Shermanator Triathalon: I spell TRI like this TMI!

First TRI in the books....and I am stoked.  So here is the report, with a comical interlude.

0400 hours:  I am up, can't sleep, jacked on adrenaline and nerves.  Head down coffee, bagel, banana..carbed up

0500 hours:  I was taught by a Natzi Band Director, "if you are on time you are late" and I sure as heck didn't want to make Teri late, who was doing me a huge favor by racking my bike and hauling it up for me.  We planned on meeting at the carpool and heading.

0530 hours:  Got to the carpool.  Nerves are getting to me.  It's 5:32, Teri isn't there, we are at a public place within city limits.  I got to pee.  I look longingly at the pine trees...Teri texts me, she will be there in a few.  Perfect.  Pee Break....I actually spook up a deer as I bust into the tall weeds.

0548 hours:  On the road, I am jammering like an idiot.

0612 hours:  Sign up.  Body marked

We find out our heat, wave 6, we take off at 8:10am.  Freak out commences....

Into the water at 8:05, chilling till we take off at 8:10.  No joke, not even halfway thru the swim, I am at near panic attack.  I swear my joking about Jersey Shore Fist Pumping is going to karma bite me in the ass.  This is one thing I know:  open water swimming is NOT the same as pool OR lake swimming...holy crapola.

I honestly looked for the locations of the kyaks and boueys.  I said eff freestyle, I am going to do whatever stroke keeps my head above water.  Enter sidestroke, backstroke, breaststroke.  Alternating till I hit the halfway and then I was ok.  When I am just past the 1/4 way bouey, near middle of freak out zone, I hear the next wave go.  (big air horn)  I "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" til I see the place where we took off from, almost touching depth!  As soon as I can, I put feet to the ground and head.  Surprisingly enough, I can jog to transition!  I couldn't find a pic of the Sherm open water swim (that I could copy), but it did kinda look like this:

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6694473

I was so happy to see my cheering section when I exited the water!  Brian, the boys, and Mimi!  All the people that helped me train in some way were there to cheer me on!

I get to transition, thankful for the happyface that told me it was the right rack.  All the while, I was able to keep my eyes on Teri or pass her, going the other way (all of the routes were out and backs) and cheer her on!  I get on my old ass, but working, mountain bike.  Haul on up the hill, I am shaking enough, that I loose my water bottle before the first mile is over.  SHIT!!  But there was no way I was stopping to get it....which made the 10 miles long, hot, and thirsty.  Oh, and did I mention HILLS.  Holy Hill Hell.  It was like Evansville all over again!  I distinctly remember one man barely moving up the hill as I coasted down the other way..I knew that one was going to be a bitch...and it was.  And all the other ones, that seriously would last for a half mile or so....ikes.  Not fun.  But honestly, I don't know how I did it.  My bike time was 42:42...that is an average of a 4:24 minute mile!  STOKED.  On a 10 year old mountain bike.  The pic is me getting ready to dismount.  I must say I was complemented on my dismount...must of done it like a pro, instead of a Tri virgin!

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/14476920

I get back to transition, some hot shot dude has racked in my spot.  I am already sucking with the racks anyway, but offffff I go!  UPPPPP a freaking hill.  This hill stuff continues thru mile 1 and then down a half mile and then back up a half mile and then down mostly with another up the rest of the way....hills.  I hate hills.  The fact that I ran 3.1 miles in 31 minutes and it was 3/4 hills, I am ok with that.  Not to mention that I was AFTER I swam and biked (on hills)

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6677848

So, I cross the finish line...I looked kinda pissed.  This is one, because I was running my ass off and, two, because I just looked at the clock, which said 1:56:00 and I was pissed.  I was like, damn!  I suck!  But that was before I realized that that was from the first heat 7:45 and I didn't even take off in the water till 8:10.  So my official time was 1:31:07.  Not impressive when I say 21 out of 27, but seriously, I had the fastest wave, I swear!  When I was done...I was woozy to say the least.  I did manage to take some after race pics with my guys and my gal!

So, I left the tri, stoked with the outcome, proud to go to the store with my permanent marker tatoo (race number on my arm), and thinking about when I could do another (with a shorter swim) again!  If for no other reason, I am happy with my body strength and looks, all thanks to multisport training!