I finished my first triathlon race on June 12th!!!!
The TriFitness Seaside Sprint Triathlon in Bridgeport, CT. (make sure you watch the video)
Swim 750 meters, Bike 10 miles and Run a 5K. Everything in 1:25:22!!
It was an incredible experience!!!

Sorry I couldn’t post about it before, I’ve been working like crazy (thanks God) and training like a maniac and didn’t had the time until now.

I will tell everything about it now

My parents came from CT, my brother came from VA only to watch and support me. My uncle who was visiting from Brazil also went to cheer me up!
My husband got home from work around 2am and didn’t sleep because we had to leave at 3:30am.
I love my family! They are so supportive and I just can’t thank them enough!

The day before I eat gnocci (at Piola in NY), did foam roller massage, practiced transitions and packed. I was very happy and hyper. Anxious for the race day to arrive!
Didn’t sleep very well of course.
We left the apt for a 1:30hrs drive at 3:30am. Pretty early, right?

As soon as we got there I went to the registration tent to pick up my number, t-shirt and goodies bag.
It was awesome to get my number marked up on my arm and my age on my leg.

Then I went to the transition area to set up my little station.
It was a small event, the transition area were closed only for racers but my family could see everything from the outside and they helped me set up everything, specially my brother.

I put the wetsuit on and went to the water to warm up a little. The water was freezing, I couldn’t feel the water temp on my body, only on my face and feet were freezing. The wetsuit really works!
I stretched a little and listened to my brother’s last tips. My family said good luck and off I went to the start point.

When we all started to walk on the beach to the start point then I started to get very nervous. I was fine until that time.
When the first wave went off I started to get serious butterflies on my stomach. Really bad.
Ahhhhh, the women wave!
We all started to run in the water towards the big yellow buoy and when I couldn’t feel the floor anymore and had to start swimming I just couldn’t do it.
I’m not afraid of open water, not at all. In fact swimming is my favorite part and I do swim pretty well. I’m not very fast but I sure know how to swim well.
But despite me loving the water I started panicking and couldn’t move. I wanted to quit and go back to the beach.
I even had to turn and swim backwards to catch my breath because I couldn’t breathe. It was pretty bad.
Then I prayed. Yes, I prayed. I asked God to give me strengthen to do what I know and what I trained for.
Then I felt some peace on my heart and my ‘mind’ told me to just start swimming.
By that time I had more space around me and I started swimming, I found my pace and all of the sudden I was swimming calmly and actually enjoying being on the water.
I didn’t use my legs at all since the wetsuit does all the work for you to keep you afloat and I needed to save my legs for the bike and run.

I started passing some people, others passed me, I hit a girl, by mistake of course, somebody hit my feet… well, that’s the beauty of open water swim competition.
I’m glad I went to an open water swim clinic a few weeks before and learned all of that before hand, otherwise I would have freaked out even more.

I guess the fact of being in the middle of all those women made me panic, I don’t know.

Even though I enjoyed the water I was still pretty nervous about the race itself. I went off the water pretty tired already.
I ran slowly to the transition area. Couldn’t really focus and didn’t really know what I was doing.
I practiced taking the wetsuit off so it was pretty easy.
Luck me to have my family there and my brother telling me what to do.
He would say: ‘now shoes. put the garmin on. sunglasses. go, stop talking and focus. etc…’

So off I go to 10 miles on the bike.
I really thought I couldn’t do it when I got on the bike but I just started pedaling.
The speed was a little faster than I planned and my legs were tired, really tired. But I kept going.
It was 2 loops around the park. I passed by my family twice and my brother said the first time: ‘don’t forget to drink’ ‘stand up sometimes’
Then the second time: ‘push it, go faster, you are almost done!’
He is a real coach!
Husband was taking pictures, dad was filming, mom and uncle was yelling
I’m blessed!

I finished the bike feeling better than when I started. Took off my cycling shoes and put on my running shoes.

And off I go to run a 5K.

My calves were very tight like never before. I don’t know if it was the walk on the sand to the start point or the bike or just pure anxiety.
Anyways I pushed. Held the pace a little at the first mile to let the legs get used to it then I pushed I little more.
My stomach was full of liquid and I burped a lot (sorry). Very weird, I never felt like that, I not the burp kinda of girl.
Maybe again pure anxiety. Or I did drink too much. (Endurance Sports Drink)

When I was getting close to the finish line I thought I would throw up but I didn’t.

It was a challenge to get to the finish line but I did it!
I finished my first triathlon race!!!!
My time was much better than I expected, I was planning to finish around  2 hours but instead I finished in 1:25:22!!!
I’m very pleased with the results!!!!
I’m officially a triathlete now!

I was tense during the whole race. My shoulders were tight. Very nervous.
My family said that I was looking stronger than when I finished the half marathon.
Physically yes, I was feeling better than when I finished the half marathon but mentally and emotionally I wasn’t too good.
To tell the truth I didn’t have a lot of fun and that’s sad.
But I guess it was because it was my very first tri race, everything was and still is very new to me.
It is very, very, very different from running races. When you run a running race you just run, there is no secret.
But this, oh boy! there is a lot to think about, a lot to figure it out.
It was much harder than I thought! Now I understand why people called me crazy when I said that I registered myself to an Olympic distance race only 5 weeks after my first race.

Anyways I loved it and I’m very positive that I will get used to it little by little, transitions will become a piece of cake and I will have lots of fun!!

After the race we went back home, I took a nice shower then we went out for brunch. I treated myself with omelet, home potatoes, toast, chocolate milk and waffles. Yummy! I deserved it!

Here are the pictures of my adventure:

I always wanted to do triathlons. This race was a dream come true!!

Now I’m training for the Olympic Distance NJ State Triathlon on July 24th.
Swim 1500 meters, Bike 24 miles and run a 10K.
Crazy me!!!!!!!!
The training is very tough and I’m always tired but I like it.
Wish me luck!!!!

PS: I’m not afraid of riding on the roads anymore. I feel pretty comfortable on the bike and with the clipless pedals.
I’m now ride around my neighborhood (river road and blvd east) and hopefully will be able to join my tri club for rides but I’m still a little intimidated for that