The Rosy Wanderer

Eek! Tomorrow is the big day. I am going to try to complete my first triathlon. It is the Huntersville Triathlon, which is a sprint distance. Ever since I started riding my bike more to train for Pelotonia 2025, I have learned more about triathlon and am really interested in the sport. I think it is neat to train for an event that is, by nature, cross training. One of the things I have enjoyed watching on YouTube is people training for a 70.3 half ironman. I had never heard of them until this past year, and I am very intrigued and amazed that people can complete that type of event!

Unfortunately, running hasn’t been going too well for me. First, I think I burned out from all of the marathon training these past few years. On top of that, I adopted a new puppy, Teddy, in May. He is a year old and (even though he’s a Shih Tzu) has a ton of energy. I’ve taken him to run club, and he will do 4.5 miles, yet he is 15 pounds. Then he goes home and is still a terror to Kirby! Because I try to bring him with me as often as possible, I haven’t done any tempo running since May. I have 3 busy weeks of races coming up, and none of them will be for time like I originally planned.

I’ve still been out there doing things, but not as much as I wish. I finished a 50 mile bike ride, and even though I didn’t train past 25, I felt great the whole time. I’ve also only swam 2 times to prep for this race, which makes me nervous.

What to Expect?

The reason I chose this race is because the swim portion is in a pool. I can swim in a pool and finish it, even though I may not be fast. I’m not really sure what to expect there. It says it’s 400 yards, but I’m not sure if I am not looking at it right. I swear they said the pool is 50 meters, yet it will be 16 laps. I swam 700 yards two days ago, so hopefully, I’m okay. I really felt like a kid again when I did it, and I had a lot of fun.

The bike portion is 20K, which is about 12.5 miles. I know I can complete this, but I will be riding on open roads which I am terrified about. To get to this from the swim, I will be in the same clothes and will have to dry off my feet and get my sneakers on! Then I will ride my bike when I’m wet. It sounds so crazy. I also plan to take a Maurten then.

When I finish the ride, I will put my bike and helmet back, then I will go out for a 5K run. Again, I know I can finish it, but I haven’t done many bric runs, and I have no idea how I’ll be feeling after a swim and a bike ride. I will take another Maurten gel before and bring my water bottle.

General Mood

I’m super nervous about the transitions and just getting out there and doing it. I am also excited to try a new (and very intimidating) challenge. That’s the reason I signed up. I need to try to do things that scare me and push me outside of my comfort zone. I re-did my 2025 goals this past week, and I added completing this as one of them. I very easily could have chickened out otherwise.

Life is about doing hard things and seeing what you can do. If you asked 22-year-old Kristin if I could do a marathon, I would have bet you $100 that I couldn’t do it. I would have said I wasn’t athletic; I wasn’t strong enough. There would have been a million reasons why I wasn’t a person like that. Yet, eighteen years later, I have completed 11 marathons and even more half marathons. I’ve even completed the Dopey Challenge twice, and that makes me so excited!

This race is also my first race as a “masters” athlete since I am not forty years old. It is also my first time racing with my new last name, since I got married in March. When I went to find my name on the participant list, I almost didn’t see me! I haven’t done any races since January at Disney, so it has been a very long time. So many firsts, and I am excited to see what this triathlon thing is all about!