Race Recap: Lake Logan Olympic Triathlon

Yesterday I did my first Olympic triathlon- the Lake Logan International Triathlon in Canton, NC (my town!). The race was on a gorgeous course, the people were great and I learned a lot. It was a blast and I definitely want to return next year!

Lake Logan is breathtaking. The 1500 meter swim, 40 km bike ride and 10 km run centered around this scenery.

Caitlin crashed at our house for the night so we could get an early start. We arrived at race site around 5:30 a.m. to pick up our bibs, get our timing chips, go through body marking and set up our gear. Phew.

I freaked out about setup on my first triathlon. There were so many things to pack and I had no idea of the most efficient way to set everything up. The good news is that it gets easier. This was my third triathlon and setup seemed effortless.

A highlight of this race was definitely meeting Carolina John. We’ve talked for years and it seems we’ve worked on a lot of the same goals. He’s a blogger I feel I know so well and yesterday I finally got to meet John and his sweet wife Kelley.

Before we knew it it was time for the swim. Last minute I decided to wear my new wetsuit after I saw most others decked out in theirs.

The first tri and first open water swim (Ironman Florida 70.3) I had a complete panic attack in the water. My second tri (Great Floridian Ultra Triathlon) I cried before the swim but didn’t have too much trouble getting started. Basically I am scared to death of open water swims, but both times I quickly relaxed, found my groove and really enjoyed the swim leg.

This time I never settled in to that groove. My breathing was choppy and I couldn’t relax. Maybe it was my new wetsuit. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t well conditioned for the swim. Either way, I made it out alive.

Transitioning to the bike leg was easy enough and I was excited to race on dry land! My bike is overdue for maintenance so the ride was rough and my chain fell off at one point going uphill. The course was filled with gradual hills and two steep climbs. I ate a GU and stocked up on water.

With two legs down and one to go I was ready for the run. As I headed out on the course a volunteer yelled, “It’s okay! You’re still in this!” I wanted to punch her. FYI, don’t use that line if you’re trying to encourage someone unless they’re dead last and want to quit.

The run was 3.1 miles uphill and 3.1 miles downhill. No joke for a Florida girl who hates hills! I took it easy going uphill with lots of walk breaks, but even downhill is a challenge when you’re tired!

I love triathlons because they offer something for everyone. You might be slow at the swim but rock the bike. And there are athletes fighting for first place and others toward the back of the pack. At the end of the day we’re all challenged and overcome the distances to see that finish line and be a triathlete.

Finally, I saw the finish line! Caitlin, Kelley, John and new friend Ashley were all there to cheer me on! It felt so good to be done

My overall time was 3:34:37 (swim 41:36, T1 3:49, bike 1:33:59, T2 1:40, run 1:13:36).

I thought a lot about commitment on the run leg. I was walking more than normal- not so much because I needed the rest but more of just because. I was doing the lazy walk and in my mind kind of let go of that drive to push to the finish. I asked myself, “are you committed to this run in this moment?” and the answer was no. In fact, I hadn’t been committed to training and holding myself to any standard for a while.

You guys know I’ve never cared too much about the clock. I love the experience, the challenge and the people of races. I feel strong and accomplished after conquering another race, regardless of what my rank was.

But I’m a lot less proud when I finish in the back of the pack and I didn’t give it my all. This race showed reminded me how awesome it is to commit to something- whether it’s a training plan or the swim on race day- and see it pay off.

Moving forward that’s what I want. I want to be committed and give it my all. And I will. I’ll rock back of the pack on my next tri as long as I gave it my all. After all, proving to yourself that you can run farther, bike faster and swim in the face of fear is what it’s all about.

FYI I wore the lululemon Reverse Groove Shorts and 50 Rep Bra under my wetsuit and throughout the swim. The shorts didn’t ride up and the bra gave lots of support with a great range of motion. Much better than my tri shorts that always chafe. This will be my go-to outfit for these distances!