Triathlon Update

I DID IT!! My goal for my first triathlon was to get it done in under an hour and a half. My time was 1 hour, 24 min, 55 sec. Or 1:24:55. It was the best experience ever.

I got out of bed at 4:30 to get dressed and all my last minute stuff together in the car, while Hubby got up and took his shower. Of course the Baby woke up about 20 min too early and backed us up a little. The Kid had to be pulled out of bed (this kid sleeps like a rock) at 5am and on the road to the transition area we went.

We pulled up just as the sun was coming over the horizon. It was beautiful. Hubby dropped me off with my gear and he went with the kids to find a parking spot.

I found my bike rack and set up my area. I got my arm marked with my number and put on my timing chip around my ankle, which ended up being the only thing that bothered me after I worried about so many other thinks to bother me...more on that in the run part.

There were 861+ women on the beach waiting to start (there were some that didn't finish). We lined up on the beach with our age groups to get ready to go in the ocean. The day of this race was one of the worst of the summer. It was high tide and the waves were crashing on shore. There were 20+ lifeguards in boats, kayaks and swimming in the water. There were also 40+ 'swim angels'. These were wonderful volunteers who were not participating in the race. They were a savior for so many women, even me.

The first 2 waves went into the ocean and I watched about 10 women get rocked back onto the shore by the waves before they could even get started. Have I mentioned that the waves were rough? There was also a tropical storm out to sea that I didn't know about until after the race, thank goodness.

Then it was my turn. There were 93 women ages 30-34 lined up along the beach with green swim caps ready to go. I was able to get into the water with no real problems. I did a nice swim out to the buoy and around it to return back to the shore. As I was standing up to get out of the ocean I went to grab the hand of a woman (swim angel) yelling at me to get out...I didn't know why until a wave rocked me from behind. I didn't even see it coming. I grew up at the Jersey Shore and I can't remember the last time I got hit by a wave so hard. I started my watch before we went in and I was out of the 300 yard swim in about 7 minutes. My official time when I got off the beach and into the transition area was 8:14. I was ranked 451 in the swim.

My transition was great...since I have nothing to compare it to. hahaha. I took off my tri top (I had a sports bra underneath) and changed into my running top that had my race number already pinned to it. I had to get the sand off my feet. It was really tough to use my baby powder while there was water dripping down my legs from my tri shorts. It took much longer than I thought to get my running sneakers on. I don't have bike shoes, but I did have little plastic thingys on my laces to tighten them so I didn't have to tie them. My T1 time was 3:46, rank 438.

I got on my bike and headed out on the 10.5 mile course. It was a beautiful day. Slightly overcast, so the hot sun was never beating down on us. I had a great ride. Some women from waves 4 and 5 passed me, but I also passed some women in waves 1 and 2. (I was in wave 3) We had our wave number on the back of our calfs so I knew who was who on the bike ride. I felt great and finished in 39:54 (15.8 mph) on my awesome hybrid bike and ranked 346!

Transition 2 was much better than T1. All I had to do was get my bike on the rack, drop my helmet and run. Of course, there was a girl that took over my spot and her bike swung sideways so I had to move her bike over before I could hang mine. In hindsight, I should have just put my kickstand down. One plus of not having a road bike. My T2 time was 1:31 and ranked 336.

Then I was off for the run. This is where my ankle band started bothering me. There was sand caught under it from my hit and run with the ocean and it scratched me the whole time, I ended up with little scratches on my ankle that scabbed up for a week! But I made it and had a very nice pace for running after the swim and bike. I was very proud. My goal was to do at least 11 min/miles and I was able to kick out 10:31 min mile pace! I finished the triathlon with a 31:32 in the 3 mile run and ranked 441.

My over all rank was 366 out of 861 women. I was in the top half! I was 49 out of 93 in my age group, there was supposed to be 123 women in my age group. There were over 1100 women signed up. Many didn't show, many didn't finish. I am hooked. I am going to do another triathlon in Sept. I can't wait.

I have some pictures that Hubby took from his phone, but they are in my computer at home, and I am not home right now. I will post them later.

I am now training for my first ever 10K (6.2 miles). I have been maintaining my weight of 170 since the end of the Biggest Loser competition at the gym. I have actually been floating between 165-170, depending on the time of the day and what crap I ate the day before. But I just keep running. :)

Look What The Kid Bought With His Christmas Money

It's his very first 2 wheeler. It's a 16" wheel! He skipped right over the 12" wheels. When we went to the beach path last week on a freak warm day we brought his tricycle to ride and realized he is just MUCH too big for that thing. We talked him into using the money he has saved in his bank and the money he got for Christmas to buy himself a big boy bike. I think he will take care of it more if it was just under the tree. He made sure he and Daddy put it away in the garage, in case it rains.

He is such a big boy, and sometime this month we will be signing him up for KINDERGARTEN! Oh.My.God.

Weekend Recap

Wow! What a beautiful holiday weekend we had over here at the Jersey Shore.

On Friday we went strawberry picking. They are starting to get mush already! I thought they would last much longer when you get them right off the vine. But they were much cheaper than the store, so it's all good.

Saturday we just bummed around and then went to the fireworks.

There was traffic galore coming down here on Sunday...thank goodness I was going the opposite way to my dad's house. My brother and my grandfather were also there visiting for my dad's birthday. The Kid is so lucky to have 3 GREAT-grandparents still around. We got some more stories from India. My brother said that they WORSHIP cows over there like you wouldn't believe. The McDonald's (yes, of course they still have McD's) doesn't even sell burgers in most parts of India. Families will never kill their own cows, they use them only for milk and cheese, etc. Most of the country is vegetarian, except for the few that will eat chicken and fish...but that's about it. That is how my brother lost about 20 pounds...mmmm maybe I should get over to India for my diet. Nah, I can't stand curry. Which they have tons of different types of curry over there and my brother loved every minute of it. Plus they swim all.the.time. So he always had his workout in too.

Yesterday was a little windy, but we went on a nice bike ride down to the little beach near us. It is awesome to know that I still have all the balance to ride around with the Kid on the back. We love the bike. And when I told him that this would be the last summer he could ride on the back he was not happy about it. Mostly because he is almost 40 lbs and that is the limit on the seat...not to mention next year the baby will be in it and he is going to have to learn to ride his own bike!

And now today. As I sit here looking out the window there is the trickle of rain. Not fun. But I guess it has to rain sometime. We really lucked out this weekend, weather wise. There is a hanging plant outside my window on the front steps and I am watching these 2 little sparrows flying in and out of it with nest supplies. I guess we will getting baby birds soon!

Love me some Tivo

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day. I made the Hubby go to our storage place and get my bike and the Kid's bike seat, our helmets, my lock, etc... and we went for a bike ride. I took the Kid down to the playground on the beach *brrrr* and he had a blast, of course. At least we had jackets and jeans on this time.
I figure I have a few more weeks of bike riding. The danger of riding while pregnant (especially with a kid on the back of the bike) is the loss of balance. I actually have very good balance. I had no problem riding. It was my legs hitting my little belly that I have that was obnoxious. So, I am going to have Hubby raise the seat a little so my legs don't go too high.
I can't wait to ride with the new baby next spring. I am hoping by then the Kid can ride his own bike and doesn't get too jealous that the baby is in his bike seat with mommy.

I couldn't sit and type this last night because it was Sunday...it was Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters night! Love them both. I normally Tivo them every week, but since we have moved Hubby hasn't hooked it up yet. We picked out that iO package where cable, phone and internet all come through the cable company...yes that OBNOXIOUS commerical with the 1/2 nekkid people on the beach singing the phone number (I HATE that commercial- if you don't know what I am talking about, consider yourself lucky). So anyway, Tivo needs to be hooked up through a phone line...a phone line we don't have. Hubby has to take time to figure out how to hook up the phone cable to the Tivo. Time he does not have since my grandparents are coming home from Florida in 2 weeks! WAY EARLY! We still have so much work to do upstairs, by 'we' I mean Hubby, of course. I will take some pics of the progress and post at a later date.
But lord I love my Tivo. I don't know how I lived without it before, and I hate not having it now.

I think this post is pretty much boring bable this morning. Sorry for that. :)