On Saturday, the 27th, DH and I drove to Atlanta which is about a 4 hour drive from our house in Alabama. We immediately went to the race venue to get my race packet and get my bright pink transition bracelet. The expo was small but nice, bought an Iron Girl visor. Drove up to the transition area where we had to check in our bikes.
Sunday, race day! DH and I woke up around 4 am and and got our stuff together to check out of the hotel. I drank some coffee, ate some peanut butter and banana and a granola bar. I don’t like to eat real heavy before a race as I don’t want to be needing to use the bathroom during the race. We left the hotel around 5:15 and got there around 5:45. It was about a ½ mile walk from where they were directing parking to where the transition area is for me to get my stuff set up. As soon as I got there, got body marked, and set my stuff up for transition. We then had to walk about 600 yards to the swim start. It’s a point to point swim.
Swim – 1/3 of a mile in Lake Lanier: 14:14
I was in the first age group wave after the pros started. The water was very warm and calm which made for a perfect swim. As soon as I started, I immediately start running into folks. At the first buoy turn, folks in front of me started doing breast stroke! I start climbing my way over them but after the first turn, I quickly found my groove and the swim was very comfortable.
T1: 3:52
The run to T1 was up a steep steep hill and had to run around the back of the bike racks to get to my bike (which was near the bike exit). Peeled off cap and goggles as I was walking up the hill. Got to my bike. Socks, shoes, race belt, helmet, I’m off!
Bike: 18 miles – 1:07
Bike was very hilly. The uphills didn’t hurt me as much as the downhills did. The downhills were extremely steep and I would get freaked out and end up riding my brakes the whole time. Coming back around to the transition area, I tried to do that trick where I slip my feet out of the bike shoes before I stop and dismount with just my socks on. Well, up the hill to transition, I forgot to down shift and had to stop in the middle of the hill to get my other foot out ( I had managed to get my right foot already out).
T2: 1:56
Fairly uneventful. Helmet off, running shoes on, grabbed visor – the new one I had bought the previous day. Put visor on as I’m heading out to run.
Run: 3 miles: 27:45
Run was a fairly flat out and back. One hill, 3 aid stations. I was very grateful for the iced sponges they were handing out during the run.
Total time: 1:55:39
All in all, this race was extremely fun. Perfect weather. Very well organized. I would highly recommend this race if any of you are in the Atlanta area this time of year.
Lessons learned: I need to work on my bike speed. I need to learn that I’m not going to crash going downhills and just need to let gravity take me down
T1 needs work. I’d like to learn how to mount my bike with my shoes already clipped in.
The swim. I’m still extremely slow in the swim. I need to work on my sprints and get a faster arm turnover.
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