Women of Steel 2012

Krista, me, Nicki my biking buddy, Pam, Savannah, and Sarah

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:30 and got ready for my race.  It's silly but I was really nervous for this race.  It's my third year doing the Women of Steel triathlon.  I actually love this race because it's with all my swim friends and I race right in my neighborhood.  The energy is great at this race!  I love that everyone is racing for a different reason and that you see all types of women and bikes.  I love that we celebrate just being able to cross the finish line.  I was shocked with my finish time.  I was hoping to at least keep my time from last year (1:16) but I didn't want to pressure myself.  I was disappointed with my swim because the stupid girl in front of me lied about her time and started walking after 100 meters.  Boo that!  So my swim time was off by about a minute.  I felt really strong on my bike.  The boys and Matt were waiting for me at our church on my second loop.  I loved seeing their big smiles and hearing their cheers!   When I got ready to run my legs were shaking.  I could barely get my shoes off and on.  So I took a little bit longer on my T2.  When I started running, my feet felt like concrete.  I was so happy to have the first mile over with because it's all uphill.  I was feeling tired when all of a sudden I saw Matt and the boys by the park.  The boys came out and ran with me for a little bit.  They had such big smiles on their faces.  I loved having them with up.  Their support means so much to me.  It was just what I needed to stay strong till the end.  After the boys have I soccer game, one of the questions that I ask them is "did they do their best?"  As I was feeling tired and wanted to slow down, I thought of that question.  I wanted to be able to say that I did my best the entire race.  So I felt really good that I was able to stay strong and push it till the end.  I was so happy when I saw my final time of 1:14. My final times were S 6:48, T1 2:08, B 39:46, T2 2:16, R 23:30.  I placed 9th in my age group out of 134, and 33 overall out of 700.  So that means I placed in the top 5%.  CRAZY!   I feel so grateful for my strong, healthy body!  

 I love these pictures of my friends.  Coach Jenn is on the left and has been our swim coach for the last three years.  She's done wonders for my swimming.  She makes me do things that I would never do on my own.  There are days that I want to quit but she helps me push through it and finish strong. Sarah is on the right.  She is so fun to be around.  She is a hard core athlete and has taught me a lot about training.  She helps me keep a balance and to remember to have fun!  She's the best!

Kimmy is on on the left.  She's been so supportive during my hard times the last couple of years.  She fixed my hair when I went a little crazy and it turned it orange.  She shows up with the best cupcakes when I'm down in the dumps.  How lucky am I to have such wonderful friends.  There are not just my swim friends but my best friends!