We headed down South to Yangsan (slightly North of Busan) for the Yangsan Triathlon; and Kristin’s first ever olympic distance triathlon. We had a group of 10 people, 7 participants (4 first timers), from Tim’s school, including all of the Aquatics Department! It was a weekend full of laughter and hard work!
There was a completely different feel this time since Tim was not the only one racing. Things were a little more relaxed in some areas, but with Tim running point on planning the trip, along with racing himself, his tensions were a little higher. He planned our hotel stay, food, and made sure everyone had what they needed for the race. He was an amazing supporter and encourager, and I thank him for that.
I was extremely anxious about the race; I had a hard time sleeping, and in the moments before the race I felt as if I was going to burst out in tears and get sick all at the same time. I hadn’t completed a triathlon since the 2 sprint races I did pre-kids, while living in that U.S. I had only been training for the olympic distance for about a month. I had yet to run 10km in one workout, let alone run that far after swimming or biking...I very much dislike running. I was in for a challenge, and I was simply in it to finish and prove to myself that I was capable! It also opened up the window to the idea, for my boys, that anyone can do it! I decided to do this specific race 1) because many friends were doing it (aka peer pressure), and 2) there was a video posted online of the race course, so I could see just how flat it would be! (I am a planner and if I don’t know what is coming, especially during a bike race, I tend to get panicky while surrounded by many other people, which just screams crash!)
I guess I did have a third reason for doing the Yangsan race. A friend volunteered to watch my boys! I had the chance to do a 3+ hour workout. If it weren’t for our friend Nathan I wouldn’t have been able to race. His wife was also racing so he volunteered to watch our boys so I could participate. He was a huge blessing, and our boys attached to him as if he were family. He helped keep an eye on them while we got checked in at the site the day before the race; race day he played with them in the dirt, helped divvy up snacks, and kept them off of the race course all while getting them to cheer everyone on. So for that and much unsaid, thank you Nathan!
The race course, as I mentioned, was rather flat. The swim was 2 laps in a clean steadily flowing river. The bike was a “simple” 6 laps with a few small hills (about 3 up hills each lap). The run was 3 laps, flat (- 1 small hill) in a park full of fields; yet you look up and see mountains all around - one of my favorite things about Korea.
Tim’s group started first. He was out in front before you knew it. Each subsequent group started about 3 minutes behind the next. The women were one of the last groups to go...I panicked a little as soon as I got in the water, but took a few seconds, treaded water, and calmed myself before continuing on. I was okay from there on, until about halfway through my first lap, I was plowed down by one of the guys in the first group off. I had to slow and look up to catch a breath, and what did I see but my husband! “Of course, he would knock me when I’m already slightly panicky” (after speaking to him after the race, he had NO clue what he had done). So, not much thanks to Tim, my swim was much slower that I would have liked at around 35 minutes. I hadn’t gotten a chance to swim in open water before the race, so it took a bit to get used to.
T1(transition 1) was extremely slow, I took my time trying to absorb every moment. The bike was by far my favorite part. I felt totally alone, yet a part of something at the same time. I was able to really take in what was going on and cheer for my friends as I saw them pass on the other side of the loop. There was an extreme head-wind going 1 direction, but I would just buckle down and push through it focusing on trying to figure out how many laps I had done ;). T2 was similar to T1; slow. By this time, Tim had already finished his race (yes, he is fast) and made his way back to transition area to cheer me on. I stopped gave him and the boys high fives and kisses before heading out for the dreaded run. Oh, the run… well, at that point, for me, it was more of a walk. It was painful and slow, but I was happy and excited with the thought of finishing the race!
In the end my time was around 3:36 (that’s 3 hours). Surprisingly there were only 3 girls in my age group, which means I got a podium finish!Overall it was fun to participate and was a nice boost in my confidence. Will I do another race again? Possibly. I would prefer the shorter distance ones though!
Since I was racing I did not get to see any of Tim's race. He did well though, and got 2nd overall! I am proud of him.
~ Kristin