Amy and I during the Prospect Lake Triathlon. What an awesome day for a triathlon, not too hot, nice and sunny, perfect day.Photos By RON FRANCIS!!! Phenomenal Photographer!!

I was nervous this morning. I could barely eat. I’m not sure why, because I was super excited, but my tummy was rumbling with nerves that I’m not used to. We got a phone call from Amy about 10 minutes out from the parking lot saying she had a flat when she got her bike out of the car that day! Ahh! But in the time it took us to get to her a nice young triathlete had helped her change it. Just another testament to how awesome and communal this sport can be. After parking, packing, changing, etc, Amy and I headed over to get body marked and to set up transition. We were on the same rack, yea! So our bikes were just a few feet from each other. I set up transition just like Steve and I had discussed yesterday (I spent 4 hours with Steve yesterday working on my bike form and transition process...awesome). Everything was VERY simple. Bike shoes clipped into pedals, helmet on Aerobars, running shoes and bib # on towel...that’s IT. No sunglasses, no socks, no aero-bottle, nada, zipo, zero, zilcho.

After transition set up we took a short break to braid our hair into double braids, meet up and hug Michelle, Ron and Sam who came to watch, got into the bottom half of our wetsuits, and we were off to the beach. I was a little rushed, as I was the second wave to go. We arrived on the beach shortly after the first wave. I pulled my arms into my wetsuit, stepped up to the water, and I was OFF.

THE SWIM: So, So, So, So (and a few more so’s) much better than last time. This time I was RELAXED. I swam right next to a person hitting elbows and arms the entire way to the first buoy. I only took a sight twice on the way to that buoy and it was quite a ways. Rounding the buoy I sensed myself picking up speed. I was then able to get on another persons feet, in their draft from the first buoy to the second. It was quite a ways between these two buoys, and I sighted about 4 times just to make sure I was on track, and EVERY TIME the buoy was right where I expected it to be. I was swimming straight, and really comfortable. I didn’t even look up to turn around the buoy, just saw myself go around it with each breath. The home stretch felt quick, with very little sighting, I felt in my grove. I swam until I could feel the grassy bottom and I was up and out.

T1: Running up the beach, pull cap and goggles off with one hand, unzip wetsuit with other hand, pull arm out of wetsuit leaving goggles and cap tucked into the sleeve, pulled other arm out of wetsuit, look for happy face on concrete designating my aisle, left turn down aisle, arrive at bike, pull wetsuit down legs quickly, struggle with getting wetsuit over ankle chip, right foot out easily, on with helmet, pull bike off rack and run out of transition.

BIKE: I hopped onto the tops of my shoes that are attached to my pedals. After spinning my feet and pedals a few times, I got things together and started riding. I knew I had a big hill coming up so I slid my fingers into the heal of my shoes and slipped my feet into them, a new skill I learned yesterday. Not too bad for the first time (in a race). The bike route is a 4 loop course, kinda strange, but whatever. I used all my new tactics that Steve taught me and really tried to stay forward (I call it attack mode) and in good form. The loop consisted of a downhill, an uphill, a downhill, a tiny bit of flat, and another uphill. All that...4 times. All in all I felt stronger on the down-hills, duh, and the up-hills were tough. I wish I had more climbing experience, and was stronger on the hills. There was one lady that always passed me on the hill, and then I would pass her on the down. It really helped me to stay focused the entire race, making sure I caught her on every downhill, and didn’t let her drop me too bad on the ups. After loop 4, I headed back to transition, got my feet out of and on top of my shoes, and continued to pedal hard. Near the dismount line I brought my right foot back, and right before the line I jumped off my bike barefoot and started running to my transition spot.

T2: Turned my bike around and threw it in the rack, took off helmet, put on running shoes, ran out.

RUN: This was tough. I was sorta by myself. Humm. I tried to start out slowly, letting my legs switch gears, slowly ramping into my form. By the other side of the lake I was cranking away. I caught sight of a lady...looked my age, humm, but she was so far ahead. I just started saying good things to myself, and I started to pull her in. I passed her around 3.5K, and she was clearly struggling. She was in my age group. Lucky me! There was not a woman in sight. So, I pretended that the guy in front of me was a girl, the lead girl in fact, and I tried to reel him in. I came darn close. I picked it up into the finish, and tried to look strong all the way to the line.

POST: After hugs and some chatting we started looking for Amy to come out of transition (she started in a wave 10 minutes behind me). Low and behold, a pink skirt and teal top came running out. Cheer, Cheer. I ran over to the turn around point (actually at 3.5+K, so over 1/2 way). When she came by there she was looking super strong. I ran back over to the finish and when Amy came by she was smiling, and talking, and telling me she passed two guys. You go girl, now start hauling! She picked it up into the finish and looked just amazingly strong strong strong!

POST POST: Some tears, some confusing results, a delayed awards ceremony, a cool piece of pottery for my second in my age group award, and a long long bumper to bumper drive home.

Details and Nitty Grittys: Total Time: 1:23:28 Swim: 16:59 (750Meters, but felt longer than last time) T1: 1:19 Bike: 42:15 (13.2 Miles) T2: 0:59 Run: 21:54 (5K)

Overall Women (including Elites): 13th (of 144) Overall Woman (excluding Elites): 4th Age Group (excludes Elites): 2nd (of 21)

Results: I was nervous this morning. I could barely eat. I’m not sure why, because I was super excited, but my tummy was rumbling with nerves that I’m not used to. We got a phone call from Amy about 10 minutes out from the parking lot saying she had a flat when she got her bike out of the car that day! Ahh! But in the time it took us to get to her a nice young triathlete had helped her change it. Just another testament to how awesome and communal this sport can be. After parking, packing, changing, etc, Amy and I headed over to get body marked and to set up transition. We were on the same rack, yea! So our bikes were just a few feet from each other. I set up transition just like Steve and I had discussed yesterday (I spent 4 hours with Steve yesterday working on my bike form and transition process...awesome). Everything was VERY simple. Bike shoes clipped into pedals, helmet on Aerobars, running shoes and bib # on towel...that’s IT. No sunglasses, no socks, no aero-bottle, nada, zipo, zero, zilcho.

After transition set up we took a short break to braid our hair into double braids, meet up and hug Michelle, Ron and Sam who came to watch, got into the bottom half of our wetsuits, and we were off to the beach. I was a little rushed, as I was the second wave to go. We arrived on the beach shortly after the first wave. I pulled my arms into my wetsuit, stepped up to the water, and I was OFF.

THE SWIM: So, So, So, So (and a few more so’s) much better than last time. This time I was RELAXED. I swam right next to a person hitting elbows and arms the entire way to the first buoy. I only took a sight twice on the way to that buoy and it was quite a ways. Rounding the buoy I sensed myself picking up speed. I was then able to get on another persons feet, in their draft from the first buoy to the second. It was quite a ways between these two buoys, and I sighted about 4 times just to make sure I was on track, and EVERY TIME the buoy was right where I expected it to be. I was swimming straight, and really comfortable. I didn’t even look up to turn around the buoy, just saw myself go around it with each breath. The home stretch felt quick, with very little sighting, I felt in my grove. I swam until I could feel the grassy bottom and I was up and out.

T1: Running up the beach, pull cap and goggles off with one hand, unzip wetsuit with other hand, pull arm out of wetsuit leaving goggles and cap tucked into the sleeve, pulled other arm out of wetsuit, look for happy face on concrete designating my aisle, left turn down aisle, arrive at bike, pull wetsuit down legs quickly, struggle with getting wetsuit over ankle chip, right foot out easily, on with helmet, pull bike off rack and run out of transition.

BIKE: I hopped onto the tops of my shoes that are attached to my pedals. After spinning my feet and pedals a few times, I got things together and started riding. I knew I had a big hill coming up so I slid my fingers into the heal of my shoes and slipped my feet into them, a new skill I learned yesterday. Not too bad for the first time (in a race). The bike route is a 4 loop course, kinda strange, but whatever. I used all my new tactics that Steve taught me and really tried to stay forward (I call it attack mode) and in good form. The loop consisted of a downhill, an uphill, a downhill, a tiny bit of flat, and another uphill. All that...4 times. All in all I felt stronger on the down-hills, duh, and the up-hills were tough. I wish I had more climbing experience, and was stronger on the hills. There was one lady that always passed me on the hill, and then I would pass her on the down. It really helped me to stay focused the entire race, making sure I caught her on every downhill, and didn’t let her drop me too bad on the ups. After loop 4, I headed back to transition, got my feet out of and on top of my shoes, and continued to pedal hard. Near the dismount line I brought my right foot back, and right before the line I jumped off my bike barefoot and started running to my transition spot.

T2: Turned my bike around and threw it in the rack, took off helmet, put on running shoes, ran out.

RUN: This was tough. I was sorta by myself. Humm. I tried to start out slowly, letting my legs switch gears, slowly ramping into my form. By the other side of the lake I was cranking away. I caught sight of a lady...looked my age, humm, but she was so far ahead. I just started saying good things to myself, and I started to pull her in. I passed her around 3.5K, and she was clearly struggling. She was in my age group. Lucky me! There was not a woman in sight. So, I pretended that the guy in front of me was a girl, the lead girl in fact, and I tried to reel him in. I came darn close. I picked it up into the finish, and tried to look strong all the way to the line.

POST: After hugs and some chatting we started looking for Amy to come out of transition (she started in a wave 10 minutes behind me). Low and behold, a pink skirt and teal top came running out. Cheer, Cheer. I ran over to the turn around point (actually at 3.5+K, so over 1/2 way). When she came by there she was looking super strong. I ran back over to the finish and when Amy came by she was smiling, and talking, and telling me she passed two guys. You go girl, now start hauling! She picked it up into the finish and looked just amazingly strong strong strong!

POST POST: Some tears, some confusing results, a delayed awards ceremony, a cool piece of pottery for my second in my age group award, and a long long bumper to bumper drive home.

Details and Nitty Grittys: Total Time: 1:23:28 Swim: 16:59 (750Meters, but felt longer than last time) T1: 1:19 Bike: 42:15 (13.2 Miles) T2: 0:59 Run: 21:54 (5K)

Overall Women (including Elites): 13th (of 144) Overall Woman (excluding Elites): 4th Age Group (excludes Elites): 2nd (of 21)

Results