Seattle Danskin

I had three goals for this race:

1. To go all out!
2. To kick my previous years time on the bike (really not too hard, last years time on the bike was not pretty - for me!)
3. To run the 5k without walking.


Every time I felt like slacking off - I would remember my first goal, seriously I would kick it into gear!

I only had a hard time on 1 part of the bike loop so I felt really good about that. I went all out on the bike, for me this meant a 17.9mph pace! Yeah!!

The first mile is always tough for me, my feet don't seem to cooperate after the ride, but I kept running anyway, in the past I have always walked until my feet felt "good". Not this year I began to run (I actually said to a lady next to me, "we are moving forward right?" she laughed and said, we were!

The swim: In past years the swim has been short on the distance about 200m. This year it was not, it was right on a 1/2 mile. So it was the first time during a race that I have done an actual 1/2 mile. My practice swims, I wasn't sure if I was doing a 1/2 mile or not, the life guards weren't all on the same page on exactly how far the two docs were I used to practice. One said 5 lengths in a pool, one thought it was longer. So it was hard to gage how fast I could do the 1/2 mile in. Swim started no problems, I stayed way in the back, knowing I would get run over if I didn't. I have had continual rotator cuff issues for a while, so I can't swim free style very long, I have to switch to side stroke. Around the first buoy, I finally found my stride and just kept to my pace, no panic attacks for me today! Last year I had a bit of a panic attack when I got kicked and choked in water, this year I remained calm. Second buoy I looked at my watch, and was thrilled that I was going as fast as I was, then the second wave back came up and it became a bit of a shark fest in the water... seriously it was hard to swim I kept hitting feet and and I grabbed a few butts too, I just wanted to get out of the mess, but I couldn't.. so I just kept going. My friend Kalei was in my wave this year, and she kicked my butt last year, so this year I wanted to at least keep up with her.... we came out of the swim with the same exact time! Not bad....

Ran/walked into the transition area, got shoes and a drink and ran out with bike, I felt great. I had a mission to accomplish on the bike, I started off strong and never really wavered for me. I felt good the whole ride, the last incline (bridge) was a bit tough but I gutted it out and even passed people! Last year the entire ride I heard, "left", "left", "on your left" "coming on your left, to the point it was beyond irritating to me. This year, I was shocked I was the one passing people! Of course I had people pass me, the younger ages are behind us in the waves, and some of them gals are very fast! But it felt good to know I had a great ride.

Off the bike, long way to the bike rack, oops. Changed socks and shoes and drank and went on my way - I was a running! (You have to say that like as in Forest Gump, I was a runnin' ) I felt good going into the run too, that was a plus. I have put so many hours into training I was happy they have all paid off. I was strong. Legs finally cooperated after about a mile. Then I just went at my slow steady pace. My friend Kalei, I had beaten on the bike, and I knew I had to get pretty far ahead of her as she a 9 min mile, and I am a 12.... obviously I needed to make past mile 2 to have a shot. There is a hill towards the middle of mile 2 I think.. and I thought if I can make it up the hill I may have her. Right before the hill, I hear, "I caught up to you, can we walk now?" as I turn to look it is Kalei passing me! Darn it, I yell! You can walk, I am running! I yell back to her as she goes off towards the hill. I was bummed, but happy I knew we would be close on our time. I didn't quite reach my goal of running the whole race, right at the top of the hill I stopped running. Yes I looked at my watch when I did it, I stopped for a minute 30, then I looked back at my watch and said to myself, no you don't ~~ finish this!! so I picked up and ran again. You can hear the crowd as you come to the final stretch it is pretty cool. I gave it all I had in the last .2 miles, and ran through the chute.

Great race this year, I felt strong at the end. I know I have come a long way, I feel stronger than ever.


Final Numbers: 1:49:16 Goal was to make it under 2:00 hours! Yeah.
Swim 1/2 mile: 23:20
Trans 1: 5:04 I could use some work here
Bike: 40:11 17.9 mph I kicked butt over last year - improvement of 37minutes! (I still stick to something was wrong with my bike!)
Trans 2: 3:26 not too bad??
Run: 37:14 Pace 12:00 My PR in a 5k until now was 36:20... you think I have improved? Heck ya!


It was great to race with so many ladies from the Raise the Bar and Raise the Hope teams. One of the gals from RTB took 4th over all and quite a few names in the top 10 I recognized and thought were from the team as well. Then I see a gals name who came in 8th.. she wasn't an elite either... she was a year older than me in high school, and had a wonderful race!

Congrats to everyone who competed this weekend.

A big shout out and congratulations to Julia~ she completed her first triathlon today!! She did awesome, I will let her tell you all about it, give her a "way to go" she deserves it!