Canberra Challenge 2009

I did my first Olypmic Distance Triathlon this weekend, at the Canberra Challenge, which was held in conjunction with Australia Day (26 January) celebrations and the A-team reunion. Whew, what a weekend!

The race was on Sunday morning, which was slightly overcast and on the chilly side, which was a good thing, given the previous morning of 25ish (C) and strong winds. It was prefect race weather! As I was falling asleep on Saturday night I was worried that I wasn't scared enough for this race, but I was actually looking forward to the challenge. I knew I could do each piece individually and was anxious about how it would all fit together, and just how painful it would be.

The swim was good - 35 minutes of the opaque green that is Lake Burley-Griffin - only one moment of panic that I had to quell... there are kayalers and swimmers all around, and I'm a strong swimmer, so it was just my brain playing tricks on me. I felt good in the swim, trying to push it a little, cause while I'm relatively strong in the water, I'm not super fast. The exit was interesting, since the lake at the point of entrance and exit is just a sheer wall, Triathlon ACT has custom made exit steps that go into the water, so as you approach, your outstretched hand is grabbed by a volunteer who hauls you up onto the steps and off you go to transition.

So not a problem to find my bike in transition - the racks that held all 800-900 bikes were nearly empty, so finding mine was a breeze. :) This was my first race transition with the cleats, which I had already attached to the bike. So I put on my socks (with baby powder in them to absorb the leftover lake) and ran out of transition to the mount line. And, like I'd practiced the day before, I was able to get on the bike and velcro into the shoes as they were attached, with little difficulty. How cool! Then I was on the bike for an hour 20ish. Ouch. Not too bad a time for the 40K, but long. I know I can pick up some time on the bike. Back into transition, I successfully removed my feet from the shoes (leaving them attached) and dismounted well, almost gracefully. At least in my head.

Then off on the run. Put on my runners with elastic laces, grabbed a bite of Odwalla bar (strawberry pomegranate, yummy) and was off for 10K. It felt good, considering. It was painful for sure, my bum was used to sitting on the bike, my hammies were tight, my feet were slightly numb, but I felt remarkably strong. It certainly wasn't fast, but was at the pace I normally do a 10K, which is good considering what had preceded it! I can certainly pick up time on the run, especially since I didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable as I'd anticipated, given my prep. Crossed the finish line with a smile, at 3 hours, 11 minutes (3 hours, 5 minutes by my watch, but officially, 3:11). Not too shabby for Katie.

Then had a nap, a recovery bbq at the park, floated in the lake on lilos (water floats) and a beer (okay, beers), and then slept like a baby!

Yesterday was Australia Day, so a public holiday and the Top 100 songs of 2008, as voted by listeners of Triple J. Went back to the park for the last 50 and then watched fireworks. So awesome! We had front row seats on the lake for the fireworks and it was really fun. A perfect summer weekend.