Transition Area - Where our stuff goes

This is the Mock Triathalon transition area. In a triathalon, you get a little space to put your bike and all your changing gear. Stuff like, bike helmet, sunglasses, towel, sunblock, water, food, visor, bike pump, etc. There's me and a coach looking at my bike.

Here on the left is a shot of the transition area after everyone has taken off on their bikes. See the waves back there? I'm glad I didn't have to try to swim in that.

We did have a few ocean swims and I got to experience what hyperventilating feels like (first time for that too). The water is so cold and I'm so freaked out that it's had to breathe. Even with my head above water and remembering that my wetsuit is a big flotation device. My mentor Pete and Coach Katy helped me get through it though. After the warm-up swim or rather doggie paddle with my head above water, I didn't feel cold anymore. After swimming 10 strokes and stopping to blow bubbles, I would calm down enough to make it to shore. Another thing about swimming back to shore is to keep looking back so waves don't hit you in the back of the head. I never swam so fast till after I was in that wave zone. I got tossed once and it wasn't a good feeling.

Jog to the finish

This is the end of the jog for the Mock Triathalon. Me and this lady thought that hardly anyone would be at the finish so we walked the last half of it and were talking the whole way. To our surprise, everyone was there and they had a finish banner for us to cross. So we sprinted to the end.

First time on a bike outdoors.. No REALLY!

I remember in the 5th grade, I got on a bike for the first time and my uncle said that I'm making the tire flat. Since then, I've NEVER been on a bike outdoors. I've done some indoor stationary spinning classes, but that's it. So for training, we had a "Mock Triathalon". The coaches and mentors set-up a registration table and transition area for us. We were to go into the ocean and swim, change and bike 18miles and then jog 3miles. Thank goodness for me, the waves were too strong so after we were all about chest high in water, they said to go back.
I just got a new bike and this is the first time I'm riding it, since the test drive at the store. Yes, I'm crazy, my first ride outdoors and I'm on a public road going an 18mile distance. I knew the camera was there but I'm not looking anwhere but straight so that I don't fall. For the first 9 miles, I was slow and steady. Also I didn't know how to use gears so I was muscling it out on the hills. To my surprise, I didn't fall! On the way back, a mentor rode with me and showed me how to use my gears so that the 9miles back felt really fast. Bless her because I don't think I would've made it back w/o walking. My legs weren't sore but my crotch was on fire. Afterwards I got this lotion called "Chamois Butter", and it totally works! If there was stock in it and if everyone would need to ride bikes instead of cars to work, I would buy it.

First time in the Ocean!

Isn't this a cool pic? The team webcaptain took this while we were listening to the coaches. Even though we're in Southern California, water is cold enough to need a wetsuit. This is my first time going into the water and I'm as far away from it as possible (hence you see my short self in the back). It's funny to be short here, but if I was in the Phillipines, I would be pretty tall.

Bad triathalete

Practice was twice a week on Thurs. night and Sat. mornings. starting last November. With the holidays, my pre-planned weekend trips and throw in a little procrastination, after my first practice on Nov. 13th, I didn't get back to practice till mid-January. 2.5 months till the event and I'm freaking out with how unprepared I am. Also the Coach called and said that if they think I'm not ready, (for my safety) they won't let me race. So I cleared all trips and diversions and planned to practice. I might have done either a swim, bike or run 3-5 days a week. When I woke up, I would think swim-bike-jog and when I went to sleep I would think swim-bike-jog.

Mentor Group

When you sign-up, you get a mentor you can ask questions, get advice and they check up on you if you haven't been going to practice (yeah, that's me). The bald guy is our mentor. He's super nice and was cool after I diddn't return his goggles till 2 months later. Not everyone that signs up completes the triathalon. I think 3 of these people didn't continue along the way.

Hands In

At the end of every practice, we go Hands in and yell "Go Team". Think this looks like a lot of people? It's only 1/2 of the group. There's a 6:30 and a 7:30 swim practice.