2009 Cleveland Triathlon

I'm still on a post-race high after doing the Cleveland Triathlon yesterday! Last week I attempted the Pittsburgh Triathlon, but had a sprained ankle that just hadn't healed enough yet. I'm glad I didn't try to finish on the ankle, because I probably would have hurt myself too badly to compete yesterday and would have missed an awesome race!

Before the race started I was pretty nervous. This would be the first TRI I completed this year and I had some doubts about whether I was up to the challenge. Adding to my anxiety was the fact that I had forgotten my goggles! I asked a race official if there were any I could use; to my relief she pulled out an old pair that had been left at another race. Unfortunately, though, as soon as I tried them on I realized that they were strong prescription goggles! Luckily I made some friends before the race and one of them had an extra pair for me to use. My new friends were nervous too so that made me feel better as well!

The first leg of the race (the swim), was a 1.5K "L" shaped course that started in the harbor by Voinovich Park, then went out into Lake Erie and back. There were no currents or waves in the harbor; in Lake Erie the water was a little rough, but not too bad. When I first got in the water, it felt on the cold side; I was wishing I was wearing a wetsuit. As soon as the whistle blew and I started swimming though, I not only warmed up, but my nervousness totally went away. I got a huge rush of excitement and adrenaline as I swam past the first buoy out of the harbor.

I still felt great at the end of the swim and ready for the bike. I ran up the ramp from the water trying to focus on what I needed to do to get through my transition quickly. I pulled on a pair of shorts, cycling shoes on, helmet on, a quick sip of water and I was set. I ran my bike out of the transition and started on the second leg.

The cycling leg was for me the most difficult. Cycling is my worst event to begin with, and I thought this was a tough course. It consisted of three 8-mile out-and-back loops around the Shoreway (24 miles total). The out part of the loop was so hilly! During the second loop my legs began to cramp right above my knees. It then started raining and my bike started to make a squeeky noise. I could tell something on the bike was rubbing and causing some friction that would slow me down. I stopped for a second and tried to find the problem, but I couldn't. I only had one loop left so I did my best to ignore it.

It was a great feeling as I coasted off the bike course on my way back into the transition area! Running is my best event and I knew if I made it this far I was going to make it to the end! I threw my bike on the rack, changed shoes and I was off again for the last leg!

As I started the 10K (6.2 mile) run my legs were tired, but felt better than I expected. I got in my running zone and the rest of the race went by fast! Every one was so supportive of the racers. As I climbed the last hill a group of people were cheering for me and giving me encouragement to make it the last mile and a half. When I saw the finish line I was ecstatic. I sprinted to it and felt great! The official times aren't posted yet, but my time was around 2:55 according to my watch.

The Cleveland Triathlon had a great course and was a well organized, fantasic event. I can't wait to do it again. For that great feeling of accomplishment, excitement and exhaustion, all the hard work and training pays off! I'm ready for another race!