Hillsborough's Fittest: Swim, Bike, Run, Repeat

Linda Rapacki was one mile from the end of the 10-mile bike course at the Jersey Girl Triathlon when her tire went flat.

Determined to finish the race—and get started on the run—she rode the flat for three quarters of a mile before picking up her 18-pound-bike and running the last quarter mile of the course.

Still, the township resident managed to beat her 2010 bike time by one minute, and her total race time by four minutes during the Aug. 7 race.

“You get a few under your belt,” she said. “What I found that happens is you think you can do better. I still shaved four minutes off my time but I wish I could do better.”

Despite a swim shortened because of choppy water and the flat tire, Rapacki said the race went well. She’s in her fourth year racing in triathlons, having entered the sport in 2007 after an information session at Bridgewater’s Jewish Community Center.

“I don’t do triathlons to be the best,” she said. “It’s a personal goal. I want to do better than I did before each time.”

Out of the swim, bike and run events, the cycling is her strong point, she said. In addition to growing up as a cyclist, she often rides rather than using a car.

“At heart, I’m a cyclist,” Rapacki said. “I’ve become a triathlete but I am a cyclist. I’ve put in over 700 miles this year.

“I do it (triathlons) because I like it,” she added. “What I’ve found is I’ve become a better cyclist.”

Though she admits the running portion of the event is a weak spot—a three-mile run follows the 10-mile bike course—it’s something she sees as a place to improve.

“Let’s just say I got the expected result,” Rapacki said, smiling. “I was hoping to finish in under 40 minutes and I finished in 39. But I’m making an effort to be a better runner.”

Rapacki initially joined the sport after attending an introductory meeting at the Jewish Community Center, in Bridgewater, with a friend. Originally, she and her friend intended to complete the race as a relay, where each member of their team would complete a single event. But listening to the speaker and seeing a slideshow on the sport convinced the friends otherwise.

“We both said, ‘we’re doing the whole thing,’” Rapacki said. “We’re not just doing it as a relay.”

One year of very diligent training followed the introduction, as did her first race. More race followed, with Rapacki sticking to sprint-distance, women’s-only races.

“I think I will always do well in these races,” she said. “I could be fitter, but I can always do better. When I but in the time, I enjoy these.”

The camaraderie among racers, both at the event, during practices and on Facebook pages devoted to the sport, is among the reasons she’s still racing.

“I saw athletes of all ages and all fitness levels doing this and taking joy in their fitness levels,” Rapacki said.

The key to any race is training, particularly making workouts a priority in one’s schedule, Rapacki said.

“If you schedule your workouts on your Outlook, on your calendar, on your phone, you are going to have more success at your training than if you say, ‘it is a nice day, I think I will go for a run,” Rapacki said.