Pumpkinman Triathlon

Since 2012, I've been wanting to do a triathlon race. That's when I started swimming on a routine basis, and I was already running regularly and commuting to work via bicycle. I remember thinking to myself, "I've got a training regiment that would be perfect for a triathlon!". The next question was, which race? And when? We ended up moving to Maine, and things were so busy with the move, house hunting, new job, etc..., that the dream didn't come true until September 12th of this year. I registered for The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival back in the spring. I chose this one because it had great reviews, and was actually voted one of the best triathlons in the country. The venue is in southern Maine, at Spring Hill (South Berwick, ME), which is one of the oldest ski areas in the country. It was fun to drive down for a little family getaway.

I'm fortunate that we live where we do so that my training really didn't require much time away from family. I usually cycle to work, even in the winter (when roads are clear). That's 12 miles a day right there. I would also throw in a swim and a run on my way to work as well. On Saturday's, I did a few big, race-distance workouts here on the island. I love swimming in the lakes and ponds here. So much better than the YMCA pool. My only regret is I didn't train with the road bike that I used in the race. In fact, I didn't even ride the bike before the race! I was grateful for it, because my bikes are slowly falling apart due to the daily commute. But what most thought would be my strongest category, was actually my weakest, by a large margin. I'll be honest, I thought I was going to own the cycling leg. Overall, I didn't think it was bad. I was number 167/476 total. 

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