Perspective & TRI-Mania Boston

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the TRI-Mania Expo in Boston with my Rev3 teammates, old (ling time Rev3/Trakkers team veteran and "big bro" Jamie, and second year vets Jordan and Ryan) and new (Laura)! Last year was pretty cool and I had a blast working the Rev3 booth and talking with everyone and meeting new friends IRL (in real life) that I had been socializing with in social media for quite some time...so as a second year Team Rev3 "veteran" myself, I knew this year would be even more fun! Plus, Rev3 Race Director extraordinaire, Eric Opdyke, would be joining us.

The team was registered for the "Team Challenge" which were a series of events through out the day; a run in the morning, a relay swim at lunch time and a time trail CompuTrainer bike session in the afternoon. When I first found out about the team challenge, I was stoked! I could not wait to compete in the time trial and was really looking forward to that event.

Laura, Ryan, Jordan and me

As the Expo approached however, I started to get really nervous and anxious about the whole Team Challenge thing. I am just not "fast" right now and that is not what my training is about at the moment. I also found out that due to a family commitment, I would have to leave the expo early afternoon, thus unable to compete in the bike time trial (my strength). So I would be running and swimming with the team...ugh.

I don't care so much about my own personal times right now, as witnessed by my 5k run time at Kerrymen Pub 5k last weekend--my focus is on my training and not these fun little races right now. But when my times are a reflection on the TEAM...especially when your teammates are super-freaking-fast even NOW, in March.

Jordan, surrounded by awesome

Let's see, there's Jordan who runs like a 12 minute half marathon (ok, so really 1:22 but might as well be 12 minutes to me) and we've got Laura, who is not only awesome in all ways NOT triathlon but has raced her way to Kona, 70.3 Worlds and BQ'd like it was easy, after a broken pelvis. Ryan is no slouch either...that boy can ride a bike and run pretty dang fast. Plus, the boys take this stuff pretty seriously.

What about Jamie? Ahh, the J-man. JBalls. Jamie had an unfortunate accident this winter skiing and he is currently running around with a broken back. Lucky for us, Jamie was well enough to join us for the day at the Expo, but there would be no racing for Jamie this weekend. It is a blessing he is up and walking. PERIOD>

Rev3Love

Thinking about my fast teammates and how I did not want to drag down the team average really bothered me. Stressed me out. Made me feel SOO anxious. I was actually dreading the whole thing. At least if I could participate in the bike time trial, I could save myself a little dignity since I can ride a bike...

I expressed my concerned to Laura and Jamie and as usual, Big Bro Jamie really gave me some perspective:

Hey Jen, you can run. Be happy about that. 

*reality slapped me in the face*

Here I was stressed out about time when my teammate was recovering from a broken back. That really took some of the stress off and put things in perspective.
It's funny, Jamie is quite a few years younger than me, but I always look up to him and have an immense amount of respect for what he has to say. You rock JBalls!!

 Laura said that she wasn't feeling very fast that day either as she had been nursing a cold so we agreed to run together since the day was about TEAM UNITY and not times as far as she was concerned. I really appreciated that she was gonna run with me. We invited to BOYS to run with us but they declined (duh!).

With no warm-up to speak of (does 1 lap count?) Laura and I lined up together to run the nearly-3 mile Team Challenge Run. Since Laura and I would run together, I ditched the music (how rude would THAT be?) and we ran. The weather was strange. It was cold but sunny and if you were protected from the wind, it wasn't that bad...then we rounded this corner and was like *SMACK* with this wall of wind!

We finished holding hands (how romantic??) and averaged a pace of 7:27 for the run. Oh, did I mention I had to stop to tie my shoe? rookie mistake! SO, it was Faster than Kerrymen last weekend but with a lower heart race. It was really cool that Laura ran with me and now I was feeling relaxed.

Here's Jordan running...smart girl, that Rinny drafting off him. Crazy Jordan, running half naked in that cold...but I guess when you run that fast, being out in the elements for just a few minutes isn't so bad.

 &

Ryan Rounding the corner on the last lap around campus

After the run, we got to chat with Rinny. She asked about our missing teammate, Jordan and she was quite disappointed that he took off after the run (he was probably getting dressed). Rinny is as cute as a button and just as nice as she is cute! She was doing well in the Boston cold for all the warm weather she's been in lately.

Then it was time to swim.

My favorite pic of the day!

I found out that the swim was going to be done relay style, each of our four team members swimming 200 yards each. Easy enough. BUT...it was a dive start! eeek. Laura and I kind of laughed and had a mini-freakout since neither one of us does a diving start. So I moved my goggles under my swim cap and thought about the form I'd seen the swim team use. I did two dive starts and did a quick swim warm up. SUCCESS. awesome. NO ISSUES.

doing my best impersonation of a seal upon exit
of the MIT pool during the warm up

When it came time for me to go

arms straight & snug to ears, head tucked...

the goggles flipped right over. I tried to adjust them while swimming but no such luck. They were back on me but filled with water. That's not gonna work so at the wall, I adjusted them. Good enough...finish swimming.

All in all it was a great day and I got to hang out with people I really enjoy being around. Plus, I got to know my cool-awesome new teammate, Laura, a bit better. Now that she has relocated to the Northeast from Hawaii, we are definitely going to get some time in training together! Plus, she rides the same bike as I do--A beautiful Quintana Roo cd0.1--so how can she NOT be awesome?? Looks we will be driving to Rev3 Knoxville together and you know THAT is going to be one heck of a drive~

As I was leaving the expo, someone called my name.

It was Dutch!! And he was with DDAthlete, another friend from cyberspace!

IT was really cool to finally meet THESE TWO rockstars IRL and we will be meeting up again at Rev3 Quassy. Looks like DD has some revenge on those hills too!