Official Tri Results

HERE ARE MY OFFICIAL RESULTS OF MY TRIATHLON

No 164
FN Melissa
LN Black
Overall
1876
DIVPL
264/264
SEXPL
1876/1885
TIME
2:42:35
Swim
23:12
TRANS 1
9:43
BIKE
1:06:31
TRANS 2
4:27
Run
58:44

Last year I did the whole thing in 2:27. My swim was 21:27, T1 7:30, Bike 57:47, T2 4:33, and my run was in 55:33.

I really had a hard time with this triathlon as I did not get to train as much as I would have liked to. Here are some things that I was up against in this event. I had a major leg cramp in the swim that I had to stretch out during my first transition. That is why I have a 9 minute transition. UGH! Also, on the bike I had some chain trouble and a lady flipped off her bike. I just didn't feel right about biking by her. She ended up being ok and there was a cop that came up to assist her. That added time to my bike and on the run I rolled a weak ankle in the first mile. I don't run yet anyway, but was able to plug away and finish. I was very happy to see that my run was under 1 hour. It felt like a lot longer. I know this post may seem like a lot of excuses for my times, but it's just reality. I had a hard day, but putting that all aside I was very proud of myself for finishing. There were several times that I wasn't sure I was going to make it and this shows me that no matter what I am up against I can have a positive attitude and make it through whatever is thrown my way.

WAY TO GO ME!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!

Later!!

I DID IT!!!!!

My triathlon journey started on Saturday, June 23rd. The Subaru Women's Triathlon Series was held in Naperville, Illinois. They have an EXPO where you can go and get your packet and your numbers put on. They also have a lot of sponsor booths you can go to. Here I am getting my numbers put on. Lucky number 164.

Here I am at the EXPO after getting my numbers marked. I am so proud to call myself a Triathlete. I'm still pretty amazed.

Here I am just a couple hours after meeting my friends Wylee and Siren in person. We have been friends online through our blogs for sometime now. It was great to finally meet them in person. Wylee's blog is at www.wyleesworld.blogspot.com and Siren's blog is at www.hitmystride.blogspot.com Check them out. They are a lot of fun!! Here we are showing off our Tri numbers outside of Olive Garden. We were getting ready to carb load before hitting the starting line in the morning.

The red head is my friend Wylee and the dark haired girl is my friend Siren.


My hubby and kids couldn't make it today, so I had them write notes on my arms and hands. Here is my arm graffiti from Parker and Keith. Keith drew a heart and a smooch because today was our 13th wedding anniversary. Keith, thanks for your unconditional love and support. I couldn't do all this without you. I love being married to you every minute. Happy Anniversary.

Here is my arm graffiti from Tricia. She is always really proud of me. What's neat is now my kids want to start doing kid's triathlons. I'm so glad that I'm starting to get healthy, so they can be healthy too. My friend Darlene wrote on my right hand too. It said, Breathe, Pedal, Pray. U can do it. These notes really helped me along the way. It made me realize just how much people love and support me. Thanks guys.


Here I am in transition with my bike. I love triathlons.

Here I am waiting for my wave to start. I was in wave 18. Some of the elite athlete's were finishing the race before I even got in the water. Way to go ladies.

Right before my wave a friend of mine walked up to me. She is a trainer at the YMCA where I work out. I see her all the time and what is cool is I have bumped into her at the last three events I have done. I bumped into her in a stairwell while climbing the Sears Tower. I bumped into her at BIKE THE DRIVE with 10,000 people in attendance and now today she bumped into me. She is always so encouraging at the gym and at the events I see her at. Just want to let you know with all that bumping no one has been hurt. :-)


Here I am coming out of the swim. I had just crawled out of the water. Just kidding, but it did feel like it. I encouraged a girl not to quit and she stuck with it. She thanked me later. It was a good feeling to be able to talk someone into not giving up. Later I saw her on the bike leg with her pedal in her hand. She was having bad luck. I hope she stuck with it.

Here I am starting off on my bike. The bike was hard because my leg really cramped in the swim and I had gear shifting problems, but overall it went well.

Here I am crossing the finish line. Every other year I didn't think about a fun finish. This year I remembered to put my arms up and after crossing the finish line and knelt down and kissed the ground. The professional photographer took a picture of it,so I will post it when I get it. It got a good laugh.

Here is Wylee and Teri right after they finished the Tri. This was their first Tri. You girls Rocked it!! Good Job!!

This is my friend Siren finishing the Triathlon. She is 4 1/2 months pregnant. Wahoooo to you and Baby for finishing strong. You ROCK!!

Here are my three friends right after they finished the race. L to R Wylee, Teri, and Siren. Way to go girls.

Today was a great day. It was difficult at times during the triathlon, but I knew that I would finish. Here I some thoughts I had along my journey today.
* I have a great support system. I have so many family members and friends that love me no matter what size I am or what event I am doing. They love me for who I am and that means the world to me.
*Because of it being my anniversary I realized how much I take my husband for granted and how much I truly love him. I don't know where I would be today without him. He completes me. Keith, I love and respect you so much. Thanks for being here for me with school and with all my crazy adventures. You are incredible.
*I have been through a lot of different things this year and one had me really analyzing what a good friend is. I thought I had more friends in my life and then I was hit with a hard situation. It made me realize that I don't need to have a lot of friends. I just need to have quality friends. Today my friend Darlene, whom I have known now for 21 years, was by my side. She couldn't race with me this year, but got up at the crack of dawn and came to cheer me on. I realized even more on this race how much I appreciate her and love her. It's friends like this that only come alone once in a lifetime. Thanks for your support Dar. It means the world to me. We are going to kick some Tri butt next year. :-)
*Because my kids wrote all over my arms I thought of them a lot today and decided that today is the day I start a REALLY healthy lifestyle to get this weight off. They are my inspiration. I want to live a long life and see my grandbabies grow up. Today was really a turning point for me.
*Because it was Sunday and I was missing church I realized how my relationship with Jesus Christ has been on the back burner. I could not have done this triathlon without his strength. I am renewing my relationship with him too.

Today has been a great day in more ways then I can even describe here. I look forward to many more athletic events in my life and look forward to where God will lead me next. I'm feeling very satisfied today. Now tomorrow when every muscle in my whole body aches I'm not sure how I'll be feeling. :-)

Gotta get to bed I'm about to keel over.

My Triathlon is Here

Well, this is it. My triathlon is on Sunday. I'm really nervous, but yet excited. I'm not as ready as I was last year. I've gained quite a bit of weight back, so I'm not feeling as confident. I decided that I would turn to the Bible at this time for encouragement. I found many verses that I will cling to during my triathlon. Here they are:

Psalm 63:7-8 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8-My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me up.

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

1Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run (or walk in my case) in such a way as to get the prize.

The last part of my triathlon will be a 5k, that's 3.1 miles. I will not be running it. I will be walking most of it, so I found some bible verses about walking to encourage me. I was discouraged because my goal was to run my 5K this year and it didn't happen. I am encouraged after reading these verses. Here they are:

Proverbs 4:12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, when you run, you will not stumble.

Psalm 26:3 Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

I love the last verse because it shows me that no matter what I go through God is there to protect me from my foes and reach out to save me.

I also am looking at this verse through the eyes of my triathlon. I will have trouble walking the 5K and it is just a promise to me that God will reach out His right hand and guide me through my triathlon. What a great picture to have with me on race day.

Another neat thing about this triathlon is that I will be meeting two of my online buddies at the triathlon. We met online through my blog and we are now friends. They are doing the triathlon as well and we are meeting the night before for dinner. I cannot wait to meet them. Their blogs are always an encouragement to me. I will definetly take pictures and post them soon. Thanks to all who help me reach my dreams and always encourage me. You know who you are and you are the best.

Good night.

Recital 5/4/07

A Great Quote

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is not effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”


Theodore Roosevelt