Yippee!! I Did It!!

**************The triathlon outcome for me was worth all my training, equipment organization and even my prerace nerves. The hardest part for me wasn't the event itself but getting through the week prior to it. Now all that's behind me and I'm happy and proud.
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Fortunately, the forecasted thunderstorms were a no show. It rained a bit while I was running but that was exactly what I needed at that time. The temperature and humidity weren't as high as expected either. Thank God!





**************Lots of participants arrived at NorthPointe before me but I managed to get a parking space in the first row. At first, the parking lot looked full and I figured I'd have to turn around and go to a different parking area. But, lo and behold, someone created an extra row right in the front and I zipped right in. Why not!
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My husband and son were out of town with the Avalanche so I have Jared's red truck.

***********I grabbed the closest fellow and asked him to take my picture with my bike. It's a hell of a job but someone had to do it!

*************That's my bike hanging by its seat from that pipe. Not your typical bike rack, right? Whatever! It works. I was lucky to get this spot near the end of this section of pipe. I found my bike easily when I came from the pool.

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My gear is at my feet, ready and waiting. Oh, and I'm wearing my trisuit under my shirt and shorts. I slipped out of my clothes and put them in my backpack just before we gathered by the pool.

I felt like a convict when my race number was written on my left arm and left leg!!

*************Fortunately, I knew the bike and run routes so I didn't have to study them like these fellows did.

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Please scroll down for more photos. Sorry for the big gaps. If I try to eliminate them, I often end up deleting a photo. That makes me mad and we don't want that now, do we!

*********This path leads from where we racked our bikes to the pool.

Voila, the pool. By the time the race started, besides the swimmers in the pool, there were wall-to-wall people all the way around.

We started swimming at the far side of the pool and swam the length and back moving from lane to lane toward where I stood to take this prerace photo.

Just before we took our turn entering the pool, we were given our timing chip attached to a velcro strap which we wrapped around our ankle.

We lined up in a predetermined order (fastest swimmers first based on our own time estimates) and entered the pool in 15 seconds intervals. There were more swimmers in each lane at one time than I had anticipated. I'm pleased to report that I had the unexpected pleasure of passing a guy in lane 3! That boosted my ego.

*************After swimming, we ran through this grassy area to get to our bikes.

We rode over those black pads with our bikes when we completed the 17-mile ride. The pads picked up a signal from our timing chips and recorded the moment we crossed them.

**************Since hubby was absent, I don't have any photos of the actual race. Darn!

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The following photos are of the awards ceremony in the main lobby of NorthPointe. All of the awards and medals are on that table.

***********These two fine specimens are the male and female overall first place finishers as they were presented with their awards.

**************I made friends with Eileen while we stood in line waiting to begin swimming. Her husband took this picture when we met up again after the award ceremony. Eileen placed third in her age category.

I can't imagine how many volunteers were involved in this event. They all wore green t-shirts and they were EVERYWHERE.

**************Volunteers helped with registration, stood at intersections on the bike route directing bikers, offered glasses of water to runners, told us which way to go on the running trails and lots, lots more. Police officers held up traffic for us as we rode through the main intersections. That was terrific!

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Many of the volunteers cheered us on during the event as well. That is SO appreciated. Every word of encouragement is like a shot of added energy. Without the volunteers, there would be no triathlon.

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They deserve more than this thank you sign. That's for sure!

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Thank you to all of you who have put up with all my posts about the triathlon. I promise to move on to something else as soon as my feet touch the ground!! I feel SO good!

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P.S. I completed the triathlon in 1 hour and 59 minutes.