My first ever triathlon was the first Syracuse Iron Girl in 2009. I had never planned on being a triathlete. But my friend Missy kind of challenged me to join her in doing her first one, and I am not one to back down from a challenge. Because this was the first time the event was coming, there were quite a few newbie triathletes. Many women who had never done an open water swim. Women who didn't even own a bike. Women who had only just started running 5ks (myself included). But we all took on the Iron Girl challenge, and they made us all believe that we could, and that we would in fact, finish the race.
Up until the day of the race I was doubtful that I could do this. I questioned my sanity in taking on such a big challenge. I had only done my first 5k two months earlier. I only got a handful of swimming workouts in. What the hell was I thinking. Missy and I kept encouraging each other that we could do it. JLo had completed a sprint triathlon after having twins, so we could do this. Our goal was to beat her time. That seemed realistic enough. We kept telling ourselves, and each other, that finishing is winning. Neither one of us was an athlete in high school. This was totally outside of our norm. So, just to make it across the finish line on our own feet was going to be a victory.
The day before race day, we racked our bikes, hers a mountain bike, mine a borrowed bike from a former Iron Man friend. And there were all sorts of bikes, ranging from the only Pro to be racing the event, Rachel Sears, who had a bike that probably cost more than my car, to the bike with the basket on the handle bars complete with flowers.
The morning of the race Missy and I got there, and peed, and set up our stuff, and peed again. Everyone was nervous, and when they announced that transition was closing and we were all to go down to the water, it really set in. Missy and I were in the same wave, and we stood together, in terrified anticipation at the start of our first triathlon. When the National Anthem was over, Missy looked at me and said "I wish I was just singing the National Anthem". Missy is not a singer. That is how nervous we were.
Then the race started, and we were off. The swim was not bad at all. I don't know if it was because we were all women, but any time you were accidentally bumped into, they stopped and apologized. Probably one of the most polite swims in any triathlon. Considering I had only had one open water practice swim prior to the race, I did pretty well. Never panicked, and got out of the water feeling pretty good. The bike course was just as nice. As we passed each other, after yelling on your left, we would encourage the person we passed "Looking good, great job, you can do it". I finished up the bike still feeling good, and was off on the run. The run was an out and back course, so the women who were coming in were rooting on those of us just heading out. And again, as you passed someone, you cheered them on, letting them know that we were all in this together. As I approached the finish line, Rachel was there, cheering on every single one of the Iron Girls coming in after her.
Crossing the finish line at my first triathlon felt amazing. It was almost as rewarding as giving birth to my sons. I felt as though I had accomplished something great. And every woman crossing the line was feeling the same thing. While we were waiting for them to open transition back up, the last biker came in. All of the women standing there stood up and cheered for her as if she were the first place biker. That moment was when I decided that I love being a woman. Because of that feeling of female pride, I will never miss Iron Girl. As long as it keeps coming back to Syracuse, I will be there.
Up until the day of the race I was doubtful that I could do this. I questioned my sanity in taking on such a big challenge. I had only done my first 5k two months earlier. I only got a handful of swimming workouts in. What the hell was I thinking. Missy and I kept encouraging each other that we could do it. JLo had completed a sprint triathlon after having twins, so we could do this. Our goal was to beat her time. That seemed realistic enough. We kept telling ourselves, and each other, that finishing is winning. Neither one of us was an athlete in high school. This was totally outside of our norm. So, just to make it across the finish line on our own feet was going to be a victory.
The day before race day, we racked our bikes, hers a mountain bike, mine a borrowed bike from a former Iron Man friend. And there were all sorts of bikes, ranging from the only Pro to be racing the event, Rachel Sears, who had a bike that probably cost more than my car, to the bike with the basket on the handle bars complete with flowers.
The morning of the race Missy and I got there, and peed, and set up our stuff, and peed again. Everyone was nervous, and when they announced that transition was closing and we were all to go down to the water, it really set in. Missy and I were in the same wave, and we stood together, in terrified anticipation at the start of our first triathlon. When the National Anthem was over, Missy looked at me and said "I wish I was just singing the National Anthem". Missy is not a singer. That is how nervous we were.
Then the race started, and we were off. The swim was not bad at all. I don't know if it was because we were all women, but any time you were accidentally bumped into, they stopped and apologized. Probably one of the most polite swims in any triathlon. Considering I had only had one open water practice swim prior to the race, I did pretty well. Never panicked, and got out of the water feeling pretty good. The bike course was just as nice. As we passed each other, after yelling on your left, we would encourage the person we passed "Looking good, great job, you can do it". I finished up the bike still feeling good, and was off on the run. The run was an out and back course, so the women who were coming in were rooting on those of us just heading out. And again, as you passed someone, you cheered them on, letting them know that we were all in this together. As I approached the finish line, Rachel was there, cheering on every single one of the Iron Girls coming in after her.
Crossing the finish line at my first triathlon felt amazing. It was almost as rewarding as giving birth to my sons. I felt as though I had accomplished something great. And every woman crossing the line was feeling the same thing. While we were waiting for them to open transition back up, the last biker came in. All of the women standing there stood up and cheered for her as if she were the first place biker. That moment was when I decided that I love being a woman. Because of that feeling of female pride, I will never miss Iron Girl. As long as it keeps coming back to Syracuse, I will be there.
Even after I become an Iron Man finisher, I will always be an Iron Girl.
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