Oh how I was excited to be doing this triathlon. I was ready physically and mentally and wanted to beat my last half ironman time. We arrive on Saturday and had some room complications but soon got our room. Went to packet pick-up and got everything squared away there. We moved into the room and went to dinner shortly after that with Anna. It was nice and low key. We made our way back to the hotel from some college basketball and race day preparation.
I head to bed and take my race day allotted xanax and was out...I woke up at 3:30am and took another to insure more rest and not tummy problems and no nerves on race day morning.
Race morning came and I was out of bed. Tried to fix me some oatmeal and the damn coffee pot for hot water wouldn't work, so Ali helped me out with hers. I got my stuff together and was downstairs at 6:45am.
We get to transition and get setup and I start taking a ton of pics of all the T3ers. Everyone seems in good spirits at this point.
We then all decide to head to the swim start to sit and wait and start putting on the blubber. I get in my wetsuit just fine and go for my practice swim like I always do. I always have to test the water. While in the water, I cut both feet and a finger on some oyster beds. My finger was bleeding and was already throbbing. I find a band-aid from some nice woman and get back in the water to swim my race. I couldn't tell what was happening with my feet as so much sand was on them.
My age group enters the water and there are a few girls that are nervous, some that are saying, I didn't realize it was salt water and some that are just like, lets get this over with. We start and we are all swimming on top of one another. I swam a little off course but that is to be expected. We exit the water and Lindsey is right behind me...so good to see a fellow teammate. We get on the bike and I try and try to gain some speed and my legs just didn't want to turn over. Then the wind was horrible! Head wind all the way out. We make the turn and head back and I'm just not feeling the bike at all. I'm hoping for a tail wind at this point and well that didn't really happen. More of a cross wind and with my race wheel's I was yanked all over the place. I make the final turn back to the start and the head wind is fierce! I was standing still. I just had about 2 miles to go.
Get to transition and get my tennis shoes on and I feel great. My back doesn't hurt, my feet are doing ok at this point and I'm already running! I can't believe it. I've never done that and felt this great. So I make it about a mile and get some water and keep going. I make my first 3.25 mile loop and keep going. I get on my second loop and I'm looking for Medics to help me with my feet. I can't find any and then they find me. They put some glue on them and send me on my way...didn't help. I get going and see Collin and David and just start crying. My feet are killing me so bad from the cuts that I don't know if I can make it. Collin says suck it up and I say F*&% you, you have no clue! Adam from Jack and Adams runs up to me and puts his arm around me and says there is no need to be a hero today, just stop. I keep going and make it to mile 7.5 and find a race official and just take a DNF. David said it was the smartest thing I could do. I didn't need to hurt myself anymore. I make my way to the Med Tent and other T3ers are there. At this point my pride is broken and all I want to do is cry. I've never quit anything I've started.
Logan was there giving his after race pep talk and checking on everyone. Good coach and nice guy. He told me I was smart to quit when I did. So I guess it is confirmed I did the right thing.
I get my feet bandaged up and Collin give me my Crocs and I go get my bike and we load up and head home.
I guess next time I won't do a practice swim and I will only do the aquabike :)
