Anthem Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

So, still suck at swimming. It was slightly less crowded than in past years, as I was WAY in the back at this point, but still with some crappy swimmers. Frog swimming girl was trying to kick my face for a lane, and I had to try to get around many people. It's just about survival for me, really.

Took off my bike crap, grabbed my goggles, and ran to the pool. Once in there you had to walk to the end to start.

This is where the race all goes to shit. I have a super fast run (for me these days), super fast T1, RUN to the mount line with my bike, click in, and on the first pedal stroke I feel the thump, thump of the tube stem hitting the pavement on my tire. OMG! I freaken have a flat. I have already passed the timing mat, so my bike time has started. I come back into T1 and just start using any pumps I can find. 4 pumps later I determine that the stem is screwed, and I need to change the tube. Now I am done being pissed, because the 4 min I have lost so far have already taken me out of any contention to place in my AG, so it's just about finishing now. I change the tire, which takes a bit as things are just not going my way. 3 pumps later I find one that will actually put air in my tire, and I GO! I am flying to the mount line again, jump on, and literally 100 ft down parking lot I start feeling the smoosh again. How can this be happening??? I get off, and just start walking back. Thinking I am done. Just then I see a dude walking is bike back too. His back tire is shredded. I ask him if I can borrow his front tire. He points out he doesn't know me, and looks a bit leary. I am like "Dude! I am #115, you're #92. I will find you when I'm done! I want my tire back, and I am totally going to give you your tire back! Just give me the tire PLEASE!!!!!" So he does. THANK YOU!!!! As I FINALLY start the bike, I think I am going to be the only one out on the course, but there were two waves after me, and those people were still out there. Now this race had waves set up by your estimated end time. Fastest 100 people in wave 1, next 100 slightly slower people in wave 2, etc.... 4 waves. So I was out there with the mountain bikers and first timers. I felt kind of bad because I was zooming by them. I know that makes me feel like crap when someone drops me, so I knew I was not making them feel good. I even lapped 2 people. Couldn't believe it. Anyway, I felt good on the bike, and when I figured my REAL bike time, I had a great bike. (See post race break down).

Not have totally rediculous tire problems.

Reverse transitions are always super fast! I just love a reverse!

Freaken A! Who knew I could run this fast these days? Not me!! I didn't look at my watch time at all on the run. Just kept running as fast as I could and noticing that my HR was above 170. Since AT is 178, I really couldn't push it any more than that! I really tried to take advantage of any downhill, and tried to squat back and let my gluts do their job on the climbs. VERY happy with this run. One of the new BT guys passed me about mile 1 and I told him I would catch him on the bike, then new BT guy 2 was right with me until close to the end when (I think) I pulled away. I caught BT guy 1 right at the bike mount line.

What really happened:
07:08:00AM start time
00:25:19 run
00:01:00 min T1
07:34:19AM Cross bike time mat coming out of T1
Came back into transition to fix my tire. 100ft after mounting my bike for a second time, tire is low again. I get off, start walking, and then talk a guy into giving me his front tire. When I started biking after that, I hit my HRM, and had 7:54 AM as my start time. With a race start of 7:08, a 25:19 run and quick T1 (reverse transitions are always much faster)! That means it took 19:37 to work on my tire, start again, flat again, and grab that guys wheel.
00:19:37 T1 V2.0
07:54:00AM start riding bike
08:33:13AM End bike ride
00:39:13 total bike time
00:01:53 T2
00:09:37 Swim
01:36:39 CEP total Time


Love a reverse!!!