JSTC Time Trial Weekend

So this weekend will definitely be a challenge! I've signed up for 3 events as part of the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club's Time Trial Weekend. First on tap is the Bay Head 5K - 3.1 mile test of speed on a flat course in Bay Head, NJ. Afterwards, it'll be off to Lavalette for a wetsuit demo and open water bay swim and timed 1/2 mile swim. On Sunday, I'll be participating in my first Cycling Time Trial - it's a 30K time trial race which is approximately 19 miles of trying to finish as fast as you can! Little nervous about that but I think it will be alot of fun and challenging. I'll report on the weekend after it's all over :) Wish me luck! 

Long Branch 1/2 Marathon

This year instead of participating in the annual Broad Street Run in Philadelphia we registered for the Long Branch 1/2 Marathon and New Jersey Marathon in Long Branch, NJ. As you can tell by the pictures, it was a rainy, wet day. We didn't let that bother us, even after we arrived at 5:30 am and had to wait an hour for the buses to bring us from the lot to the start line. The start of the race was delayed because of traffic for about 20 minutes or so. I felt great for most of the race but did have some tight quads starting around mile 8, but nothing that couldn't be stretched on a few occasions around the route. I'm thinking the legs were still recovering from the Bassman Triathlon the weekend before.  It was actually a really nice/fun course despite the weather. We felt good enough to go for a PR . . . and we ended up getting our PR - 2:15:41 :) Very happy indeed. It was a long day with the trip back to Philly by train but very happy with the results!

First Triathlon of the Season!

So I completed my first Tri of the season last weekend. It was the Bassman Triathlon in Bass River State Park in NJ. The race was a 1/2 mile swim, 29 mile bike and 4.2 mile run. I finished in just over 3 hours. Unfortunately, I had set my goal as 2:50 and missed the goal. I fell behind at the very beginning because I had a mini-freak out/panic episode during the swim portion of the race. We swam in Lake Absegami which was not as cold as I had expected (60 degrees) and it was clean and clear. Only problem with being that clear was that you could see all the lake weeds and debris, which by the time I started swimming with the women's wave that went off last, had been kicked up close to the surface. So every time I put my head in the water I saw all of this "stuff" in my face and it just got to me. I thought I was prepared for the swim, but I guess I was not. I can swim over a mile in the pool - easily! But it's a whole different game in open water. The bike and run went well but I lost too much ground in the swim to make it up on either the bike or run to meet my goal. So  overall I was disappointed in my performance, but if I learned anything from the first race of the season it is that I have alot of practicing to do in all 3 sports to meet my goals for the races I have scheduled later in the season! :)