Age Group Nationals

80s weather…in Tuscaloosa…in late August…practically calls for a scarf and mittens for the locals. This was the venue of last weekend’s nationals, where I qualified to be a pro triathlete!

The swim was nothing short of brutal. Sighting into the sun while searching for a yellow buoy in a river of bright glare while weaving through a thick blanket of others up a strong current was perhaps to my advantage, believe it or not. Not that I enjoyed the swim (it was the longest & most taxing yet), but it was probably even worse for those who don’t have a swimming background.

On to the bike…there were some (literal) ups and downs, but encouraging since it was my fastest 40K split. Yay for improvement. :o)

And, the run: Although the 80s is quite a gift (all things considered), it still got prrrretty toasty - especially when you throw 3 monster hills in the mix.

I think the hardest thing about amateur racing is that you often don’t reeeally know where you are place-wise since age groups are sent off at different times. Nemo has really good advice for us all: Keep on swimming…
During the race, sometimes I say a little chant of “Keep on swimming, swimming, swimming…swim-swim-swim”…even after the swim leg is finished. For me, that advice seems to also apply to life, in general! :o)

It’s so exciting to qualify as a pro! I’m very thankful.
Go Riptide!