Mock Tri = official TRIATHLETE

         Today was the mock Tri. What is a mock Tri? It's a practice of the triathlon

race on the same course without timing and full TIFL mentor support. At this

time I would like to shoutout to group 2 and it's awesome mentors Amy and Melva.

     I never sleep well the night before a race. Last night was no difference, 

tossed and turned all night. Kept thinking about the race. My hands go to sleep

continuous through the night :-( I woke up once and it was 3:45am. I knew I

still had more time to sleep. Back to sleep. By the time my alarm went off at 6

I was still tired. I am so not a morning person but I make it work. The car and

bike are already loaded. All I needed was to fill my filtration bottles. I

decided to put ice in my camelbak, smart thinking my young patoine(shoutout to

my fellow Star Wars fans who got that). I'm in my Tri suit getting ready and I'm

already seating. WTF?? I decide at the last minute to grab a t-shirt to wear

over my Tri suit. Once I get to AE Finley I literally hits me like a ton of

bricks it's cold as ice outside. My body temp was up so I didn't really feel it.

Fellow TIFL athletes are there and setting up their bike and transition area. I

can hear "Let's get it stated in here" in my head. (I love the black eyed peas,

even paid some serious $$ to see them at PNC)

               I'm told I'm with group 2. We are at the back of the outdoor pool. I realize

this Y has it going it. What do you expect it? This is north Raleigh, home of

$$$$. I pass some of my Fit-Tastic peeps Claudia & Penny. I finally find the

number 2. I pull in next Melva. Little did I know she would be my rock that

would get me through the day.

               I start unloading my bike and someone tells me to go check in. I grab my $10 and

head to the registration table. I run into my buddy Julie. She has that "what

did u get me into Jo" look on here face. I get that look a lot because I am a

pretty good motivator to talk folks into doing stuff. As I am in line to register and check-in. I see one of my running and NCRC buddies Rebecca. She has come out to root us on. She is a triathlete herself. I'm listing my ICE. I always putdown my mom. I mention that they may not be able to find her since she's in Florida on vacation. TIFL mentor Amy tells me to list someone

who is local in the event I get hit by a car. OUCH! I understand the need.  I put down tall drink. Who is tall drink? Tall drink is a very good friend of mine. Tall drink is my nickname for him because he's a tall drink of water. My nickmane is BIG BABY.  He is the only one who can call me that. We've known each other for almost 14 years. He's like the big brother i've never had. Whodini song is in my head "Friends, how many of us have them" I head back to finish getting my transition area ready. I'm told that my towel is too big. On race day i will have less space. I fold my towel to a much smaller size. This is what happens when you miss the transition clinic. I was in rock n roll 3.5 hour recovery nap. Umm hmm that was some good sleep. A few of us head over to potty before we get ready for the race. I hear someone yell out "you know it's a race because there's a line to use the bathroom" The difference is we have real bathrooms and not porty potties. I'm so glad i went because my nerves have kicked and that's all i'm going to say about that before it really gets to be TMI.

               We head over for the swim. We start the swim in group order. Our group is 2nd.

250 yards of swimming any way you can. That's what I'm talking about. Up and down. Up and down until the ladder. Some of my fellow TIFL athletes pass the

ladder. Overachievers :-)

               We wait on the rest of our group. For some people the swim is the hardest. For

me the hard part is the next sport, the bike. After the swim, we head back to transition and 

get ready for the bike. Then we walk our bikes up to the bike start. Cross over the speed 

bump and we are off for the 9 mile bike ride.

               We head out of the Y and onto Baileywick, slight downhill. I'm thinking we will have to come back up this hill to reach the finish. We are down by Baileywick park and turn into 

the neighborhoods. This part I know. Turn and turn. Hill and hill. I remember pretty much

 walking my bike up most of the bigger hills. We get to a turn of a super busy intersection.

 I believe it was Mt Vernon. this is 2 lane road and cars are booking on this road. Cycling on a busy road with cars is a scary experience. There's a slight uphill and i ride too far on the right and hit the grass and i take that as sign that I’m supposed to walk my bike. Melva and I walk our bikes up. Melva tells me "2 fingers to walk the bike" this is actually a good tip. We make it up the hill. 1 down a billion to go. We ride some more and then we turn left back into the neighborhood. Ride and ride we go. We hit another hill and I’m so tired and spent 

i think of Cartman from South Park "screw you guys I’m going home" is running through my head. Emotions hit me hard as I'm struggling and i get off my bike and i break down. My rock AKA TIFL mentor Melva comes over and talks to me and ask me "if we need Jesus" I tell her yes. Then I think about the story of the kid who was kidnapped and was singing so much that the kidnappers brought him back. I tell Melva yep I so can see that happening with my 2 youngest nephews. Braylon Jamal Outlaw would be asking for some food and a smartphone to play with. We start singing the song that little boy was singing "Every praise is to our god" we only hum the chorus. it gets me back into the riding groove. I continue to push through. We make it to Carrington AKA the devil. TIFL mentor amy mentions that downhill is where i rock. I go out 2nd. Down Carrington "fly like the wind". Downhill i love. it's the uphill where i have issues. 

I attempt to bike up but i'm so tired that i just say FU and walk up Carrington. My group is waiting for me at the top. Amy tells we have a few more turns and then we will be headed back to the finish. I love that word. Few more turns and we are riding across the bridge over 540. I know it's literally 2 more turns. We get to the stop sign. I see TIFL mentor Alicia at the entrance to the park.

                We cross Baileywick. We regroup and then head back to the Y. I struggle up Baileywick. There's another hill. Hills how i hate you, let me count the ways. I walk the bike 

and then I hit an intersection and i can feel that i'm starting to break down again just like mile 8 at myrtle. I drink some water and get my breathing under control. Melva says "come on you have to ride in for the finish" I get back on the back, cross Baileywick and head towards the finish. The course monitors tell us to dismount before we hit the speed bump. Dismount and walk the bikes back to the transition area. I drop the bike. Stop RunKeeper and commence to take a selfie. Melva and Amy are yelling at me "you don't have time for selfies"I'm thinking to myself there's always time for selfies. They rattle on about being timed during transition. All I hear is the teacher on charlie brown talking to me ROFLMAO. I'm 2/3 done with the TRI. We head out for the last 1/3 the 2 mile run. At this point it is more like a leisurely stroll. As we head near the front side of the Y I see tall drink. I'm so glad to see a familiar face. He yells out

 "you got this" slow and steady through loop 1. at the water stop I see "the boy" AKA Trish's son. I talk to him about RNR. He tells me he finished in 3:00 then corrects himself and tells me it was 2:58 :-)

               We finish loop 1 and who is waiting at the entrance of the Y, tall drink. He rocks.

 We are headed back in for loop 2. a TIFL mentor walks up to me and tells me "you and i were lined up together at City of Oaks" I respond "yeah back in 2012" She tells me "you got this" Loop 2 here we go. I'm doing ok except that I’m tired and my lower back which is my problem child is aching like no tomorrow. We are making our last turn and we see TIFL mentor Brittany. She gets a call I’m assuming from the finish line and they are asking about us. She lets them know we are headed to the finish. We turn on Baileywick and then we are at the entrance to the Y and headed to the finish line. Everyone is there waiting for me to cross. I absolutely love they are cheering and yelling. It feels so good to cross the finish line. I cross the finish line. Trish walks over to me and tells me "You are a Triathlete" Yes I am now a triathlete. I see some of my Group 2. High fives are going all around. 

               I notice the merchandise table is being broken down. Man I was ready to go shopping. Guess I should have done that before the race but i was holding out. Then it's group picture time. I love a group picture. 

               Then I realize I still have to walk all the way back to my car and oh joy load it up. Who cares? I have finished my first mock tri and I am now a triathlete.

               A few things I need to work on: nutrition (barbecue lodge night before a TRI is not the way to go), strengthen lower back muscles, as much hill training i can get in in the next 3 weeks.

T minus 3 weeks until the real kahuna, Ramblin Rose May 18.

               I would be remised if I didn't give a special shout out to my BFF and her crew for coming out to the picnic to support me.