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 Swim
Comments: The surf wasn't bad at all, maybe 2 feet. The current was very strong and from watching other waves you needed to start way to the right, which I did. I lost a lot of time getting over the surf break. This is always a problem for me but I did it. I have hardly swam at all over the past few months, so I knew this wasn't going to be a pretty swim and boy was I right! I had trouble sighting at first. I got on track and came real close to the first bouy. By that time I was starting to find my stroke but I was so far behind by then, I knew I would be the last out of the water. I was bummed but I was determined to keep a good attitude. Got out of the water and went the long way up the beach. There really is nothing much worse than running in deep soft sand... What would you do differently?: Train, swim, lose weight!  Transition 1
Comments: The T1 time includes a long run through sand and across a boardwalk. I was last out of the water but I was not last out of T1!! I was able to overtake the other very plus Athena as she was taking her time in transition What would you do differently?: Thought this was really well. The only thing that was bad was my run through the sand and over the boardwalk.  Bike
Comments: This is the part that I was really stressing over. I have had some serious anxiety about getting accustomed to my bike on the road. This would be the longest outdoor ride that I have done. I have had little to no practice at drinking on my bike and I was stressing about that also. I was suprised at how well I did!! I did pretty well at drinking after I dropped my first bottle, ran over it, and almost crashed!! LOL After that, I did pretty well!! On the way back in I was doing 16 to 17 mph, which is fast for me and I was happy with that. Overall, I felt really good about the bike. I slowed and asked someone if they needed help. It turned out it was the Athena that should have won the race, the one I met at Disney. She ended up DNF due to bike problems. On the straights I could see the other Athena ahead of me but I was afraid to push it too hard with so little training under my belt these days. What would you do differently?: Train, lose weight, ride out on the road more. Transition 2
Comments: My left foot was totally nimb coming off the bike and I almost twisted my ankle. other than that transition went really smooth!  Run
Comments: This was awful! I started with a spasm in my lower back just out of transition and it only got worse. I turned into a long, slow, death march in the scortching heat...on asphalt. There was every reason to quit. I just kept stopping and stretching out my back. My heart rate was up a little but my legs felt good, like I could jog a little but there was no way my back would let me. I got slower and slower and it just got hotter! The other Athena was only about 2 minutes ahead of me at the turnaround and I know I could have caught her if I had not been having that horrible spasm in my back!! Since I was last, this race volunteer decided that he would follow me on his mountain bike...the entire run. He was the teenage son of a couple that worked with the timing. He was mentally challenged. He stayed on my heels the entire time, talking constantly! Oh my!! Everytime I stopped to stretch or slow down, or did anything he would say "Are you okay? Do you need an ambulance? I have a walkie talkie, so I can call someone!" He was excited to use the walkie talkie and wanted me to want some help. He was nice, but it was HOT and i was hurting...I just wanted him to go away!! With about 1/2 mile to go, my friend Jim walked out to walk me in. Thank Goodness!! I thought I was going to start screaming at the kid!! When I finished, I sat down right after the clock so I could stretch my back out. The RD came up and talked to me for a minute. What a super nice guy!! I told him what a nice race he puts on and the he started slowly pouring cold water down my head and back! That's a good RD!! It turns out I came in second and the RD had hung my hardware on my bike! How cool is that to come back to transition, yours is the only bike left and almost all of the racks are gone, and there is your beautiful bike with hardware on it!! Post race
Warm down: Talked with my friends and family and wentback to the hotel to get cleaned up. What limited your ability to perform faster: I have just lost my mojo for the past several months not to mention the weight that I have gained. What limited me...not staying with my training plan that my coach has set out for me. not following the eating plan that I have set out!! Event comments: I love this race!! I would go to any of the races that DRC Sports puts on!! I did this race twice last year and this is the slowest I have done it. Given the pain in my back I was just glad to finish. My swim and run were much slower than last year but my bike was faster. I feel really good about the bike because I took it slow and easy and I was still 2 mph faster than last year. I got home feeling really good and strong and then I saw my race pictures...It was followed by several days of feeling rather blue. Now, a week after the race I have a little perspective and am feeling good about what I did! Profile Album Last updated: 2006-07-16 12:00 AM
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United States
DRCSports
97F / 36C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 132/132
Age Group = Athena
Age Group Rank = 2/2
ATHENA WARNING!!
RACE GOALS: Finish, don't die, have a confident bike, don't crash, and use this to get my training back on track!
We got to the host hotel at about 8:30 pm on Saturday. Picked up my packet and talked with a couple of the people that work for DRC Sports. I have to say that the people that work this race are always so nice, helpful, and supportive. Got the kids setteled in and Ralph and I got to sleep around 10pm. I only woke up twice during the night which is really good for me.
Up with the alarm at 5:00, ate a PowerBar, showered, drank water, got the kids ready, and went downstairs. The kids ate some breakfast and I had a bagel. Loaded up and drove the 20 min to the race site. Got there and everything went went smooth. Went to rack my bike and the rack started to fall over, turns out it was put together wrong. In the end there were only 2 people on the one rack!! Went to the porta potty and listened to the pre race meeting. After the meeting I walked down to the beach. I talked with a woman that I met at the FL HIM 2 years ago (I had been there to spectate and she was racing. Before the race she had an issue with a zipper and she asked me to help. Turns out she was from Jacksonville and she told me I should just get out there and give it a try. I did and did my first race about 2 months later after her encouragement!). I also went up and talked to the one other very plus Athena in the race. I got in the water just enough to pee and then waited on the beach for my wave. I would like to say that I wasn't nervous but I was. My training has been so hit or miss over the past several months and lately I have this thing with my back whenever I try to run...It was still exciting and fun to be there and to be doing a tri again after 11 months without a race.
Just walking around on the beach my HR was was in the 120-130's!! I think I was a little nervous/excited!! I thought that was enough of a warm-up.