2012 race season reflections…

If I had to pick one word to sum up my first ever triathlon season it would be… fun.

Every weedy panicky swim, every mile on my bike, every meh run… fun.

I’m actually kind of annoyed that it took me until I was 32 to actually do a triathlon. What was I thinking not starting in my 20s?! All this fun I was missing!

It’s also been a haaa-uuuge learning season. With each race I figured out what worked best for me and what didn’t at all. A few key things:

• No new equipment on race day. Switching up your goggles minutes before the start of a triathlon just isn’t wise.
• Bento box. So much easier to dig in there for nutrition instead of carrying it all in your tri top.
• A sports bra makes a good pocket. Yes, I shove my Burt’s Bees down my cleavage.
• Waterproof body glide. Because chaffing happens in unexpected places.

And, even though Nick and I ate dinner most nights at 9p, you know it’s been a good season when…

• Your white handlebar tape is grey. It probably should have been replaced last summer, but honestly, I kinda liked it. A sure sign of lots of mileage and hill climbs.
• Your tri shorts tan lines last well into December – in fact, there’s still a slight line. Thank goodness for the Minnesota winter, wunder unders, SmartWool and Sorels.
• Your butt callouses from sitting 3,100+ miles in the saddle no longer necessitate tri shorts when riding. Who knew butt callouses even existed?! Or, am I the only one who has ’em?!

But, perhaps the very best thing about this season was the people I met and the friendships I formed – both in person and online. My Performance POWER teammates Sonia, Sarah, Suraya, Nanette, Kyle, Sam, Chris, Deion and Rob… every one of you inspired me to push harder and out of my comfort zone and became some of my closest friends. And, the bloggers on my bloglovin’ feed… Cathleen of run with your heart, Katie of run this amazing day, Steph Corker, Andrea of trusting the straight line, Hailey in training, Frayed Laces. So much inspiration and motivation!

With that, here’s a photo recap of the 2012 race season…

April 28: My first-ever triathlon, Take the Hill sprint at Gustavus. Rainy, windy, 40 degrees and tie-dye wunder unders… a memorable first race!

June 30: Freedom Fest sprint in Pine City. This race wasn’t timed, and this was our transition. Still a blast, and Nick and I crossed the finish line together and 1-2.

July 14: Life Time Tri Minneapolis at Lake Nokomis. I was so nervous! But, the race turned out to be great – with a high of 85 degrees – despite my legs cramping at the beginning of the run.

July 22: Chisago Lakes 70.3. I am a half iron{wo}man! From swimming through weeds and walking most of the last mile because I couldn’t run to racing with my P2 teammates and having my family there cheering me on, the entire day was fantastic!

August 26: Superior Man 70.3 relay. Nick was supposed to race the entire thing, but because of an MCL injury, he couldn’t run. Race officials were nice enough to let us switch registration at race check-in, so I ran the 13.1.

September 29: Building Strength 5K… can you believe this was the first 5K I’ve ran since I was 13? A fun run for two reasons: I got to see Hyedi, and it benefited her husband’s employer, which is fund raising to build a new mental health facility.

October 6: TC 10K. And, this was my first-ever 10K! I was pleasantly surprised at my finish, too – ninth place in my age group!

November 17: Girls on the Run 5K. I was thrilled to join Hyedi, KJ and Amanda as running buddies for this great organization that inspires girls in grades 3-5 “to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.”

All in all, 2012 a great year, and I couldn’t be more excited for 2013! I’m scheming this year’s race calendar, which involves a spring marathon and Ironman Canada. It’ll be finalized and posted within the next week!