Body Vs. Earth

[Tri Girl]

I did a very fun tri today. I'm happy to report that "body" won this contest.

It was a 500 m swim (open water in a beautifully clear lake), a 17 mile on-road bike, and a 3.5 mile off road trail run (which is more like a VERY rocky/cacti-y hike/climb than a trail run- LOTS of steep ups and downs and very little flat).
I did this tri last year, and it's really tough, but SO much fun! This year it rained the whole time. Bike was slippery, and the run was really slippery, too. My time was 6 minutes slower than last year, but I'm ok with that because the conditions were much tougher this year. I still took 2nd in my AG despite the slower time, and I beat 6 people (last year I only beat 4). It's a REALLY small field (less than 50), so for a slower person like me, it's hard to be near the front. It's all about having fun, and as long as I'm smiling and having a great time, it's all good.
I would post times for each discipline, but I'm not overly concerned about times. I look at the overall time to get a feel for improvement from year to year. Other than that, numbers mess with me, so no computer on the bike when I race, no HR monitor in races, and no chronograph set on my watch. I just start and know when I finish. That's good enough for me.

Nothing too significant to report- just the usual tri report. The swim was good, the bike was great with a strong tailwind on the way out (which means strong headwind on the way back), and the run was incredibly tough but SO much fun. Got to run through two huge puddles, and scramble up and down hillsides. I wore my Oscar the Grouch socks and they got pretty dirty (grouchy feet).

It's one of those races that comes with bragging rights. "Oh, you did that one- that's a tough course." And who doesn't like bragging rights?

Pictures:
1. me at the top of the smallest of the 3 big climbs. I get so swollen and puffy when I race. I think that's a look of fear and exhaustion.
2. the nice guy at the rest stop on top of hill #2. I took pictures since I was just out there having fun. We chatted briefly about the fire on base that caused a massive burn area.
3. part of the trail right at the start of the 3rd and steepest climb (I guess you can't really tell how steep it is, but use your imagination).
4. me and my 2nd place medal after the race getting ready to leave


Thanks for reading!

[Tuckervill]

Proud of ya!

Not my idea of fun, but whatever floats your boat!

Karen

[Jolt]

Great job! I wish we had a tri around here that had a trail run but still on-road biking--that would be the kind I might be interested in doing.

[Reesha]

Congratulations! That sounds fun! I miss our trail duathlons in Lake Placid -- 1 k run/10k mountain bike/5 k run.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Funny how in the middle it's "why in the world am I doing this, I am not having fun" and yet when it's over you look forward to next time!

(Not speaking from tri experience but from my crazy blistering epic mountain bike rides.)

[Tri Girl]

Funny how in the middle it's "why in the world am I doing this, I am not having fun" and yet when it's over you look forward to next time!

That's so true. And even tho it's hard and you're hurting- it's still so incredibly fun that I wouldn't want to be doing anything else at that moment. That's the warped and sadistic fun of self-torture (er- I mean: exercising).

[JH-NV]

That looks like fun! Thanks for posting your pix. What a great day you must of had.

[tribogota]

Great pictures, and we all have that look on our face!
I like to hear another trimate who doesn't wear watch or hr monitor, I don't either and it makes it just less stressful.
I love the bragging rights thing, I have a really difficult one coming up in two weeks, with 8 steep short climbs and am looking forward to finishing and knowing that I could do it.

[colby]

I am totally in HRM anarchy this summer, it's great. I don't think I push myself hard enough running when I do that, but swimming and biking I have a fine enough feel for.

I love that look on your face... we all have that one at one point

It sounds like a fun event. Congrats on your medal, AND your bragging rights, and especially on having a good time!!

[Alex]

Nice job! Sounds like a fun race.

Alex

[channlluv]

You look so happy in that last one! Congratulations, although I'm with a couple of the others...running up and down muddy hillsides doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. Then again, I've never tried it. I do like riding in the rain...hmmmm. Where is this race?

Roxy