By Sinead Horgan
It’s been 6 months. 6 whole months since my last race, and man I forgot how much I missed it. Well, anyone who knows me may not think that I love the races, I sure do complain a lot before they start! But the 2015 Coveskipper was the best race to remind me of why I joined UCSD Tri team!
Coveskipper is so far the best of all the events of the upcoming season for these reasons:
- It starts at the lovely hour of 10:30 a.m.
I actually think I got to sleep in for this one, instead of the ungodly 4 a.m. start.
- No Biking!
I guess I’m not much of a triathlete if this excites me but I think I speak for everyone when I say that eliminating the bike leg makes race transition a breeze.
- It takes place on a beach! A lovely beach with seaweed in the water (hair, nails, bathing suits), happy beachgoers, and lots of sun to warm you up.
- UCSD Tri team hosts it.
I absolutely love volunteering for our own races. While it’s not quite the ordeal and excitement of Tritonman, this race brings the old and new members of the team together for a morning of confusion, racing, and burgers (lots and lots of burgers thanks to our two amazing chefs Haley and Sage).
- The prizes are Emerald nuts
Pretty self-explanatory (HAVE YOU TRIED THE JALAPEÑO CASHEWS?!?!?!!)
Emerald nuts should really hire me as a taste tester. Seriously, hire me.
This year I convinced my own mother to race it, and, in doing so, made myself sign up the morning of. Looking back on this race, I can tell I have a lot of brushing up to do on my prerace strategy. I was so busy having a good time talking to all of my friends, stealing copious amount of grapes from Megan, and expertly drawing C’s on everyone’s beautiful calves that I completely forgot to warm up.
So the swim became my warm-up… and a blur. There was lots of seaweed, feet, and sand but somehow I completed the two laps of the swim and managed to enjoy the warm ocean water. Having no idea where I was in the race, I entered the transition to quickly throw down my cap and goggles and then I was out of there! (see reason #2 why this is the best race of the season). Another lapse in judgment came when I decided not to wear shoes… No one should ever run a 5k barefoot on the sand. Just don’t do it. Remember this for next year. My calves are still aching.
I finally got comfortable and came into my stride on the second lap of the run and managed to make up some ground. It was here, running into the finishing shoot with my teammates cheering me and the rest of the UCSD team on (and momma Horgan), that I remembered why I do this. Why we all wake up early every day to go to practice, hosts fun races, and devote countless hours to the team; to become accomplished athletes who challenge themselves and in doing so strengthen as a team.
Thanks to everyone who came to support the UCSD Tri Team at Coveskipper this year and for setting the bar high. It’s going to be a great year!
