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 Swim
Comments: This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to be in the first wave. It was nice to start right away, but it also meant me getting passed more as the day wore on. The gun went off, and I was slow to get in the water. I was worried about running into the water with the state of my knee. So, I walked in and dove in as soon as I felt it was deep enough. Man, was I swimming like I was in molasses! I quickly found someone to draft off of, and stayed on his heels for almost the entire first straightaway. I know I could have probably been swimming faster than that pace, but for some reason I didn't feel like pushing myself. Again, I think it goes back to knowing that I really didn't have a chance to be competitive today and that I haven't trained a lot since IMCDA. The swim felt like it took forever. When I got close to the shore, I stood up and realized I got up too quick, as I was in water up to my hips. I continued to run out. I think it was longer than 1500 m, but thats just IMO. Plus, without a wetsuit, I was obviously slower. What would you do differently?: Push myself and dive back into the water if I stand up too quick.  Transition 1
Comments: I run onto the shore and am trying not to think about my knee. Luckily, I see Steph (a female on my multisport team) who was racked very close to me. She had just reached her bike. I told her nice swim and to go kick it on the bike. She was out of there, and maybe 20 seconds behind her, I booked it. It was different having only bike stuff at the T1 area, and having to pack up your bag before leaving. What would you do differently?: Just be quicker. I was taking my time.  Bike
Comments: I headed out on the bike and started to ramp up right away. The first few miles were flat or downhill, so it was a great way to get started. For some reason, though, I just couldn't get into a rhythm and by about half-way into the bike, my knee was nagging at me. I usually hammer the whole time, but I felt myself backing away a lot and taking it pretty easy on the hills. I basically did what I had to do to get it done today. Transition 2
Comments: For about 5 seconds, I contemplated stopping. I knew my knee was going to bother me,and I wasn't sure if I should start the run. But, as everyone knows this about me, my competitive side wouldn't let me quit. So, I lost time in T2 while deciding what to do, and I used extra time to clip my race belt in the stationary position instead of doing it on the move. No biggie.  Run
Comments: I started the run, and pain set in within the first 5 minutes. It wasn't terrible pain, however, so I managed it and continued to run. Tim caught up to me right around mile 1 (I had a 15-minute head start), and I knew it was him coming because of the sound of his stride. He can never sneak up on me, because I know that sound all too well. We chatted for a few seconds, and he looked damn good and strong. I was happy he seemed to be having a good race. I think that may be his distance. From that time on, I kept waiting for Brad to hunt me down. I was sure he was going to pass me. Turns out, he finished less than 1 minute behind me (I also had that 15-minute head start over him). I may have been disappointed with my effort on the other two disciplines, but given my knee pain and not having run but 6 miles (painful miles) since the IM, I was happy with my effort. I did not walk at all and overcame the pain to finish as best as I could. Post race
Warm down: Crossed the finish line and immediately got a massage and then adjusted by a chiropractor on-site. Headed back to the finish line to see my family and cheer other people in. What limited your ability to perform faster: My effing ITB. Event comments: This race was a completely different experience for me. I am used to going to races to compete, and today I was there just to finish. I let people pass me, and it didn't bother me today. I can't say that I enjoyed racing like that, but I didn't despise it, either. I raced, I completed all three disciplines, and I had fun. The course was not that memorable to me, because I have come to find that I like courses with out-n-backs or loops so that you can see your friends. It was a challenging course, though, and I hope to do it next year and actually race it to see if I can take home an AG place. As always, having family and friends there is great. And doing races with Brad and Kristin are always an excellent time! Last updated: 2007-08-08 12:00 AM
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United States
Wilkes-Barre Triathlon
90F / 32C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 110/227
Age Group = F 25-29
Age Group Rank = 6/9
Saturday afternoon, Tim (konichiwa) and I met up with Brad (weds19) and Kristin (kristin) to get our packets, set up our bikes in T1, swim about 500 meters, ride the bike and run courses, and then go to the pre-race meeting. Even riding the course, I kept telling myself that I was only going to do the swim and bike and then DNF. Riding the run course, I was even more sure that I shouldn't run, because of the hills and the surface.
We stopped on the way home for some ice cream at Hillside Dairy Farm, and I had a few licks off of Tim's cone....since we were eating dinner in less than an hour, I didn't feel the need to eat an entire cone, but I couldn't resist stealing a bit from his cone. We all met up again at Katana but ate dinner separately with our respective families/groups.
Got to bed at a decent hour and slept like a rock. Tim and I woke up around 5 am, and got ready. Had to shave the legs (wanted to make sure I was as aero as possible) and the had a PB bagel. Brad and K picked us up around 6:15 am, and we were off to T2 to drop off our running kicks and gear before being bussed to T1 and swim start. My nerves were really pumping...I think mostly because I was worrying about DNFing myself.
Standing in line at the port-o-potty and talking to friends and family.