Prologue:
The Swim:
After a quick setup this time, I went up above the pool deck to wait out my wave. In this event, you were seeded by swim time; the faster folks going first, and successively slower folks after that....makes me wonder why the slow people keep getting slower?! They're the ones using up precious time WAITING for us fast ones to get done!I'm in Wave 5, about the same as last year, and certain to beat it (no goggle fiasco THIS time!). Pretty soon (after about only a 45 minute wait), I'm up, and into the water I go. The starting beep signals us, and we're off! I cruise pretty easily for about ten minutes or so (I should have kept track of the laps....) and then begin to get BORED with this lap swim stuff......Lucky me, I'm almost done, and just when I can't take any more monotony, the kickboard signaling my last 25 yards slides into the water. Yes! Almost done! I "heave ho" myself out at the deep end of the pool, and slide my wristband "chip" over the sensor at 13:23. MUCH better than last year, although not the 13:00 I was hoping for! On, on!
The Bike:
Almost daintily stepping onto the pavement in the transition, I find my spot and begin the arduous task of squeezing into my singlet. I'm SO used to already having one on under a wetsuit, I make a mistake and almost RIP the damn thing! After the "excessively long" transition (over two minutes), I hop on the bike and begin the three laps that make up the 12 mile midsection of this race.This year, I'm on a Raleigh road bike instead of a MTB, hoping to make better time. However, this road bike has a nasty habit of "shrinking" as I ride it --- the seatpost slides imperceptibly downward when I hit every bump, and by the end of the bike, I could be WAY out of sync with how I usually ride. I hope for the best, and the bike's seat slips just a bit; it holds enough so I don't crash and burn, so I think I'm doing OK. Turns out I'm not much better than last year here (38:54), so there IS room for improvement!
The Run:
Since I don't have to change out of my running shoes here, I make a quick getaway, lamenting the fact that I didn't bring any water for the bike....I'm thirsty, and I don't know what the ONE water exchange may bring....Hitting the sensor on my way out of transition, I'm feeling OK (although thirsty), so it just might go as I plan. I round the first turn onto the campus park area, and there's the water stop! I grab a cup of water, put it to my mouth, and....UGH! Warm water! Yeech! I swallow what I can, grab another cup, and force just a little more into my mouth. Great! No more calm and cool stuff! I chug along at a sedate pace, wondering if I will ever gain a little speed....One lap down, and here's the water again. Taking only a small sip this time, I don't think it really matters now!
Half a lap to go, and I don't really think I can push it at all....Let's get this thing over and done with already! I put one foot in front of the other, and will myself to the finish. I see my mom taking some photos (not the greatest), and round the final turn to the finish line. As I see it, I think I can make it under 1:20, so I pour it on (so to speak ;-) and end up crossing at 1:19:59!! Yeah!!