Lubbock, Texas United States 88F / 31C Sunny

Total Time = 5h 34m 14s Overall Rank = 219/810 Age Group = F25-29 Age Group Rank = 9/32

Okay, no whining about this thing being long; I mean, how long have you guys known me and when have I ever had little to say? This was my first half ironman and I want to remember the experience...well, most of it anyways. If you're going for the clifnotes version, just look to the right hand column. So here goes, to the best of my memory...

Chapter 1: Pilgrimmage to the Lake
I had stayed in Abilene Friday evening so I woke up way too early on Saturday morning to my mom already buzzing around the house. I wasn't ready for this day to be here yet, I was so nervous. My mom insisted on making eggs and toast, but I'm glad I ate that...so much better than simply a granola bar or something. I tried to remember how long it took to get from Abilene to Lubbock. I was thinking that I was always trying to make it in 2.5 hours but that it required speeding to do that. Once I started driving, I realized that it only took a max of 2.5 hours and that I was always shooting to make it between 2-2:15 hours. So I left Abilene around 8:30. The drive that I had seen so many times and could practically put my car on autopilot and take a nap, was actually really enjoyable...I had remembered it being so boring and it just seemed like each town kept getting further and further away. I was trying to give myself a pep talk along the way and it was going well for awhile, but then I would see a car every once in awhile go by with a bike in it or a USAT sticker on it and I would start to freak out again. So, since I left way too early, I ended up getting to the lake way early. Big Mistake!! I've never seen so many ripped bodies prancing around. My confidence level immediately shot to the floor. I can't do this! I don't belong here! Not to mention that the wind was blowing like crazy..I've become such a wind-weenie since moving to East Texas. East Texans don't even know the meaning of wind. I was sitting on the curb, waiting for 12:00 to roll around to meet the rest of the BT gang. As I'm sitting there I realize that sitting in the sun isn't such a wise move so I find some shade to sit in. As noon approaches I start to wonder around to find the BT gang. I find Jen, Tom, Brett, and Joe, and shortly after, Lane, Jessi, and Christie show up. That helped to calm me down because it was great to be part of a group...I'm usually all alone on these things.

Chapter 2: Course Evaluation
Well, the boys just couldn't wait for us chicas to get there to look at the course and drove it the day before so they went on back to their hotels while us BT girls did a swim and drove the course. For our little swim I just swam in my swimsuit, which by the way I need a new one desperately...starting to have the saggy bottom issues where it has finally worn out. The water was around 77 degrees which was cool when you first got in, but felt sooo good once you started swimming. I knew swimming in a wetsuit would be faster, but I almost wish that it wasn't wetsuit legal because the water just felt so good. Jen and I did a couple of out and backs from the beach to the rope, etc. She's so fast. She could swim out and wait like a half hour for me to get there. We only swam like 200-300 yds and then changed into dry clothes to drive the course. Thanks to Christie for driving all of us around the course! I had seen all of these hills from my college days in Lubbock where we would have training rides and road races out there, but I did not know the exact layout of the course. Driving the course brought back horrible memories of suffering up those hills. I remember giving it everything I had to not walk up the stupid things as the guys would ride to the top and then ride back down to check on me, then repeat. As we were driving the course, I kept trying to tell myself that these hills weren't so bad, but at the same time, I wanted to cry. Driving the run course, Jen just kept saying...look at the heat coming off of the road...ugh, la la la (fingers in ears) I can't hear you! We make it back to the lake and head off to our respective hotels to get cleaned up. In my scatter-brainess, I left my bag in Christies car, luckily they brought it to me at the pre-race meeting.

Chapter 3: Pre-race Activities
I got to the hotel a little before 3 and went straight in to pick up my packet. The girls handed me my packet and shirt and I say, "Is that it?" Yep, you're good to go. Remember this...it bites me in the @ss later. I then went to check in, even though it was still before 3, but they went ahead and let me check in, how nice. I drove around to my room to start unloading the massive amounts of crap I had. I go in the room to check it out and oh my gosh that thing was huge! I could have done gynastics in there...not that I wanted to waste my energy on something like that at a time like this. I walk out the door with car keys in hand and grab the first load and head back to the room. Doh! Left the hotel key inside! Smooth move ex-lax...I'm already on a self-destruction mission. So, go back to the lobby to get another freakin' key, then back to the room to try to get things straight this time. Managed to get everything safely inside. I took a shower and watched TV for a few minutes before heading to the pre-race meeting. I quickly found the BT gang and went and sat down. Mike Greer started the prerace meeting and said he had 53 mimutes of speech. What?! I don't want to sit for that. It was funny because all of us BT people kind of looked like zombies...guess none of us had been sleeping so well the previous few days. Mike Greer was really nice and they really know how to put on a great race, but I realized that the pre-race meeting was pontless to me. Didn't hear anything that I didn't already know. It was funny because Mike was mentioning some of the highlights of Lubbock and he mentioned Texas Tech. It was real quiet for a few seconds and then a guy near me hollered...I wanted to also, maybe get a little Raider Power action going on, but refrained. Oh, and of course we had a review of some West Texas slang. My personal favorite and one you will hear numerously in my report is Sombitch! At the conclusion of the meeting we got our game plan together of where to eat...Johnny Carino's. Jen and Joe are telling everyone how to get there, "It's on Slide, north of the loop." Wait a second...I distinctly remember it being south of the loop, but they had been here more recently than I had and perhaps I was just turned around...with my track record for the day, it was highly likely. I head north on Slide and immediately realize that my thinking had been correct; so turn around and make it to the restaurant first. After a few phone calls, everyone is able t find there way to Carinos. It really wasn't a big deal in the first place since we had to wait a little over a half hour for our table. Brett asks if I want anything from the bar and I say I'll take some water. Lane immediately looks at me and says that I better drink something because I need to calm down. So, I order a beer and then Brett was like, why not a margarita...so got my order switched to a margarita. I'll admit, the drink was definitely a good idea. Dinner was a blast...we had 15 people once you included family and friends. Everyone is so nice. Oh, and I have to say this, Tom's wife is gorgeous! After pigging out on bread and pasta, we left to go back to our hotels. I got all of my stuff laid out for the next day and painted my toenails. I was in bed a little before 9, which just felt absolutely ridiculous since the sun was still out. I really did need those night goggles Joe was talking about.

Chapter 4: It's Time to Go!
I actually slept more than I thought I would. I thought I would lay there awake the entire time, but I did sleep some. I still woke up every hour, but when I woke I realized that I had been sleeping so that was exciting. I got up at 3 am, which was way dark...okay the whole going to bed in the light and getting up in the dark is just not cool. I took a shower, put on the uniform and loaded up. I went to check out and some old dude working the counter said that he couldn't print out a receipt for awhile because he was doing an audit. What the heck?! I don't have time to wait on this, screw the receipt...so I was trusting that they wouldn't over charge me (they didn't). I left for the race sight a little after 4 in the morning and I ate my powerbar on the way out. I arrived at the race sight around 4:25 and got a front row parking spot. I quickly gathered my things out of my car and made the trek down the steep hill to transition.

Chapter 5: Getting Ready
I walked up to transition where they were doing body-marking. Holy cow, they marked both arms, both legs, did my age on the back of my calf and then told me to stick out my hands where they proceeded to put my number on each hand. Geez, wanna tattoo my butt too in case I rip off my shorts in the intense heat in an attempt to cool off and then pass out on the ground? Not to mention that we also had to wear these stupid bracelts throughout the race too. Anyways, I go into transition to find my spot. Walking back, back, keep going back, keep going...gonna hit water soon...oh, here we are, the second to the last row. However, it was right next to bike in/out so that was cool with me. I set my stuff in transition, kind of set it up a little then see Jen and talk to her for a little bit, go back to my spot, set it up a little bit more, then back to Jen (I was way fidgety, just couldn't concentrate on one task at a time). Then I remembered timing chips. They never mentioned where to pick them up, so I ask Jen, "Where are we supposed to get out chips?" What she says, you were supposed to pick it up yesterday at packet pickup. Agh! See, I told you those girls were clueless at packet pickep! Sombitch!! (that's one). I'm starting to hyperventilate and Jen was just like, chill out...I'm sure they brought them here. Sure enough, about that time the announcer mentioned where you could pick up packets and chips. Whew! Why do I always have such issues with my chips (remember Freescale Marathon back in Feb.) After getting my chip I go back to transition and Jen and I start to hunt for others. We find Lane and chat with him for a little bit, it's still dark outside. Finally I make two bathroom stops and finally finish setting up my spot and begin the battle with the wetsuit. I grabbed my bodyglide and as I open it I realize I'm almost out. Dang it! Where's Kristen when I need her?! Not that she would share with me anyways, lol. So, I'm digging the very last of it out with my fingernails and managed to get just enough on. My wetsuit seemed easy to get on this time for some reason, woohoo! I walk down to the water and stick the toes in. My wave would start 25 minutes after the start so I was in no hurry to warm up in the water. Some random guy came up to me and asked me to zip him up, ummm okay, lol. I do a little swimming around just to make sure the wetsuit felt right and then I found Jen and waited for our wave to go off.