I’m considering incorporating a little Pracercise into this weeks workout plan. You know…just to change things up a bit.
Only thing is I may have to run by the store and grab a pair of ankle weights, white stir-up pants, and a can of Rave hairspray to get the full effect!
What’s on your workout plan this week?
PS. “Better to be punching into space, than in your face!”
With a beaming grin on my face I crossed the finish line of my very first triathlon last weekend. Score 1 for Amy! It was exhilarating and I can’t wait to do another. I’ve got my eyes set on one in June and one in July. Hope to squeeze them both in, but I haven’t signed up for either yet. Watch the race schedule page for more what happens there.
Thanks, PhotoWolfe for coming out and snapping some fun pics of the event!
The Spa Girl Tri in San Antonio was a great starter race and I am so happy that I decided to sign up. After suffering from a couple of back to back running injuries, I decided to explore something new. Something where my legs wouldn’t take such a beating. I had no idea what I was getting into. But, I’m so glad I decided to do it.
About 10 weeks prior to the race date, I did a little research and came across this most helpful site; Trinewbies.com. I snagged a training program and decided to do the virtual self coaching thing for this event. This involved lots of reading and many, many YouTube videos. Especially on swimming techniques.
One of my biggest accomplishments during training was overcoming a fear of the pool. I still have a long way to go with my swimming technique, but I am no longer afraid to jump in and give it all I’ve got! Score 2 for Amy!
A week prior to race day, Chris Aarhus at Optimal Triathlete did a mini intro session for Spa Girl on site and took several of us through the planned race course. Since this event has a high “rookie” participant rate, he went over basic safety instructions and triathlon rules and etiquette. Plus we went out for a little spin to see parts of the planned race course. Second to my fear of the pool, is my fear of bike crash. I hear it’s inevitable and that everyone gets to experience it at some point. Just check out Chris’s story here, I just didn’t want mine to be in the middle of my first event.
A big shout out to Chris! He was so generous with his time and knowledge and I definitely felt at an advantage on race morning. This newbie was answering questions from other participants about the planned routes, water temperatures, safety concerns, etc. It was definitely a confidence booster. Score 3 for Amy!
And we were off! Shortly after 7am, the first swimmer entered the water and every 5 seconds another entered for the next 2 hours. Yes, nearly 2 hours it took to get all swimmers going. Guess where I was in the line? Somewhere around 720 out of 750 participants that showed up that day. Yep. It was over an hour and half that I stood waiting to get started. But, it was a minor snag in the grand scheme of things. I met some great ladies and had time to cheer on friends. Plus I was super excited to see swimmers not on top of each other, which was another pre-race concern.
These two sweet peeps came out to test their own triathlon abilities with me. They happen to be in the first seed and entered the water in the first 20 minutes. I’d say lucky, but there was another oops moment in the race. The first 75 swimmers or so had to swim upstream against the current because someone accidentally turned on the lazy river jets. All in all, Score 4 for Amy for being in the back of the line!
I was in and out of transition pretty easily and off for the 10 mile ride. My training consisted of a lot of indoor cycling and spin classes although I had been out on my bike a few times. The gears and I are still learning to play well together, so I was at a disadvantage when it came to the hills. In and out of transition again and off to run the last couple of miles.I was finally in my comfort zone with the run. I began to relax a little and before I knew it the finish line was ahead of me! I crossed the finish line without collapsing. Score 4 for Amy! In fact, I’m pretty sure I had some gas in the tank, which makes me really look forward to the next one. Imagine the possibilities!
We cheered, toasted mimosa’s, and dipped fruit in a chocolate fountain to celebrate. Spa Girls know how to finish a race the right way! Score again for Amy and everyone who participated!
Thanks so much to the people over at Redemption Racing, the race directors of Spa Girl, all of the volunteers, the memory captures from PhotoWolfe, the peeps that participated with me, and all those who encouraged me and gave me tips along the way. I truly feel like there is more territory to be explored in the Tri world and can’t wait to get started!
Girls jumping for joy!
Girls running with their mamas.
My boy smoochin’ on a girl.
A boy smoochin’ on my boys mama.
Sweet stuff to celebrate sweet friends.
Sunshine runs.
Success.
Hats, horses, and mint juleps day.
Getting out of my comfort zone.
Book club fun.
I have always had a magnetism to water,” she told Yahoo! Shine in an interview. “I have always been fascinated with it, not just because of the animals that live in it, but because I feel so comfortable swimming in it. I just was always a swimmer and loved to be in the water.
Run Skirts and Pearls 