I should probably wait until the freshness of the pain has worn off before writing this race report, but you always forget the pain more quickly than the pleasure (hence women have more than one baby) and I want to make sure the PAIN gets recorded. Because let's face it: the weather was PAINFUL. I am so impressed with everybody who even started today, I am totally sympathetic to all those who were forced to abandon due to circumstances beyond their control, and I am so grateful that my body managed to allow me to finish. Another day, same conditions, I might have been one of those needing assistance due to a core temperature that just couldn't stay high enough for safety. That being said, I also have more body fat than some of you hammers. Sometimes fat is a good thing. Especially around the midsection.
Most of you know that the swim is my favorite part regardless, but today it was also the warmest part. And that's not saying much. I did not exactly enjoy the swim, and I wasn't really in a hurry to get to the bike, but the choppy waters were good practice for future ocean water swims. I hope. I'll admit it: I was surprised that some chick beat me out of the water, and that it wasn't Lisi Bratcher. Thank goodness she decided to come down from Nashville and race today, because knowing that she was out there on the bike made me determined to stay on the bike as well. And I needed some serious self-talk to keep going. I almost bagged it many times (every time I passed a store or assistance vehicle), I was just so frickin' cold the entire ride. But I kept thinking about all those first timers and Tri 201ers who were toughing it out, and I just decided that if I physically could keep turning the pedals I was going to keep going. Besides, even on a good day I don't love the bike, so it wasn't THAT much of a stretch. I honestly kept imagining a roaring fire to try and warm me up. It sort of worked.
I was promising myself that the run would be warmer. The problem arose when I went to put on my running shoes and my fingers were too frozen to work. I couldn't slide my feet in like I usually do when dry, and untying and retying the laces took a ridiculously long time. But finally I had my running shoes on and....I might as well have tried to run in my bike shoes. My feet were so numb I felt like I was running on stubs. I thought I was just going to fall over at any minute. So I told myself that if I DID fall over, that would be it. I would let myself stop. Unfortunately, that did not happen. By the time I reached the gravel road I could feel my feet enough to stay upright there as well. I never fall down when I want to, only when I really really DON'T want to. Sigh.
I never really warmed up. I wasn't AS cold during the run but I was still wet and cold. I have been told that the run was longer than 6.2 miles, and I'm just glad my fingers were too numb to put on my Garmin because I honestly might have sat down and cried at the 6.2 mile mark when I realized the finish line was still at least half a mile and one more hill away. But ignorance is bliss, or at least in this case a blessing, and I did stagger/shiver/flog myself all the way to the finish line.
Thanks to the volunteers who stood out there for us, the only thing worse than racing in that weather is volunteering in that weather. At least we get a medal and bragging rights. Thank you to KatieBeth Pierson for practically dragging me into her warm car. Thank you to Mike Sparks for that crazy towel/burka thing you all saw me wearing. Thanks to everyone out there today, who made it possible for me to keep going. Triathletes - even very cold ones - are awesome!