Thought I'd Give it a "Tri"

I competed in the Danskin Triathlon this past weekend in central Mass near the Connecticut border, and I am happy to report that it was my best one yet! It was also a fun mini-vacation weekend for Ben and me. We got to visit a new, albeit not too exciting, city--Worcester (pronounced "Wister"), which is the second largest city in Massachusetts. And, we got to visit the famous Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, which is where I swam for the triathlon. The name of the lake has a Native American translation of "You fish on your side, I'll fish on my side, and nobody fishes in the middle." It's a nice lake with a beautiful sandy beach, but its main claim to fame is having the longest name of any lake in the country! ;-)

Now, for the tri report...

Most of you know that I participated in several triathlons while living in Austin, but that was because I was practically guaranteed warm (usually hot!) weather, and the water for the swim would never dip below 75-80 degrees. So, when I started researching triathlons in the New England area, I was shocked to find that wet suits are required for most competitions because the water can easily be below 70 degrees! Needless to say, I was a bit reluctant about committing to that kind of a race, but I went ahead and signed up anyway, trained for a few months, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best! The great news is that it actually happened! The weather was perfect--88 degrees and cloudy, the water was about 75 and smooth, and the bike ride was as hilly as ever. The swim was very enjoyable, and I finished in a record time (for me) of ~15 minutes! I loved the hills on the ride--we actually rode through Connecticut for half of the ride, and Massachusetts for the other half, and the run, although there was a large uphill, wasn't bad at all. I can't take all the credit for a good race, though--Ben was there as my loyal supporter every step of the way. He had his cow bell ringing at every turn, and was invaluable as a pacing coach. It if wasn't for his time updates on the run, I wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace and finish strong. Thanks, Ben!!

This race definitely gave me the "itch" to do more, and I am considering doing another one in September if my school schedule allows. Only 3 1/2 weeks until I start law school! Woohoo!!!

On a side note, we also watched the Simpson's movie this weekend (Ben is a loyal fan), and I must admit that it was one of the most hilarious movies I have seen in a while. I highly recommend it.