Animo Triathlon – My First Tri

I came, I swam, biked and ran, and…I conquered! As I type these words in the comfort of my own home, I can’t even believe I had just finished my first triathlon early this morning. Was that really me? You mean I managed to finish the race without drowning or clinging on to the lane lines for dear life? Before I get philosophical here, allow me to share the juicy race details:

{ CHECK IN }

I was a bundle of nerves—uhm, I was like that all week—when we arrived at 6:05 a.m. for check in. “Let’s go. I think I’m late.” I told my hubby over a hundred times. Of course, we weren’t that late but, being the newbie that I am, I disliked the fact that tardiness was adding to my stress. I picked up my race kit, got bodymarked, stickered my bike and helmet, parked my bike, (all with Marga’s guidance) and discovered that everything was less complicated than I imagined. Before I knew it, we were at the pool waiting for the race to start.

– What would have I done without Marga?! Let’s go, Team BWK! Banggi, start training. –

– Iron lady, Ani de Leon. Bow bow bow. –

{ SWIM – 350m, DLSZ pool }

This was the portion I was most concerned about, but as all 13 of us mini-sprint women (maybe 15 since two arrived late) were waiting for the go signal, I was surprisingly excited and psyched up. It must’ve been the crowds, the friends cheering me on, the feeling of being in a real competition that made me forget, albeit temporarily, about the long, arduous swim (at least, in my standards) that was about to commence.

– Trying to stay calm –

– Last photo with Marga in case I drowned –

– Waiting for the race to start –

So, I swam at a modest pace, not too fast, not too slow. I was kicked quite a number of times, but thankfully not in the head. It was a struggle to stay relaxed while seeing all the swimmers pass you by, but I knew that if I wanted to finish, I had to pace myself. After lap 3, I believe I paused at the end of every 50m lap to catch my breath and foolishly waste some seconds glancing at the hubby or smiling at friends. Let’s just say those pauses at the pool were both physical and emotional requirements to survive the grueling swim. By the last lap, I just swam away with only one thought in mind “Just get it over with.”

– I didn’t drown! Woohoo! –

{ TRANSITION 1 }

I climbed out of the pool to realize that my slippers were at the other end of the pool. I yelled to my hubby “Slippers!” and instantly he dashed out to get them. (See, that’s the reason why hubby’s been running 3x a week; it was really to be quick and nimble when he acts as my support.) Hubby ran with me towards the transition area and watched me get ready for the bike. It was quick; again, less complicated than I thought.

– Smooth and easy transition. Thank God for the trisuit –

{ BIKE – 12k, Ocho Ocho Loop, Ayala Alabang }

The day before the race, Annie had lent me her roadbike, but after encountering problems with it, I decided to go for the safer but slower alternative, my hubby’s mountainbike. I biked the Ocho Ocho loop just the day before the race (yesterday) so I was pretty confident about not losing my way; however, I was very concerned about my speed. I knew I would be moving at turtle’s pace.

As I mounted the bike, I was with two other people, but when I made my way out to University Ave. towards Country Club Drive, it was like everyone disappeared except for one man in front of me who was biking at a leisurely pace. A few minutes after, some athletes—Harry Tan and a couple of other guys—passed us by and it confirmed the fact that I was going very slow; I felt like I was stuck in a slow mo movie. Yawn. By the time we reached Cuenca, the man who I initially found super slow increased his speed and, before I knew it, he was nowhere in sight. I was biking alone! Double yawn. I didn’t even feel like I was in a race. Pretty soon, I reached the finish line and boy was I eager to get off the bike.

{ TRANSITION 2 }

Parked the bike. Removed the helmet. Drank a bit of Rush. And, much to Annie’s horror (she advised me against this early on but my OC-ness got the better of me), I stopped to re-tie my laces. She’ll be glad to learn though that I only tightened one of them.

I was expecting to walk out of the transition area like Daisy Duck or, if you want someone more relevant, Erap, but I was surprised to find myself jogging out of there in my regular running form.

{ RUN – 3.4k, Ayala Alabang }

Now for my favorite part: the run. I ran in complete comfort as if I had just started a race; the swim and bike portions had been erased from my body’s memory. For the first time, I ran without my Garmin but with my hubby’s water resistant timex. And, being the runner that I am, I only remembered to start the timer in this portion!

We were to run two big loops around the area and I felt strong all the way. It was only here that I felt I was doing well. I was outpacing people, even men, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Time passed by quickly here; well, it was just 3.4 km after all. According to my timex, I finished the 3.4k run in 16.39 min so my ave. pace was a little below 5 min/km.

As I neared the finish line, Annie came by for support and paced me until the end. She was so serious that I wanted to laugh out loud but she even shouted “Sprint. Sprint” and so I did. Hubby was at the finish line waiting for me. He says he stuck out his hand waiting for me to high-five him, but I didn’t even see! I was just probably in awe over my finish.

– I did it! –

– With Annie who showed up to watch and support. Thanks Annie! –

{ WHAT’S NEXT? }

Can I be honest with you? I ended the race thinking: Was that it? Did I really finish my first triathlon? Why doesn’t it feel like it? Why am I not doing cartwheels and celebrating?

I’m still unsure exactly why. But, my best guess is that I’m a runner and I’m a masochist. Hah! I like ending a race drenched in sweat with my legs and feet tight and tired and the rest of my body yearning for a massage. At the end of this mini sprint, I didn’t feel weary and worn out; I felt like running more. (No, not quite ready for a sprint tri. That’s where I’ll definitely drown.)

So, running more is what I’ll be doing. For the next few months, I’ll be training for my half marathon. Exact details of which I’ll share with you in due time.

The triathlon was just something I had to try for pure fun and I’ll probably give it another go in the future. But, for now, I shall resume training with my one and only love: running.

– Triathlon mommies: Bunny, Me-Anne, TBR, Caroline, Dedette, and Ting. Mommy Power! –

– Foreignrunner after his 1st sprint tri. Congrats! You had no reason to worry –

– Athletic couple, Maui and Coach Ige Lopez, with their friend. –

– Finally, a photo with the famous Drew A. I waited in line for this photo. Daming fans. –

BIG BIG THANK YOU TO…
Marga for introducing the trisuit, staying calm during the race and guiding me.
Annie for showing up and pacing me.
Jamike Lopa for lending me his race belt.
Mark Parco for providing last minute race belts.
And, of course, to the hubby who woke up in the wee hours of the morning just to transport the bike, wait, watch, take photos, run for my slippers, and more—all this on an empty stomach!