Progress in Pink

I did the Pink Power sprint triathlon on August 9. This was a new, all-women event, and there were nearly 400 participants – half of them first-timers. The swim was 400 meters in an outdoor pool, the bike was 11+ miles of rolling hills, and the run was 3.1 miles around a small lake, thru the woods, and up more hills. I suppose the race director didn’t want anyone to say the race wasn’t challenging, but, for my part, I would have been just as satisfied with a flatter course. I’d done the run several times before the race, so I knew what the terrain was like, but I hadn’t expected my legs to feel like they were stuck in cement when I got to that segment, so the last mile was tough.

Overall, the race was fun. I rarely do as well as I hope beforehand that I might, but my particular goal for this race had been to finish ahead of at least one of the three competitors in my age group, and I placed second. I also was encouraged when I compared my split times with my performance last October at the Napier Richmond Sprint. I think that course is much easier, despite the one, long uphill climb on the bike segment. At the Pink Power, I had a slightly faster swim, a much faster T1, and a comparable bike and run. So I guess I’m still in the game.