Race Report - Women of Steel Triathlon

Women of Steel Triathlon - sprintMay 16, 2009American ForkResults link: http://www.milliseconds.com/races/detail/1154What a thrill it is to participate in an all-women event and we could not have asked for more beautiful weather. The thing that is so amazing about this race is the number of new women triathletes. I absolutely love to see people get involved in this sport. Each event is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.This year we had seven team triathletes compete and it was so thrilling to see them each finish a triathlon - several for the first time! Go Team Blonde Runner!http://blonderunner.com/community-health-classes/womens-triathlon-training-program/For me the start is always slow and coming, and I was thrilled to jump in the pool and give all of that adrenaline somewhere to go. The water was warm and felt good on my feet as they where chilly from my bare toes in the grass on the way to the pool. It was a strangely smooth swim with no passing (I was not passed and passed nobody – highly unusual). I had some trouble in transition/bike start but soon was working up the hill on the bike. I was able to pass many but had a few pro’s pass me. I attempted to catch the faster pace and held it for as long as I could – which was not nearly long enough. This reminded me how much work I still have to do to get to where I want to be. I must say the first bike loop was a little lonely, so it was nice to come around for the second loop with many more bikers around. The second loop went faster, but still the overall bike was slow for me. In the next transition my hands didn’t seem to want to work well – my shoes didn’t feel really comfortable the entire run. I was able to pass several more runners up the hill but soon found myself running solo with the next runner a half mile or so ahead which made it hard to push the pace resulting in a slow run time. As my mind wondered, I remember thinking how beautiful the weather was and wondering how my teammates where doing. It is always a joy to count down the last few minutes to the finish. I always look forward to the completion of an event with the excitement/music and people at the finish. It is just awesome! We could not have asked for better weather. ( I am pleased to say that I even have a bit of a farmer tan – yes, it’s true I do have a little bit of pigment in this true blonde skin- ha,ha).Overall, the race was steady but a bit slow for me. I was thrilled to place third in my age division along with bettering my time from last year even with the bike distance increase. I accomplished nearly all the things I set out to do in this race. However, it is so much more rewarding to see team members cross that finish line and become “triathletes.” Many doing better than those that have been racing for years! I am enjoying working with this extraordinary group of strong and wonderful women! Go Team Blonde Runner!Go Team Blonde Runner - Triathlon Women!http://blonderunner.com/community-health-classes/womens-triathlon-training-program/