Growing Pains

August was without a doubt my favorite month of summer. I spent most of the end of June through August training for the YWCA women's sprint triathlon with my friend Sheireen, which couldn't have been better timing for me.

Yep. We're matching...we were in a Buddy Wave together, so of course we had to do it! People kept thinking we were sisters! Which is pretty funny since we really don't look alike. 

This race was more than just a reason to physically push myself. This race helped me to understand that I really can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I had a lot of personal stuff to deal with in the weeks leading up to the race, and it was during this time that I learned more about myself than I thought I would.

Being an extermely independent person can be difficult. I'm the one people go to for help, but I have a hard time asking for help myself. Sheireen, this race, other friends, and my family helped me to see that I have such a strong safety net of people surrounding me, and I'm ashamed to say that it took me so long to realize it. Better late than never I guess, right? Anyway, enough of the sappy stuff.

Sheireen and I set our goal time for our first sprint triathlon. We decided that 2:00:00 was manageable for a 500m swim, a 15.5 mile bike, and 5k run. On top of that, we decided that we would put in our best effort to stay moving the whole time and try our best not to walk or stop at any point in the race unless one of us was injured.

Shout out to my good friend Jen for dragging her two adorable toddlers and her mother out to support us! Oh, and Jen gets photo cred for the picture below, too! She's Wonder Woman in disguise, I tell you.

Crossing the finish line was so exciting, emotional, and thrilling. Indescribable, really. I would love to do this race again. It was so empowering! Off the record, I would highly recommend the YWCA Women's Sprint Triathlon, especially if it's your first race!

Check out this link for more information on the 2014 YWCA Women's Triathlon!