As we waded into the water waist high and are chit-chatting, I hear "10 seconds." Before I can ask "What did he say?" "10 Seconds!!!" The gun goes off and I do not have my goggles down yet, or swim cap adjusted across the top of them, or HR watch ready! CRAP! I kind of wanted to start in the middle, but here I was floundering at the back again. I quickly hit my HR watch 3 times hoping that is what I needed to do to start it.
I started swimming keeping in mind that I wasn't going to be able to breathe, but that I could do it, and to not freak out. This race had the wort pummling action taking place that I have ever had to deal with. JUST as I was getting in the zone and stroking well, and breathing well WHAM!!! And we were in the back with PLENTY of room!! DOOD! Get the heck away from me!!!! I hobbled over the rocks out of the water and ran up the ramp and was not out of breath. Timing mat was at the top. I felt really good about my swim, lack of dog paddling and freak out, and was looking forward to checking my HR watch to a) see if it actually started, and b) if so...what was my time? I surely had to have improved over Show Low. NO! 34 minutes!! Show low was 30!!! WTF???? I started telling myself that maybe it was long, or Show Low was short, becuase they were pretty apples to apples races in that they are both at high elevation. (5,000+ and 7,000+ ft). So anyway...whatever...motor on.

Try to get "in the zone" more. I did well rangling the voices in my head, but now I need to remember to "Oh! I am supposed to be swimming with form and power and regulated breathing!" When I dialed that in, it felt great!! So I need to do more of that!!!

As I hit transition, Jen was right behind me!! She said she was next to me on the swim for the last half. She said that with my blue wetsuit I was easy to spot. I told her with her black one she could have been 1 of 200 people next to me! I had no clue!!
I somehow magicaly removed my wetsuit lickity split! Don't even remember doing it!!

Not much. I could always be faster, but I try to quickly do what I need to do, and whatever time that is, it is.

The bike. How do I talk about the bike without my head imploding? As Soon as I came out of transition and started shifting to find a happy gear, it starts shifting all over the place. I think it is just a one time thing, and as soon as the chain gets in, I'll be good. Yeah......wrong. My derailer was possesed by Satan! I would shift once, and it would go down like 8 rings. OR....my favorite...I would jsut be peddling along, or climbing a hill, and magically "chink, chink, chink" it would up shift into a really hard gear. I could NEVER get into the gear I actually needed, but rather was relagated to whatever gear my bike wanted to be in at that moment. Nice. My bike could have been jacked on a flat course. Noooo....had to wait for "Mountain Man!" GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! You have no idea how GRRRRR!!!! That aside, Jen caught up with me right after the sprint turn around and we basically did the bike together. That was great!! Lots of encouragement and she knew the course and what was coming. We pulled into tranition at the same time!!
Oh...and as I started the bike a guy in front of my spat twice into bike traffic (not on the ditch side) and didn't look either time. I'm a spitter too, but I look first and I try to spit towards the ditch. I come up on him to pass him and I tap him on the shoulder and say "You need to look before you spit, buddy!" And as he turns, it's our friend Steve!!! We both laughed.
OH! But I did clock a new land/speed record for me. 42.1. In aero bars (Scary!...but I forgot to get into my drops where my breaks are! DOH!)

Ummm....kick my bike in the derailer and show it who's boss!!!

In T2 I had to wrap and tie my sweatband around my thigh just above my knee, and then strap my IT Band brace over that. Then, as I tried to tie my shoes the bunny ears just would not go in the hole!! Again, not the speediest of transitions, but I just do what I need to as quickly as possible.

Not fumble my laces and not have to wear a knee brace!

It was about a 1.2 mile straight away until you have to turn a corner and climb up a mountain switch back. It's like a 10% grade or some crap. As I am mentally telling myself that up there at the top it turns and will be flat again, I look over my left shoulder and eye the next switch back which is even longer!! "Holy Sh*t!" just flew out of my mouth. I think it's about 1.5 miles up this straight uphill crap. Then a little trail run and a turn around. Going back down the switch back was much better!!! My knee was holding up, but I was suffering from lack of running these past 3 months while trying to let my knee heal. As I got to the bottom and knew I had just over a mile to go, I checked my watch and knew I could not make my 3 hour goal. BUT, I could see how close I could come to it. So I hammered down and really pushed. There was a girl in front of me who I had been watching since decending the hill. She was pretty far in front of me, but I thought if I used her as my rabbit I could maybe catch her. As we rounded the driveway to the finish I see that if I really pour on the power I can sprint her down and just pass her before the finish. She had no idea I was coming up on her. I think it was a good move because in the standings the woman right behind me in my age group finished 3 seconds after me, so that had to have been her. Her age had rubbed off her leg, so I had no idea she was in my AG. Cool!!!

Had better run fitness. Since my knee is almost 100% I need to really start focusing on my running, and building back up that speed and edurance I used to have.

Got my medal and coffee cup and walked. Once my HR was normal I took my stuff off at transition. Made it back to the group that was waiting at the finish in time to see Jen finish the run. It was a great day for all the BT ESCKTC peeps!


Lack of training due to knee injury, bike gear shifting issues, and high altitude. (Take your pick).


It was a beautiful and challenging course. They could have used a few more volunteers, and a louder PA system, but overall it was nice.
I beat my Show Low time by 25:35 (see what NOT walking on the run will do?) so I am very pleased with that.