I had talked with both my tri coach and swim coach about how to stay focused the whole swim. I realized at the mile swim I did this summer after the initial boxing match I loose focus and just swim too easy. I positioned myself at the front so I could potentially draft off the faster girls. This actually worked this year. The water level in the lake is as high as its ever been and I think it was actually 1500 meters this year. Definately the longest cranberry swim in the last 5 years. I knew it was longer as we started 20 minutes after the elitescollege kids and no one was out of the water when we started.

So I tried real hard to keep up with the fast chicks for as long as I could. I ended up 6/56 and 2-3 of those girls were within 5 seconds of me so I guess that was the pack I was with. I was able to keep focused the whole swim which is a triumph and keep up a decent pace. Left arm with numb again. No idea. Passed lots of people from the wave in front of mine. Really not much to report. There was a purple cap about my speed I kept trying to pass and she just would NOT let me by. I drafted off her :)

Swam til my hands touched the ground and MAV was there YAY :)

Nada. This was a good swim for me. The fastest swim split for my AG was 22 minutes....yeah I don't got that. Then after that it was like 25 which I think is more do able. 3-6 in my age group were all within 5 seconds of each other so I guess I am in the fast pack now YAY


THANKS MORAG!

Came out of the water to see MAV and I think RedSoxChick. I WALKED up the wet stone stairs. Its a ways to transition as you have to run around the perimeter of it. Saw Kathys's kids and my mom and dad. Didn't know if they were going to come or not as my mom was not feeling well the day before.

Jogged a little then walked to catch my breath. I got my suit off easily helmet and glasses on grab bike and off I go. Time from when I got to my spot and onto the bike was probably less than 20 seconds its just the schlep from the lake and around the transition area

Run more walk less.

Well off I go. They changed the course but my general attitude is that there are always plenty of people for me to follow. I started off pretty well speeding along holding a good pace for me. There was a minivan that passed me and made a left hand turn onto the course with us. Then in front of the van were 2 girls riding dead STUPID and SLOW.

One was about 3-4 feet off the right hand side of the road and the next girl about 20 feet in front of her was riding in the center of the lane also dead SLOW. The driver of the minivan was afraid to pass beacuse basically he/she would have to be completely in the wrong lane and you could not see oncoming traffic because the road was twisty turny.....and the driver was clearly a whimpy driver so how sad is is to have to BRAKE drafting behind a minivan at 15mph?

Geez o pete this went on for a couple miles and by htis time there is a heard of cyclist going WTF is the driver doing? I could not pass on the right of the van because he/she was swerving all over and could not pass left because it was swerving all over and I could not see around it. I yelled up to the slow girls to get over so the car could pass. Finally the van pulled off the road and a bunch of people fly past me. I lost a good few minutes with that.

At the 1 hour mark I was a t 19.94 MPH despite the minivan incident. Most parts were pretty fast. The pavement was not bad and better than in years past. A little wind, some false flats that were up hill. I lost my bike mojo somewhere in there. My aerobars were not quite as tight as they should have been and kept tilting down. I could pull them back up again but that makes me a bit twitchy. Slowed for several people who had fallen or were having mechanical issues.

STAY FOCUSED!! Check aerobars more carefully. Honestly I can't seem to budge them when I am not riding. Not get stuck behind a minivan.......geez o pete. I'd still slow down to be sure people of the side of the road were OK but I probably lost 2-3 minutes behind the stupid minivan. Better slower than dead I guess

I probably lost a little time getting my feet out of my shoes etc then the speed bump on the way in I also took carefully. Alas a few seconds slower is better than a trip to the ER. Rack bike, sit down to get the dirt off my feet socks and shoes on grab race belt and hat and I actually ran out of transition high fiving Rudy, the baby and my parents on the way out.

I need the socks. I have enough foot problems my run would be even worse without them

Plan was to do my 3:1 run walk. Was working well. KathyG was coming up behind me and I decided to run with her because I thought it would be more fun and I didn't really care about my time. It was a tactical error on my part because I am not used to her intervals and although she was running slower I was not recovering on a 30 second break when I am used to 60 seconds. Also I am not used to hills. At all. To the NE people the course is "flat" MMMHMMM Come to FL I will show you flat. This is not flat. My chip was digging into my ankle so I told kathy to go on and I moved it onto my shoe as I have a scar on my ankle from last years ankle vs timing chip battle. I love this race but really I dont need a scar to remind me thankyouverymuch. She was in sight the rest of the run and at times I would be within a few feet of her but we never hooked up again really.

I started with my 3:1 thing again but my foot and achilles were quite unhappy. I walked probably more than I should have. At least 1/2 of the course. My heart just wasn't in it. When I was running I was going at a decent pace. Was slightly disheartening to see my whole age group pass me. To me it really was not hot and most of the course is shady. I took water at the aide stations and they had cups of ice which were brilliant.

So nice to run the finish and be greeted by friends :) YAY!!

Wear achilles brace. I didn't bring it with me and thats probably why my foot hurt so much. Stick to my own plan. Take a hand held bottle. Run the hill in front of the clubhouse (my only hill) before teh race a few times. It occured to me after I finished I would probably do better if I cared more about my results :)

More socializing :) Lots of us finished around the same time which was nice. Got food hung out with my BT friends. Had snacks. Nice day :)


Sore foot/achilles, idiot cyclists/minivan drivers, lack of focus on the bike, not caring about my results.


This is a fun race for me mostly because its home and I get to see all my NE BT friends :) I'll be back for more :)