Nice race, Sunny.  Love the Pulp Fiction music

Nice run speed after some fast biking 

I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up at the race.  If I'd realized you were with WWMS I would have found you: your club had a noticeable presence at the race!

The lack of Athena/Clydesdale was partly inadvertant.  It wasn't on the PDF registration form and we couldn't remember if it was on the Active website (we didn't think it was) and we just didn't get results for it and couldn't remember if we were supposed to for the online registration people.  Did you register as an athena?  Since registration is closed on Active we can't go look.

I think it was okay, though, because this race has a strong ethic of "To Finish Is To Win" and every finisher gets a medal and the age group categories go up to the eighties.  That sort of handles the issue of inclusion.  Personally, as a woman who has gone from 244 to 164, I find the Athena category to be endlessly frustrating.  It always gets won by strapping college girls or very fit women (like you!) who can pull out 9 minute miles over a 7 mile run.  When "overweight" means "overfat" I think it helps people to be brave, but when "overweight" means "lots of LBM" I don't think it serves any purpose. 

I do think you've got a good point about the confusion on the run where you don't take the jog to the right.  By that time in the race you're suffering from oxygen-depletion-stupidity and we've got to make it REALLY CLEAR to people that they don't do the same thing they've just done four times.  The reason you don't turn is that it makes the run an extra half mile longer.  It's a long run at 7.1 miles as it is!

The other place I think we need to make it clearer is the turn just before the finish line.  I stood there yelling and waving ("turn right, straight to the clock, c'mon, finish strong, you can catch her!" and did that for about twenty minutes - until I was hoarse.  I think it's confusing to the runners to be coming down that hill towards the grandstand and not be able to spot the finish line. 

Anyway, good race!  I'm glad you liked the covered bridge music and the writing on the road, if not the 18% grade wall.  (Curious: did you read my race preview in the discussion thread associated with this race?  I tried to warn you!) 

It's cool...I had fun, and wasn't counting on a division award anyway.  Your comments about the high LBM vs. high BMI are well-taken, and I agree completely.  It'd be nice to make some distinction that's not just based on the scale.  But in the end, I must remember that "to finish is to win".   Finishing a course that long and having missed the 5 mile marker on the run (so I was feeling quite confused about where I was on the course) always feels good!!  I'm just glad that I had the pre-race notes from Gwendal and the support of my team out there yesterday.  Everyone did so well!!

Thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement.  

I am happily nervous but excited for Timberman! 

See some of you there, others later on in the season, I hope, -Sunny

Great job Sunny!  You did the right thing in taking it easy -- no sense in risking an injury with Timberman just around the corner.  You're going to ROCK!