Due to the fact that I had signed up for a Saturday morning open water swim (OWS) class 6 weeks prior to the event and trained for a little under 8 weeks, I felt ready. The swim class helped me get over any potential issues I may have had with the swim portion. I had researched quite a bit of information about triathlon preparations and found that many people struggled with panic and anxiety during the swim portion of the race.
Eric made the early morning trek downtown with me on the morning of the race. We had been to the site the day before to pick up my packet and listen to a course talk. Parking wasn't an issue and it was finally really time! First was the transition area setup. Your bike is mounted on the bar and you have a small area on the ground to put your other items. I was so thankful to have my best bud, Darci's bike for the event. Her bike is pretty nice! I had borrowed it two weeks prior to the event to do a little training with it and get used to the change from my Schwinn. Looking around, I observed a few useful tips. I put my bike helmet and sunglasses on the seat. I had already stored my bike water bottle on the bike so it was ready to go. Next, I laid out my towel (which I wouldn't do again) and put my running shoes, shorts, shirt, hat, and water bottle on top of the towel. Next time I will put a smaller towel on the ground and keep my larger towel ready to dry off with during the transition time.
Then it was time to head over the swim area. I went out in to the Detroit River to test the water and get through any jitters I was having. It was time!!!!! My wave was second. There were only 3 - the ovarian cancer survivors, relay teams, and buddy teams were in the first wave. My wave was the "under 40" wave and then the last one was (obviously) over 40. Then we were off! Time to go. The first part of the swim was odd. The course ran along the beach and the water was rather shallow. Therefore many people were trying to walk instead of swim. This wastes way too much energy. The course was rather clogged up as a result. I chose to go off to the side to start swimming and get through the clog. It worked! I was actually able to swim at somewhat of a normal pace and get moving.
It was over pretty fast and it was time to enter the transition area. I took too long but it was my first time. I used the water bottle to rinse my feet and threw on my running clothes over my swimsuit. Note: after the race I received a tip from another participant. She said that if you are going to wear your swimsuit through the entire event on a hot day like that day, you can wear a sports bra under your swim suit. When you are finished swimming, you can pull your suit down around your waste before you put your biking/running shirt on. I wish I had known this before the event. Your suit is so tight and not meant to let your skin breathe! It was so hot and that little bit of exposed area may have helped. It is definitely useful information for next time.
Next was helmet placement and socks and shoes and off to the bike mounting area! The course was a double loop which totaled 12.4 miles. It took me a bit longer than I had hoped. I had been training at Kensington Metropark and had become used to the hills and "rest" periods that come with going downhill. This course was flat, flat, flat. You had to work hard the entire time! :) I was happy when the bike part was over but then it was time for the run. I was nervous about this part the most due to the heat! It was in the mid-80s at 8 a.m. and the humidity was terribly high. I had decided not to wear the bike shorts and felt it! I had a hard time working through the transition with my legs and rear end after the biking. One of my goals for this event was not to walk though and I didn't! I felt like I was crawling along for a lot of the run course but I really wasn't. It was miserable - I am not going to lie.
And then.... I saw it - the finish line! I had just run past a very energetic and motivating cheerleader who put a little energy in my run and I couldn't wait to finish! The finish was amazing as was the entire event. Participating in this event was unforgettable. Swimming, biking and running around Belle Isle with the Detroit skyline in my view most of the time was a perfect way to complete my first tri. Before the event, I thought I might compete in another one two weeks afterwards but decided that I would rather start training for my first 10K and hold off doing another tri until next year. I think the heat did me in! I do plan on doing more though. It was an amazing experience and the training really gets you in to great shape.
My training plan
I had found a pretty good plan online (there are many out there) but ended up adjusting it quite a bit to fit my schedule and strengths and weaknesses.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1 w/e 5/29 | | | | | Rest | Rest | Run 35 |
| 2 w/e 6/5 | Run 35 | X Bike | Run 35 | Swim45 Run 30 | Strength Bike 40 | OWS Run 35 | Bike 40 Run 20 |
| 3 w/e 6/12 | Strength Bike 40 | Swim 45 | Strength Bike 50 | Bike 25 Run 35 | Strength X | OWS Run 40 | Bike 30 Run 45 |
| 4 w/e 6/19 | Strength X Spinning | Swim 30 | Bike 40 Run 15 | Strength Run 35 OWS | Strength X | OWS | Bike 90 |
| 5 w/e 6/26 | Swim Spinning | Swim | Strength Bike 40 | Bike 20 Run 40 | Strength X | OWS | Run 45 |
| 6 w/e 7/3 | Run 40 | Rest | Rest | Run 40 | Strength Bike Run | Run 30 | Swim 30 Bike 40 Run 15 |
| 7 w/e 7/10 | Rest | Strength Bike 30 X | Swim45 | Bike 25 Run 25 | Strength X | OWS | Bike 50 Swim 10 |
| 8 w/e 7/17 | Strength Run 30 | Swim 45 | Bike 30 Run 35 | Strength X | Rest | OWS | Triathlon |
Notes:
X means cross training. Most of the time this was the Nautillis Stairclimber (like you see on The Biggest Loser) and the elliptical. If I swam first, that meant that I did the second part of my workout later in the day.
The red days were days that I was traveling for work. I had planned to run on the Vegas strip each morning but got a little freaked out after I heard that someone was stabbed two weeks prior doing the same thing. I only ran on the strip the first day and then used the cardio room at my hotel the second day.
The rest days (other than the first 2) were not originally in the training plan but were appreciated.
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