Icebreaker

Total Weight Loss 6.0 lbs 

Week 6
Run - 13.41 miles
Bike - 57.01 miles
Swim - 4655 meters

In 2000 I competed in my only other triathlon (shown above). It was the Nike Women's Sprint triathlon. There is a reason why it has taken me 13 years to do another one.  I panicked in the cold water and barely finished the swim. Back then, my half mile wrestling match with the Sacramento River took me just about 30 minutes to finish.  I felt demoralized. It occurred so long ago but that panic was on the surface, ready to spring again. This time, I was racing in the Icebreaker Sprint Triathlon at Folsom Lake.  I thought I was prepared. I had been taking swimming lessons to improve my [lack of] technique, working my ass off in the pool, and even went out into the lake a couple of times before the event.  But in the first minute of the swim I felt every bit of "mental toughness" drain out of me. The cold water felt icier than my warm up, my chest felt constricted in my suit, and I felt a sense of doom looking out into the choppy water at the first buoy. The pack of orange swim caps grew further away, and all those rescue kayaks were with the pack. The thought crossed my mind, "I'm going to drown out here."  I eventually did see others treading in the water and I didn't feel so alone. I tried to float on my back for a while to pull it together and regain my breathing but felt even more heaviness on my chest, so I just tried to tread and do some form of doggy paddle (so much for those swim lessons). I kept telling myself, once you make it to the first buoy it will be easier. Eventually I did make it there, and then I focused on the second buoy rounding back to shore. I think I pieced together some strokes on this last leg back.

Depending on how you look at it, much could be said about my swim time. I was a good 8-10 minutes behind my wave. There is debris that floats in the water faster than my swim. On the other hand, I shaved 4 minutes off my 2000 time !

After my dramatic swim performance, I slugged up that long trek up the beach to the transition area. I knew I could make up some time on the bike but was a little freaked out by my breathing. I sounded asthmatic. Eventually the wheezing would stop but lasted the first 6 miles of the bike.  And I felt severely bloated. Perhaps I swallowed too much of Folsom Lake? Based on my official race times and my Garmin watch, I took 7 minutes transitioning from swim to bike.  This included pedaling back to the transition to retrieve my fuel I had forgotten.  The lesson here is to tape my snacks to my bike. I hammered away 13 miles in 45 minutes.  The 4 mile run took 41:40. This is slower than my average pace but considering it was a hilly trail run, I was happy with the result.

Division	Swim	Swim	Bike	Bike	Run	Run	Finish
		Rank		Rank		Rank	Time

35-39

0:25:14

173

0:51:43

118

0:41:18

139

1:58:15

I have less than a month to get my swim together. It seems overwhelming, but I know what to focus on - working on my panic issues and practicing in the open water.  Also I am highly motivated. Shaving 7-8 minutes of panic off my swim really changes the type of race I compete in. I've always been of the mindset, "I hope I finish..." Now I want to just put it all out there and finish fierce.

I learned something new today. Being comfortable does not always equal happiness. This really resonates with me as in life we spend so much energy avoiding discomfort. Maybe that is why I'm willing to try this whole triathlon swim thing again (or any other exhausting endeavor I put myself through). Momentary discomfort is an opportunity.

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