Charlottesville . . .

Before the C'ville recap, I have to say that I think I'm back to blogging again! Woohoo, because I really need to purge my training thoughts and I've missed doing so over the last two months!! Yesterday was the official end to the swim season for me -- well, sort of. I am President of a swim team that has over 175 kids. Managing the team, coaches, parents, etc. over the past few months has just about killed me -- and my "tri-desire". It's not that I don't still love training, it's just that running the swim team has taken so much out of me that I've just been clocking the training hours instead of enjoying my training time. And, my kids are finally willing to take me off the "Worst Mommy of the Year" list since I actually made them dinner the other night!! So, yesterday's triathlon success was really great for me -- both mentally and physically!


















So now to the race report:

Total time: 2:51.57 (4th in age group; 22nd overall/females)
Swim: 26:13 (4th in age group; 17 overall females)
Bike: 1:17.15 (1st in age group; 11 overall/females)
Run: 1:04.20 (6th in age group; 41 overall/females)

First, let me say there were only 9 girls signed up in my age group so I was TOTALLY scared that I'd end up last! Derek kept trying to tell me that at least I'd know I'd be top ten in my age group, but that didn't ease my nerves too much!! :D

Anyway, first off,

Swim: The swim was a double loop in a glassy, calm lake. There could have been a few more buoys since many people seemed to get confused but, all in all, it was a great swim. I managed to stay more on course than I usually do (except for the minor detour into the lily pads and reeds!) Also, apparently, with the double loop, there were quite a few people who decided to cut their swim short!! Derek and Melissa were watching the race and saw a few people come in after only one loop!!! Can you imagine?!? One guy even got out, hung on the beach for a minute (I guess trying to make his time look a bit more realistic) and then crossed the timing mat when he saw others in his age group coming out of the water. Honestly, how on earth can you call yourself a triathlete if you choose to cheat? I mean, really, if you're already choosing to lie, why don't you just not show up at all and then tell everyone you won. Losers. Anyway, I had a much better swim time than I anticipated since I've only spent 1 day in the pool since Eagleman. And, to be honest, I only spent a handful of days in the pool before Eagleman. My swim training is severely lacking but I'm re-energized and hope to be more dedicated in my efforts.



Bike: The bike was flipping AWESOME!!!! I was a bit apprehensive prior to the race because I know the C'ville Tri Club has some kick-ass athletes who really know how to ride the hills. I tend to be a pretty good hill rider so I do better on a hilly course but as I told my friend Jenn, "the C'ville Tri Club laughs in the face of my measly hill climbing ability!" I mean, c'mon, they train in the Blue Ridge all the time!! And, let's face it, I'm an okay swimmer but not a great runner -- so, really, the bike is the only area where I feel I can even try to be somewhat competitive. If it was a hilly course in Richmond, then maybe I'd have some kind of advantage, but in C'ville, I was definitely at a disadvantage!! Especially since I didn't know the course at all! In trasition I spoke to one girl who had raced the course last year and she told me that there were some decent hills but that there were no sharp turns or bad road conditions and that the race crew was really good about pointing out turns/hazards on the course. I figured I would just trust this girl's information and let it fly on the bike. As it turned out, there were a few tight turns where I feathered the brakes and got a bit skittish since I didn't know what was ahead but I felt pretty good when I was coming into the final stretch of the bike. When I entered transition I saw Derek and he looked awfully excited. I thought, "Aww, how sweet!! He knows how nervous I am about coming in last so he's really putting all he has into cheering me on!" Then as I came out of transition he yelled, "Hey, you're second!!! There's only one girl ahead of you in your age group!!" I just nodded as I thought, "What the heck is that crazy man talking about??" Then when I realized what he said, I thought "Oh crap! I'm not a good runner!! How am I supposed to hold anyone off in the run?"

Run: This was a hilly, rooty, rocky course and it was definitely challenging. I think I left it all on the bike so I had very little to give the hills of this run. At about mile 1, I saw one woman in my age group pass me. Alright, that's okay. Third's good. Really good. Then mile 2.5 came on and so did a big-ass hill! I walked. And up ran another girl in my age group. Damn. I watched her go and as I picked it up to a run again, I decided I was going to try to really push it from that point but it was too late. Holding off someone is one thing. Catching them is entirely different. As it turns out, I came in 4th and less than 4 minutes behind the 3rd place finisher. Bummer.

You know, I'm not so upset about coming in 4th -- I'm upset that I never believed I could come in above 9th. And then after I was told I was 2nd, I didn't think I could ever actually come in 2nd -- or 3rd. And since I didn't think I could do it, I didn't really try for it. I've always said that one time I want to finish a triathlon feeling really spent. You know, one of those people who pukes because they left everything out on the course. But, there's always some excuse that keeps me from really pushing it. Maybe because I'm scared of the disappointment of trying and then failing anyway. Or maybe it's because I was never an athelete in school and I still don't really think of myself as an "athlete". A couple weeks ago someone saw my license plate and asked me if I was a triathlete and do you know what my answer was? "Well no. I do triathlons but I wouldn't call myself a triathlete." I don't know what the hell is wrong with me but I really need to work on crushing those negative thoughts. Logically I know it does me no good but it's still difficult to ignore. ARGH!

Anyway, the course was beautiful, the weather held out and the best part? I LOVE racing with the TriGirls (and Ed!). It's just so nice to run through the finish line to your "family". Or to be the "family" waiting there for your teammates to arrive. I love sharing in other people's accomplishments. Like Carmen. Thinking about her accomplishment in the swim yesterday still brings tears to my eyes today. She's a rock star. And Mary. She didn't tell anyone she was coming to the tri yesterday because she wasn't sure she'd show up! Not only did she show up, but she did a fantastic job!!! Derek was absolutely blown away by her performance and dedication. And, Lynn. Really, does anyone look happier when they cross a finish line? She really looks like she just had the time of her life!! And Susie. You know, being passed feels so much better when she passes you and yells out "Hey! You're hot!"

It was a great day!!