My first sprint triathlon!! I am super excited. I am mostly excited to float the river afterwards (and before), but I am also excited to see how I can do in a sprint race.
The race is in historic Gruene, Texas, also known as My Happy Place, Texas. There is nothing about Gruene to dislike. It is a magical little town. Old dance halls with good bands, fabulous outdoor dining, beautiful scenery, gorgeous weather, wineries, and most of all, a big ol' river meant for floating (or racing).
The race will be a 400m swim, a 12 mile bike and a 3.3 mile run. I have never done a sprint tri before, and my fastest 5K is really slow (and that's all I did that day). I am really interested to see how it goes because I am SOOOOO not a sprinter (I'm really freaking slow at just about everything). I can do just about anything all day - bike, run, drink, eat, whatever - but if you want me to do something quickly, you are in for a struggle. I never really learned how to push myself over a short distance because all I've ever trained for is longer stuff...which is just a totally different mentality.
On the swim for a half ironman, you don't really kick because you have to save your legs...on the swim for a sprint, you kick, but you don't want your heartrate to get too high. I determined yesterday that I've forgotten how to kick. Ooops.
On the bike for a half ironman, you pace yourself so you have something left for the run. If you have to stop to pee or refill water bottles, you do it. On a sprint, if you have to stop to pee, you are totally screwed. Hydration and calorie consumption becomes almost unnecessary...
On the run for a half ironman, you start at the pace you intend to run, usually to find out that your goals were too lofty, so you start incorporating walking pretty early one. On the sprint, if I have to walk, I'll chop off my legs (I'll probably have to walk because I predict my goals are too lofty - ha - so expect a legless woman next week. Watch out Oscar!!).
It's just a totally different animal and I am excited! About 10 of our friends are heading down with us and plan on racing - some of them this is their first race EVER. Good luck to the rest of the crew! It should be an absolute blast. And then, after awards in the river (what?!?) we will fill our coolers, slather on sunscreen and relax in the wonderful Comal. Oh, the magic of a weekend on the river. Siiiiiiiigh.
It's gonna be a challenge and I can't wait to see how it goes!!
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