This is all late but I have been a busy bee getting ready for IM70.3 Cozumel – The Redemption Tour (we will talk about my level of nervousness later), but I wanted to share a few thoughts from the Iron Girl Rocky Gap.
I was part of the awesome Team “I Need New Friends”. Where did we get that name, you ask? Well, what kind of friend signs you up for a race in February, calls you and asks what are you doing on Sept 8th, (why, nothing, yet) and says, “Good, mark yourself down as the swim leg on a relay that weekend.” MmmmKay. And I did.
I love the Iron Girl races – they are all women – because of the level of support, camaraderie and friendly competition that happens there. It is just a great way to get into the sport of triathlon.
I went there all happy go lucky, thankful, that all I had to do was swim. I had grandiose ideas that since that is all I gotta do, that I will go all out and leave nothing in the reserve tank and hopefully get the half mile in 20 min or less. Well, I didn’t really plan it well enough…and when you fail to plan… mmmm. I got out there and swam as fast as I could – like a sprint. I would get about 100m and just before my heart would explode and arms fall off (that’s what it felt like to me) I would have to breast stroke (if that’s what you call it) for about 30 sec and resume. It was like hitch starting over and over. I should have pushed at a pace that was uncomfortable but I could maintain the whole way (think tempo trainer). I finished in 24 min and when I can out and ran into transition, I was spent.
Ming and Misty held it down themselves, putting in a great showing – smiling the whole time. I’ve known my friend Misty for a while, but got to know Ming during the trip to Rocky Gap – and she is awesome. I’m proud of my relay team. We all did our best; giving it all.
I will race with these ladies any day!
We stayed and cheered on as many people as we could before we HAD to get our stuff out of the resort and get on the road. The only disappointment I had was in the Resort itself. This year they jacked up the price of the room 2x over last year and then wouldn’t grant any late check outs. REALLY. IG Rocky Gap practically took over the resort and for ONE weekend they wouldn’t accommodate the race participants. Won’t stay there next year. HUMPH.
Enjoy the short slide show…
