Women of Steel

After coming back from St. Louis, it was only a week until the Women of Steel triathlon. The weather had been nice back in Utah and as the day grew nearer, the realization that the swim was not going to be canceled due to inclement weather was bearing down on me. I hadn't been swimming like I should have. Okay, it had been a good month since I'd been swimming. I told myself that a thing called life got in the way of my training. But let's face it, it was my own fault. But again, I was fearful of the swim. The bike and the run, I wasn't too worried about. But the swim...Oh the swim!

Here are the three competitors the morning of the race. I should rephrase that. Here are two competitors and that other girl on the right.


This was a new experience for me. The swim was in a pool. Granted I've never done a full triathlon before, because last year it was changed to a run-bike-run event due to cold weather. But this year, I had to endure the swim. Well, they have you line up based on your estimated swim time, faster swimmers going first. So, the race began, but I was just standing in line, waiting for the swimmers in front of me to get in the pool. It was a very different experience for me to have a race start and I don't start for another hour. But I got in the pool and it was actually warm! It wasn't freezing cold, which is what I was expecting. I was behind someone that was a little slower than I am, but I wasn't confident in passing her because there were women swimming on both sides of the lane and I didn't think I was fast enough to pass and not cause the swimmer coming toward me to have to stop or me run into her. So, there were parts of the swim that I was walking behind this other lady. Finally, on the last lap, I was able to pass her. Mel and Holli were both out of the water by then.

I got on the bike and headed out. Keep in mind I hadn't been on a bike since this time last year. That's right, I didn't train for the bike portion of this. I'm that awesome (please note the sarcasm). Well, when you haven't been on a bike in a year and you borrow your friend's bike for a race, you kind of forget how to change gears. Somehow, as I was approaching the hill, I put myself in the most difficult gear. It was ridiculous. I ended up getting off my bike and walking it up the hill because I couldn't pedal and I was going to fall off the bike. You would think that I would have figured it out by the second time around and been able to make my way up the hill. Oh no, I did the same thing on the second loop. Putting myself in the hardest gear. It was not my finest hour.

Then it was time for the run. I wasn't too worried about the run. I had been running. But I'd also just swam and biked. My legs were tired. It's a weird feeling getting off the bike and starting to run. You use different muscles and to go from one to the other so quickly is hard. I finished. I was last out of the three of us, of course, but I finished. Here I am coming to the finish line.


And here are the finishers. Chambers woot woot!