Walking out to the start point was disgusting - red clay mud ooozing in between my toes. Even at the start point the water was only up to our knees at best. At the gun I dove into the red murky water - really calm start, I was off to the right a bit.

Had a great time on the first of three legs, just swimming and enjoying the cool water. By the time I rounded the first turn bouey I was ready to be done swimming :) - I'd only swam a handful of times all summer so I knew not to expect anything great. But all I could think about was getting out on the bike - I wanted to ride so bad!

The last leg seemed to take forever, arms getting tired and a horrible zig-zagger guy I could not get away from. I was swimming in a relatively straight line but this guy would cross at 45-degree angles left, then right, etc in front of me to no end. I would deliberately swim way far away from him but he would always find his way back to RIGHT in front of me. Annoying, but amusing.

At the swim exit we are plodding through the thick red clay again, no one is running. You literally couldn't run in this stuff. On to the exit carpet I can finally job up to the wetsuit strippers - when my wetsuit came off I was surprised to see my tri shorts were all loosey goosey around my legs - UGH! These are new shorts and I've worn them for riding a few times, but had no idea they'd stretch out this way on the swim. I did size "up" to a medium this time as I'm right on the line size-wize of small and medium - I either need to gain or lose like 8 pounds, grrr!

Feet water bath tubs were a nice touch at the end of the exit.

Get in the pool more, heh

My assigned transition spot was sweet - a row right on the edge and a spot close to the end. Nothing unusual happened here, except for having issues with both my helmet buckle and race belt buckle.

Nothing.

My strategy today was to go all out on the bike, knowing I'd be walking about half the run due to my bum shin. Hammer, hammer, hammerhammerhammer - was my mantra.

Out of the park the roads were ridiculously rough. I don't remember them being like this in 2008 or 2009 - what the heck happened, OKC?? It was bordering dangerous for a few miles, I felt like I was on an obstacle course trying not to go down!

Less than 10 miles in, I felt a wobble-wobble on my back tire. I tried to convince myself it was just the vibration of the road, but I knew I had to stop. My back tire was about halfway deflated, SNAP! I thought maybe if I filled it up with c02 I could go on or at least see if it would hold. So I did that. While I was, MIRACULOUSLY, the bike tech car showed up! My very own Mellow Johnny stepped out and asked what was up. I said I thought I had a slow leak - he asked if I wanted to change the tube out - YES, as he is probably faster than I am. When he realized I was riding 650s, he went to the car to find a 650 tube, rummaged around for what seemed like FOREVER, only to discover he didn't have any. But I had one (my ONLY one) so he went to work with that. He discovered the culprit - a huge pebble that had gashed about halfway through the tire, so he patched that for me as well (called it a "boot", what?). At the time it honestly felt like I was stopped for 10 minutes. But it could have only been 6 or 8. Who knows, I wasn't wearing a watch or Garmin or anything (on purpose). I know I was stopped for at least 2 minutes before Mellow Johnny appeared, another 1 for him to get a pump out, at least 2 for him in his car, another 2-3 for him to change my tube and patch the tire? Guessing 7-8 minutes.

Back on the road I was determined to make up the time and Hammer, Hammer, HammerHammerHammer my little legs out. And I did. I was absolutely LOVING the ride, despite the crazy rough road. Some parts would smooth out and I just smiled so big, it's amazing how I've grown to love riding so much (read my very first & second race reports and the bike was the only part of triathlon that made me almost quit - I've come a LONG way!).

Right before the turnaround, Kuba, the guy I'd met the day before, passed me and I saw his name on his bib. I raced back up to him and said hello, asked how his race was. He said he had vomited already, and I told him about my flat. Funny to run into him on the course!

The back half was more chanting to myself, talking to the cows, singing in my head. Just really enjoying the day and noticing that the wind had picked up a little but would be blowing us a tailwind back into town. Definitely a rare race situation... NICE.

Back at the lake I was a little sad and a lot nervous thinking about getting off the bike. I could have pedaled all day and been perfectly happy. Even with the flat tire and stop, I knew I'd done my best on the bike. My average with the stop was 16.4 mph - if my stop was 7 minutes, that meant my moving time was actually 17.01 mph, which is way beyond amazing for little ol' me.

Nutrition: 3 servings Infinite - I hadn't thought through the fact that not wearing a watch meant not knowing when my 15-minute increments for the Infinite would be. But I improvised and swigged when I felt like it and it worked out more than perfectly.

I had no control over my flat tire or the amazing timing of Mellow Johnny showing up, so I really can't "do" that differently. Really, nothing. I'd ridden my heart out over the summer and it paid off.

Took my shoes off right after the dismount line so I could carry them running, but forgot how close my spot was to this entrance, oh well. I knew this transition would be longer as I was switching out my regular socks for compression socks, and had to pee. Did all of that in less than 5 minutes? Go me??

Nothing

Like I said, I was babying my hurt shin so I knew I'd be walking a lot out of precaution. "Do what you can" was my mantra for the run. Do what you can, Lisa.

I ran most of the first mile feeling amazing - have I said I love to race?! I remembered a buddy suggesting to run in the grass if I could, and that would lessen some impact on my shins, so I was doing that when it made sense (probably 40% of this run). In the first few miles I could "feel" my left shin, but it didn't "hurt" - you know? Then that sensation kind of went away to my delight! But I still wanted to take walk breaks so I wouldn't aggravate it. So that's what I did.

Pretty steady run/walk for the first loop - it was getting hot and I was taking everything I could at each aid station. Water, ice, gatorade, coke, ice sponges. Run, walk, repeat. Do what you can.

Coming into the end of the loop and going back out was amazing, so many clubs with tents set up cheering and encouraging. I was so happy to be out here. The second loop had me walking a bit more than running - my left quad was pretty cranky and my right knee as well. My lips were super chapped, which made me think I was getting dehydrated.

In the last few miles I got a little weepy - "Do what you can" turned into "This is all you can do today" which made me both sad and proud all at the same time. Sad because if I had only not had shin issues I would be rocking this run, and proud because DESPITE my shin issues, I was still out here, doing what I can.

Into the finish chute I waved at my tri club buddies in the tent and listened to the announcer fumble over my name and call me in. I did what I could today, nothing more. Which was exactly the plan.

Besides not injuring my shin 4 weeks out, not much. I felt I took the right amount of precautionary walk breaks and hydrated the best I could on a warm, sunny day.

Into the food tent I think I started to cry, but quickly stopped myself so they wouldn't send me to the medical tent. Picked up some food (veggie burger? YES!) and water and found some shade to sit in. Like I said, racing solo can be a little depressing and it's REALLY depressing at the finish line. Exhausted, sore, hungry, weepy, and no one there. Sigh.

I was so tired. I just didn't feel like hanging out with the tri club so I packed up my crap and rode it back to the car, high-tailed it to the hotel to lay down. Slept for a few hours before I decided I needed dinner - grabbed that and went back to bed. Slept probably 12 hours, wow. Tired girl. Sunday morning grabbed brunch on the way out of town and was really refreshed driving home.


Lack of swim training and shin splints.


Top notch race with outstandingly enthusiastic volunteers. Bike course roads are dangerous at points, more so than I ever remember. That might keep me from coming back, but the rest is superb. From excellent goodie bags, to helpful bike techs, to vegetarian offerings post-race - it doesn't get much better than Redman.