I Love the Tavern Tri - Triathlon

Swimming is still a problem for me. I should have been faster going downstream. I didn't panic though. I had one issue when someone swam over me...seriously, in a race like this and as far back as I am, do you really need to swim over me? I don't think so. And another issue when I was too close to the bank and the paddle boarder had to stop me from running into a tree. But both times I just got back to swimming.

I met my goal, though - swim without panicking, stopping, flipping over, grabbing a kayak, etc.

1. Not wear dark goggles on an overcast day - I had a hard time sighting. Not that I was really sighting anyway - because I breathe right and I swam hugging the right bank - but it was hard to see the orange line buoys and obviously I didn't see the tree branch.
2. Swim a little further in river to avoid the tree and catch more of the current - don't be so afraid about crossing the current to go back in.

I still feel very awkward coming out of the water, so I walked up to the transition area and to my bike. Put on socks - wouldn't normally, but my running shoes were muddy from hiking in a few days ago in Colorado and I didn't want to be sloshing about in slimy shoes on the run. Most of the other bikes were gone when I got in - about 5 people left in the water behind me... :( My bike was getting lonely and she was happy when I finally got there.

Not be so discombobulated when I come out of the water.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! I kicked the friggin' hills butt. The other 2 times I did this race, I had to get off my bike and walk up when I got to the last big hill before the turnaround. This time, I gutted it out - and I was even on Freyja - no granny gear! OK, it sound like I was having a baby by the time I got to the top of the hill - pant, pant, pant, pant, pant...but I passed at least 10 people on the hill that were walking up - including the chic that nearly fell off her bike into the middle of the road because she had no power (and I would have run her over if she had - I wasn't going to stop!). Actually, I passed people all through the ride - on the flats, the hills, and the downhills. Completely happy to be mid-pack on the bike. And good aero once I got out of the park and onto the flat road.

Drink - oops, forgot to drink.

Otherwise, just keep doing what I'm doing. I want to improve, but I'm really proud of how well I did.

Murphy's Law of Transition - your bike will be right next to the woman who came in at the exact same time as you. A bit of good-hearted jostling as we tried to get ready in the same 2 feet of real estate. But to be honest, it was so nice to actually be in transition with so many other people (rather than so far behind anyone else that I'm in transition by myself).

Not much - it didn't seem like it took this long, but it wasn't like I ordered a pizza or anything.

My only real goal on the run was to not walk - which I did just fine. Maybe I should have set a higher bar for myself, although I'm perfectly happy with what I did. Splits (11:08, 10:25, 10:35 - or something like that - I actually started my watch before I got to the timing mat between T2 and the run). Got passed by a couple people on the run, but passed more people than passed me. And, since had an out-and-back part, it was nice to see that I wasn't last (after my miserable day at Colonial Beach).

Run faster. I know - it's coming along - I just need to keep running and be patient.

Got water and food (nasty ill-planned food, I will say); ate that and talked to some friends; realized that Jen was finishing so I went to see her and then I left...tournament weekend for soccer = no rest for the soccer mom.


Swimming? It would seem that this box should just fill itself out for me by now. I don't think I've ever had a race where "swimming" wasn't the limiter.


Plenty of volunteers this time - and most seemed to be very good. The post-race food was nasty, though - I remember it being much better in years past. Soggy paper plates with coleslaw and pulled pork (not on buns) seems like stupid post-race food. Plus there were multiple bones in my pork which really turned me off. That, and I'd much rather have diet Coke than coconut water.