Last weekend I competed in the New York City Triathlon. This race has you dive into the Hudson
River, ride up the hilly Mosholu Parkway to the Bronx and then run a loop around
historic Central Park! This was
not only my first time competing in this race, but my first time to the Big
Apple! Definitely an awesome experience!
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| Allie and I after the race! |
I was lucky enough to meet up with some familiar faces in
the city. My long-time friend and
fellow swimmer, Allie, was kind enough to host me at her apartment and take me
around the city for the weekend. I was extremely excited about this because it’s been 10 YEARS
since we’ve seen each other!! I had a classic New York experience on our Subway
rides- maintenance, a street dance, and a new definition of personal space :) I
also have some family that came to support me at the race and would later show
Allie and I to an AMAZING East Side dinner post-race!
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| Little Blue was such a trooper and a welcomed ball of energy! |
The race itself was really exciting:
First of all, the bars in Phoenix close at 2 so I was
expecting an empty train for Allie and I. Little did I know... in NYC the
bars close at 4 so there were PLENTY of people on the Subway when we were en route to race start at 3:30am! Funny stares and some sentiments for
good luck made for a fun ride :)
Overall the race went really well. I've been improving every time I race this season in one way or another, but I'm still a rookie and there were a few big signs in this race ;)
The Swim:
First sign of “rookie-ness”-
Yes, there is a current in the Hudson, but not all currents
are created equal-- I learned this
the hard way. After reviewing
video of the start I was right out in front with the lead girls, but they
caught the stronger current closer to the middle of the river and were on their
way to some super speedy swims! I
still had a decent swim and felt smooth in the water, but know for next time to
find the fast lane ;)
The Bike:
After coming out of the water further back than I wanted, I
was on a mission for the bike. I
knew this was a challenging course compared to what I’ve been used to racing
this season so I was prepared to feel the hurt! I gave it everything I had, but I'm learning that the bike in a non-draft requires much more self-focus than a draft legal race where there are so many things going on you don't notice your exertion level!
The Run:
Second major sign of “rookie-ness:-
Like I said…I was really excited, the energy at this race
was so high and I was really feeding off of it. I took my first mile out in my best mile time ever (I’ve
never raced a mile on the track, so the time is not that impressive, but
still a little more quick than was advisable!). This momentum really carried me through the first 4 mi…but as you can imagine,
all good things must come to an end, and my runner’s high ended right between
miles 4 and 5. I hung on and fought to the very end, but unfortunately for me, it came down to a sprint finish…Meghan
Newcomer had a fabulous finish, edging me out for 5th by 1
second--congratulations Meghan!
This was by far one of the most exciting non-drafting
triathlons I’ve ever done! The
energy of the volunteers, spectators, and other racers was tremendous! Thank
you for a great event everyone, I definitely will make the trip back to NYC some time in the future!! Also, a big thank you to my sponsors Trisports.com and XTERRA wetsuits and of course my coach, Brian Grasky, for the continued support!!
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| Post-race with my awesome support crew :) Thank you guys! |
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| Big&little excited for some gelato!! |
Some non-race fun :)
After the race I got to experience a little bit of the city itself. Allie and I went to dinner and gelato with my cousins Anna&Blue and their adorable baby- little Blue! If you're an East Sider, or just in the city to visit, I highly recommend Pala--AMAZING pizza and pasta with Gluten Free and Vegan options (they even have Daiya cheese!!!)
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| Waiting in line to see Aten Reign |
We also had the luxury of visiting the Guggenheim! Anna works there and was able to explain the background of the featured exhibit, Aten Reign by James Turrell. The whole museum was really amazing, but I highly recommend stopping in to experience Aten Reign yourself--it's the only work of art I've ever enjoyed laying down, and it is amazing to see what can be done with the right amount of light and space!
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| Sunset over the city
Catch you next time :) @nicoletruxes
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