IRONCrocs!
Another weekend, another road trip… This time to Santa Rosa for my fist ever Ironman distance triathlon! I’ve always wanted to do an Ironman but when I actually nabbed a spot in November’s IM Arizona I got kind of nervous. Maybe I shouldn’t do such a big-time race as my first. All those people and all that hype might be too much for a first-timer. I decided I needed a practice tri!!
I found the perfect one in Northern California. On the race website it says “Vineman was designed to be “the people’s ironman distance event” with an emphasis on making the average athlete’s experience of completing the classic distance the most enjoyable and personalized as possible.” So that’s precisely why I was getting my body marked at the start of the Vineman Triathlon.
Getting My Race Number Applied
I had convinced several friends to join me on this adventure and in a few minutes we’d head into the Russian River to swim 2.4 miles. After that we’d bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles through the rolling wine country of Sonoma County. Well at least the scenery would be pretty!
My friends and I trained hard for this event, getting together to swim, bike, or run several times each week for the past few months. Having training buddies was the most important part of this experience. We never lacked for support or encouragement. If you’re on a team or do any sport with a group of friends you know what I mean, right? Sharing a common goal, especially one so daunting, is the absolute best way to train.
Who Are These Strange Creatures?
So here we were!! In our wetsuits! Ready to GO!!!! We hugged and wished each other luck as we dove into the river. We were on our own now. But we looked forward to seeing each other down the road.
I call myself a runner so I was surprised how much I enjoyed the swim. I was initially worried about getting run over (or drowned!) by the crowds in the water but that wasn’t an issue. The swimmers went off in small groups and the river was so wide that there wasn’t much contact at all. A perfectly pleasant swim! Next up, the ride…
Now, I really like to bike but I must admit the bike portion got a little boring after a while. When I go on long rides I’m usually with friends. In triathlon you have to be careful NOT to ride too close to another biker – or you could get disqualified! So I pedaled on…
My Bike/Run Transition Bag (My Crocs!)
As got off my bike I couldn’t quite believe I still had a marathon to run! What did I get myself into??? But I trotted off and was surprised to find I still had some energy. I wasn’t going very fast, but I WAS going forward! My lovely pink Crocs gave me a little bounce in my step and got me plenty of comments from participants and spectators as I finished the final leg of the Vineman Triathlon.
My Number, Wristband, and Finisher Medal
What a feeling to cross the finish line! I was crying from joy and grinning ear to ear at the same time! I was an Iron Woman – in Crocs!!
Are there any triathletes out there? What’s you favorite race? Do you have any training tips you’d like to share?
