the positives

Heatwave triathlon was Saturday, but as Laura mentioned, didn't have quite the level of heat we've all come to expect and enjoy. It was a beautiful day, and there were so many GOOD things about the race.

(I'm focusing on the positives because I'm feeling quite negative about running, triathlon, racing, running, swimming, did I mention running? lately.)

We got to wear wetsuits for the swim, which is just about as weird as that year we wore them in Sardis Lake for Dragonfly. Thankfully I brought mine, just in case, and was quick to zip it up and save myself at least a minute, I figure, minus the extra seconds it takes to get it off my feet in T1. I felt like it gave me just that much more protection from the thousands of alligators that reside in that very lake. I only panicked for a brief moment when some guy clocked me in the head. I quickly realized that a gator would probably use its strong jaw and enormous teeth to kill me, not bludgeon me to death with its tail or something. Panic subsided.


Getting onto the bike felt good. I went easier out, harder back, hoping for a lack of wind in either direction. Lucky for all of us, there was very little wind and the bike times were very fast. I just thought I was having a good day, but so was everyone else... good for them too!

Probably most exciting was that I won my AG and was 3rd OA female, 2nd amateur! In T2, that is (can't win 'em all). Coming in off the bike with the swing-over dismount technique, I had about 3 men immediately in front of me, unaware of the speeding girl behind them who had no intention of slowing down. I almost tripped over one of them, but managed to just ram an arm against the fencing, avoiding a pileup. I didn't have the greatest bike rack position, but the big pink bag helps me find things quickly. I racked the bike and even put socks on before the shoes, grabbed the hat and race belt, and ran the hundred yards to the next mat. I think the zone 5a effort in T2 left me too anaerobic to actually run the 10k very hard, but like I said, you can't win 'em all.

If the run hadn't been excruciatingly painful, I might have enjoyed it. At least the second half, which is mostly downhill. I got to run with my old teammate Jon, then MC's brother, and I caught up with Steve at the very end. I passed a girl in my AG with 800m to go, securing my 3rd place pottery piece. As Laura mentioned, we could always just go buy the stuff. Way easier. But as rewarding? Doubtful. And isn't that why we do these things? Wait, why DO we do these things again? Gotta be the post-race lunch of chicken alfredo and vanilla ice cream. That's topping the list for me.