March 18th: 1st race of the season!
What an interesting race I have to say. But most importantly what a fun race for Tri 2 One!
This race was different than any other. Small race with less than 250 participants. Definitely not as organized as many other races I have participated in, but let’s give FIU props for being their first race and let’s wish them many successful and better organized races in the future!
FIU Triathlon - First Race Feedback:
The pros:
- Full first race of the season
- Small race where you actually know people
- Great after party with lots of free goodies (ZICO <3, Muscle Milk, PowerBars, bagels, and pollo tropical)
- First race organized by FIU. All I have to say is Woot woot! go Panthers!!!
The cons:
- Have timing chips and caps ready during registration or check in
- Have boys set up way before the start of the swim
- Slippery timing mat start was definitely not fun!
- Better course:
- Long transition run on cold cement was not appreciated. Along with alternating the course to run on the grass was not a good idea for our ankles.
- 9.? miles on the bike instead of 10
- Running on a parking lot is simply boring!
- When one sees the finish line, one must go to the finish line (not do an extra .4 of a mile with a U-turn)… what a tease but what a way to push even harder!
- And do I really need to mention: A better marked course!
Now about the actual race!!!
Start of the Race:
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| Thanks to all the supporters who were out there not so bright out yet and definitely early. You guys were amazing!!! |
The Swim:
Slippery mats to start a race is no fun but the race was so small that the start was not as crowded and no need for aggressive behavior. The swim was smooth: No waves. No current. No elbows in the face. Consequently, I could have definitely pushed harder.
Total swim time : 7:58.
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| Getting out of the swim and re-ajusting! |
The Long Transition:
It absolutely was cold, painful, and not fun. But I took it like a champ and run through the cold cement and grass as a true transition. This was my first time going through a transition with clipped in shoes to the bike. I felt like a pro and going so fast until I almost fell… then I remembered that I had just learned how to transition the day before (thanks to Beto, Mickey and Andrew!). But seriously who doesn’t almost fall on their first try. I have to say it was fun to try something new and although I might look like a rookie at worlds without an aero helmet, at least I will have a smooth “pro” like transition.
:) Looking forward to improving the speed.
The Bike:
The bike was quite interesting. I kept on playing catch up with this weird macho man with long compression pants and his belly folding over. It was not quite the ideal triathlete you want to follow. The man was riding on the left side of the course swerving as if he was ready to get a DUI. I kept thinking, who does he think he is and finally got off the saddle, made a few powerful strokes and kicked his butt! Didn’t he see he had a P3 blond chick on his back… Ah! Booyaaaa! ... Besides that "interesting" distraction, the bike was a lot of fun. I have been pushing hard at training and it paid off… Especially seeing 23/24/25 MPH against the wind.
Total bike time: 25:29 (only 15 secs away from 2nd female overall… )
Transition #2:
T2 was smooth. I threw my bike on the rack, along with the water bottle that went flying to the next rack, put my shoes, race belt and visor on and popped in 2 ibuprofens while stretching my legs and off I was.
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| My life savior: Famous Ibuprofen (thanks Jesus for the Pic!) |
The Run:
The run was strong. I remember seeing my awesome teammate Mickey right behind me and thinking she is going to kick my butt... Just keep thinking: "keep going hard and you might just be able to finish with her." There was so many U-turns that we kept on cheering for each other. It was a real motivator! Let's not forget running the last stretch with Supermom! She was a real trooper... I pushed her to limits she never knew existed! Have I mentioned how much I love my teammates? Tri 2 one isn’t just about racing. This race was evidence!
Total run time: 21:37. Not bad for 3 miles while injured… I felt mentally and physically strong. I concentrated on long consistent strides while keeping power and a good posture (mainly to keep my back from hurting).
Happy with my performance.
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| Happy to see my cheerleaders and the finish line! |
The After-Party!
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| Me and the super fast boys! |
Tri 2 One was in full force representing!
It was great to see so many of us supporting each other. We took over the race with many podiums. Congrats to all of my teammates and especially to the newbies Oriana and Francine who podium-ed on their first race! Let’s not forget the super stars – Joey who in my book won the overall race, SuperMom Cristina who got 1st and Manny who got 3rd. Tri 2 One had so much energy during the award ceremony! We made our geicoach (Marcelo) extremely proud and happy!
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| One crazy Tri 2 One Family!!! :) |
First race of the season results: 1st 25-29 age group / 3rd Female Overall / 39 Overall!
Not a bad start!
Finally big shot out to Isabel representing Alex Bike Shop and winning Female Overall... What an amazing athete! A true inspiration!
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| Podium with Newbie Orianna! |
I love it!! I live it!! and it feels amazing! :)
