossing; for all records, it will ALWAYS be worth it.

Fellow Gulfportians reppin' it UP! 

Awards:  I got first, Katie got 2nd, and Lauren got 3rd in our AG.  That was SUCH a special moment for all 3 of us to go up one after the other and get our plates and rep all the work put in.

what a beautiful moment to remember!

My final times: 

Swim:  17:20 (I could care LESS about this one..oh well that you beat me by two minutes TOTAL..keep scrolling)

Bike: 1:22-20 mph

Run: 57:44-I think it's like 8:30's or something.  Including my walking.  Not.  Too.  Shabby.

Total: 2:41:47

What did I want? 3 hours.
Was I completely floored at the finish? HECK YES.

Reppin' the new FF tri kit so happily!

SO.  I learned that electrolyte drinks are important. I learned to just go with whatever is thrown at you.  I learned that I need something with calories to drink so I don't have to eat much.  I learned that my heart and I might not be as good of friends as I intended, so I am getting a holter monitor to wear ASAP so we can see what happened to prevent it in the future because..this kid is #augustabound!!!! So.  Prayers right now that everything be ok.  Even though it happened once.  It only takes one wrong move to screw this up, and I have come too far to have anything attempt to hinder my A race in 2 months!! :D 

Til' next time....