Tri Buffalo - Olympic - TriathlonOlympic

not bad considering i've been neglecting my swimming in a huge way since the local pool closed. outdoor pools open in two weeks and the lakes are warm, so i have no excuse. anyway, not bad considering. thought i had a bloody nose at one point after a nice kick to the face. i love co-ed waves.

swim. not get gastroenteritis a week before this race.

first time getting out of my new wetsuit in a race. went just fine. i was not too worried about my overall time for this race given how sick i was last week. i just wanted to finish. so, i took it easy in transitions and chatted with folks, took my time, etc.

it was a wonderful course. not too hilly, not too flat. my only complaint was the headwind. when it was to the side, or better yet, a tail wind, it was fine...but the headwind was brutal. i have sunburn AND windburn. there was one stretch with about a 5 percent grade downhill and everyone was still having to really pedal to move. otherwise, it was fun. made the most of the good downhills. weeee.

drink less. i always seem to drink too much on the bike.

again, didn't rush.

not sure about my rank, but i bet its 13 or 14. my big concern on the run was havig gastrintestinal distress. i normally don't, but on thursday i still had stomach cramps and the diarrhea, so this was a REAL concern. i also drank too much on the bike, so the combo made for some very mild stomach issues. i wanted them to remain mild, which meant that my pace really slowed down. i walked through the water stops and occationally walked on and off on the hills. also had the left ball of foot heating up issue again, which i will ask about at the running shop. want to avoid hot feet on the half-marathon in two weeks and on the 1/2 IM next month. overall, not my best run. haven't a 10+ minute mile pace in a race for a while...but i'd rather have that than, well, i won't go into details.

found bill and fi. hung out with the FABULOUS BT FOLKS! then we had to take off to pick up ella who had been spending the weekend with my parents.


GASTROENTERITIS.


i would do this race again, for sure. i have to say, it was liberating. i went into it just wanting to finish, and in a way, it brought back the feelings i had at my first tri. i really was happy JUST to finish. having placed at a few races, i can feel myself get more and more competitive about times. it was nice to let go of that for a day. since this season has been a bit rocky so far, i'm glad to have been able to make that mental shift. it will be important for me to focus on my body and my own race when i do my first 1/2 IM. this race became a training race in a totally different way than i had planned - mental training - and i think that is a very very good thing.

PICTURES COMING SOON