So last year I had two extremely different experiences at two sprint triathlons.
look at the happy!!
The Jersey Girl Triathlon was everything I could have hoped for in my first tri: fun, low-key, perfect weather, an overall A+ experience.
look at the very real tears!
The One More Tri, on the other hand, threw everything it had at me and nearly broke me. I was almost last out of the water after they mis-measured the swim (nearly doubling it), I was last to finish on the bike thanks to my lead legs, busted bike gears and high winds, and the run was a footrace with a woman I affectionately dubbed “Bike Basket” because she beat me in the bike at the last minute on a beach cruiser with a basket.
But, because I’m not one to turn down a challenge (and part of me NEEDS to conquer that Asbury Park course, dammit), I’ve signed up for not just one, but BOTH of these races again this summer! I’m taking my training slow for the Jersey Girl – haven’t even done an official brick workout yet, with like 2 weeks til race day! – and actually chose to do the Short Sprint in Asbury because it falls smack dab in the middle of peak training time for my fall goal race, so I guess you could call these… Triathlon Lite?
Call it whatever I want, all I know is I don’t have a spare $600 to upgrade my janky mountain bike and I’m doing these just to have some fun, not break records. Also, the One More Tri has the added bonus of benefiting the Special Olympics, so I’m honored to be raising money for them again. If you’re so inclined, feel free to donate here – every little bit helps, even $5 would be much appreciated!
So there’s my big summer plans in a nutshell – doing two races I said I’d never do again as long as I lived because I don’t know how to say no and have a silly competitive streak with myself! Have you ever done a “never again” race again? Which one? How did it go? I bet you didn’t regret it!
Jess Runs Happy 
Red Bank’s now dead George Sheehan Classic. It nearly killed the sport of running for me in 2012, then in my so-called race for redemption three years later, it got me again, and worse. I have a PW on that course, and have no chance to really redeem myself. Oh well. At least I can say I did the last Red Bank run.
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Oooh gurl I feel your pain! That’s how I feel about the Woodbridge Pizza run – I won’t do it again! it’s amazing how much running is a mental sport as much as it is physical, isn’t it?
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Oof. I ran my slowest and most Debbie-downerish half ever at Rutgers Unite Half a few years back. It was my fourth time running it, but it just wasn’t my day and it’s a hilly course. I’ll probably go back one day, because it’s my home turf (and where I work, lol)… But not any time soon. I love your spirit. Go out and get ’em, girl. You can’t lose by getting in some great races, no matter how hard.
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