Angels in Alaska: Triathlon

Last weekend was the Triathlon! My friend Marina and I had been swimming, biking and running for the last 5 weeks after I decided to sign up.

This was what my typical week looked like
M: CrossFit in the morning and jog at lunch time
T: Swim in the morning and run or bike at lunch
W: CrossFit in the morning and jog or bike at lunch
Th: Swim in the morning and run or bike at lunch
F: Make crepes for the babies in the morning and run or bike at lunch.
Saturday: Run or CrossFit
Sunday: Bike with Van

First step of the weekend was driving to Kenai with my fearless companion. Esther and Andy stayed home after we got nervous about the napping logistics.

Van proved those fears to be unfounded.

First stop after arriving in Soldotna was to pick up my bib. Then lunch, it was 3 and Van and I were starving! We ate at a small restaurant called Ginger. Van had bacon and french toast.

Van offered to carry my purse. He told the waitress all about our trip.

We found a poster of Elvis, Andy is supposed to look like Elvis so we took a picture.

Then we checked into the hotel!

We went out again later to run some errands. I didn't have any sunglasses and wanted to buy some for the race. I found kid ones for Van as well. I told him to look cool.

Then Van and I drove around the 10 mile bike course (I got him an ice cream cone so he could sit through more driving) and then Marina and her husband Andrew met us to walk around the 3 miles run course. Van biked ahead of us, he's getting great at the hills.

In our downtime we just hung out at the hotel and watched cartoons. This is called WWE Scuby Doo. A Scuby doo show featuring WWE wrestlers. Who knew there was such a thing?

Early the next morning, the day of the triathlon, Van helped me get my transition area set up. I wasn't slated to race until 3PM, but the transition area opened at 7AM and they wanted people to be done setting up before the race started at 10AM. Plus there was a mandatory pre-race meeting at 9:30 so Van and I drove over and set up around 8.
It was cold in the morning. Luckily it warmed up that afternoon.

A view of the race finish and transition area.

Van found a sandbox to play in.

Mom and her sister Carolyn drove up from Homer and watched Van while I raced. I ended up starting about 1PM. They got so far ahead of schedule that there wasn't enough racers to fill the lanes so they let me start early.
There I am in the pool, getting ready to start. I have a white swim cap, and a black swimsuit with white stripes.

I'm swimming!

Here I am in the first transition area putting on my socks shoes and pants. Next year Marina and I are going to get tri suits so we can just jump out of the pool and go.

Van is yelling at me while I'm changing
Van: "Mom. MOM. MOM. MOM. MOM!"
Me: "what baby?"
Van: "GOOD JOB MOM!"
Me: "Thanks hun!"

There I go, biking away.

And that was the last they saw of me on the course. There was a bouncy house set up and Van jumped in it or played cars with Carolyn. I had given mom estimates of my times, but they were too long, so they missed me coming through transition area for the run.

The run was 2 laps, first 1.1 miles and second 2 miles. The course went on hilly x-c trails through the woods.
The whole thing felt great, but the run was my favorite. My legs felt so strong I couldn't believe it, it was like they were someone elses legs. Or like I was riding a leg machine up the hills. I definitely think all that CrossFit paid off.