well slap my helmet and call me surprised…

Last Updated on July 19, 2011 by Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS

I might just have this triathlon thing in me after all.

So, as I mentioned in the last post, the local, super enthusiastic and fast growing triathlon group decided to put on a free race.  Sprint or Olympic, your choice. Complete with timing and photographers.  Myrtle Beach triathletes seriously rock. But back to the story.

I slept a total of 3 hours last night before waking up at 4 am to get ready for the race.  Breakfast with an obligatory facebook check (in case some of you were wondering why you had 4:15 am return messages from me, haha), dressed, load the car, and go.  I had no idea where I was going, as I had yet to show my face at the group open water swims.  But I found it without any problem, and was really glad I showed up early.

Because I busted the tube on my back wheel.

No, not a flat per-se, but in the still-rising light of 5:45 am, I lost the little twisty thing that goes on the end of the valve and doesn’t normally come off (not the plastic one, but the tiny metal one, and yes twisty thing is the technical term) and the next thing I knew, all the air in the tube deflated and the valve just completely disappeared.  And not only was it flat, and I didn’t know how to change it, but I had no idea how to get it off of the back with all of the gears and stuff.

My goodness I need a “bicycles for dummies” crash (NO pun intended) course in the worst way. 

can you spot the Trakkers shorts?

Finally, we headed down to the water. My goodness the turnaround buoy 325 yards away looked like it might have been a mile away.  I freaked out inside (surprise surprise) and was very excited when I heard a group of women say they were just going to cut the swim short, and another saying she was just going to do laps between shore and the 25 yard buoy  (keep in  mind, not an official “race-race”, and I was NOT competing).  I chose option C.  50 yard laps, so I could quit whenever I felt necessary.



“No really guys, go ahead, I’ll, uhh, I’ll catch up!”  Called out by the neon pink swim cap!

So, I got in the water, on my own time, and swam in my own direction.  I wasn’t quite alone, I swam with Kim.  And dare I say it, but for not swimming since March…it wasn’t THAT BAD.  And what’s more, is I seemed to have automatically developed this sighting technique.  Three breaths, sight on the fourth. Three breaths, sight on the fourth.  The Tri-Gods must have taken pitty on me and given me that talent, because not only have I never practiced it, but I was all OVER the place at Iron girl last year.   But I’ll take it, and pray that this new skill wasn’t a one-time thing.

I did a total of 150 yards. Three laps. Laugh if you will at a measly 150 yards, but for the girl who didn’t even WANT to get in the water, it might as well hve been 150 miles.  Technique wise, I felt really good! Strength wise, I better get back in the pool!   On the third lap I started to get really tired, but what’s more, is I started really looking around in the water, and that’s when I remembered, I’m terrified of alligators.  It’s the northern girl in me, the only thing I ever had to fear in fresh water up north was maybe a curious blue gill nibbling on your toes.  Leeches? Pluck them off.  Snakes? Whatever.  Sharks? I really don’t bat an eye.  But alligators? Noooo thanks!  They assure me there are no gators in this pond, but any body of water like this in Myrtle Beach, I’m just going to go ahead and assume COULD have a gator in it. Heck, the pond next to the mall randomly has gators in it, and if I was an alligator, I’d sure as heck chose this beautiful pond over polluted mall puddle any day. 

“Great swim, Heather!  I love that pink swim cap, it looks delicious great on you!”

So anyway, when the whole “what was that? Did I just see shadow?” got in the way of focusing on breathing, I decided to call it quits.  I hung out by the edge of the water for a while.  Some other people, who also didn’t do the full 750 yard sprint /1500 full also got out of the water, and we moseyed on over to transition.  Non-racing-racing is kinda fun!

I took my time heading over to transition and getting onto my bike. Again, I wasn’t here to push myself or race anyone. My bike still makes me nervous, so I’m serious, I REALLY took my time. Especially since I had to clip in and ride up this giant hill (in Myrtle Beach, all over passes are considered “giant hills”)


“now, how does this thing work again?”

 I clipped in, didn’t fall, made it over the hill, and then, another crazy thing happened.  I felt…good. Confident and strong. And so even though I was going to “take it easy” I turned it up a few notches. Not all out racing or anything, but I started passing people. One by one.  Sorry people I passed, but DAMN it felt good. Especially considering this was like the 4th time I’ve ridden this bike since I got it in March (isn’t that disgusting? I agree, it’s disgusting.  Rectifying that situation ASAP, I swear).  The bike and I clicked.  12 miles came and left before I knew it.  And really, it was before I knew it, as I purposefully left Garmin at home.

The ONLY thing I didn’t do was go into aero. Not once. Yeah, it was slightly uncomfortable, and yeah I need to grow some cycling gonads. One thing at a time. I was having a good day, I didn’t want to ruin it.


Weeeee!



Zombie hands!



Heather Hart, ACSM EP, CSCS

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Heather Hart is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), UESCA certified Ultrarunning Coach, RRCA certified Running Coach, co-founder of Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, and creator of this site, Relentless Forward Commotion.   She is a mom of two teen boys, and has been running and racing distances of 5K to 100+ miles for over a decade.  Heather has been writing and encouraging others to find a love for fitness and movement since 2009.

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