Running Mommy

[tprevost]

How'd the Tri go today???

Pictures??? Report????

T~

[Running Mommy]

Funny you should ask... Were your ears BURNING this morning?? They should have been ON FIRE!!!!!
So here it goes... Saves me from posting a RR..
Driving into San Diego yesterday it starts RAINING!! None of us had brought sweatshirts or any such foul weather gear. I mean heck we are from PHOENIX!!
So we get out to go to the expo and notice that despite the rain it is hot and humid... Ahhh FUN!! Kinda like Kona, without the lei's
After we picked up our packet we went over to check out Fletcher cove.. Uhhh... Hmm... Yeah, it's an OCEAN alright, and those are some nice sized swells!
Basically Terrie and I stressed a bit on it and kept saying "and exactly WHERE is Tracy????"...
This morning we woke up to rain- or VERY heavy drizzle... whatever you californians want to call it. It was like rain at times, but really I'm sure it would have been classified as drizzle.
We got to the race site plenty early and had an hour to stare at the ocean and ponder our fate. It was already blowing at 6:30 am, and the swells seemed to be picking up. You know it's bad when Tony remarks "hmm, looks like the swells are getting bigger". He usually likes to downplay anything that may possibly stress me out as he knows the reprecussions..
Let's put it this way... they waited until 10 minutes before the race started to place the swim buoys. Presumably because the were afraid they'd be washed away!
Terrie and I then spent the next 45 minutes discussing the person who put us up to this and then WASN"T EVEN THERE to share in our misery!!
So this would have been the time your ears would have been en fuego Ms Prevost...
They had 10 minutes in between waves, so we had quite a wait as we were wave 5. When our wave finally took off it was a mad dash down the sand and into the water. Of course as luck would have it, as soon as we got in a huge set came in. I was blasted numerous times and kept getting pushed backwards. I tried to duck dive, but I was getting pummeled. I even almost lost my goggles under one big wave. I could barely swim and really, what I did for that quarter mile hardly counts as swimming. I basically floated around the buoys. It was sad. I guess my ocean skills are a bit rusty, but heck it's been a good 20 years since I surfed.
Anyhoo, I did manage to make it out of the ocean in one piece! But you know it's bad when the guy on the surfboard has to ask if your ok on a QUARTER MILE SWIM!!!
I don't have my splits yet, but the run up a steep ramp to t1 was no fun at all, it must have been a quarter mile from the water to t1!! No joke!
I'm sure that transition time will suck!
All my stuff was wet- nice!. So I yanked off the human rubber band, threw on my top, number belt, bike shoes (sans socks.. why bother w/ wet socks?) helmet and sunglasses (sun? what sun?) and off I went. I did have my garmin edge on so I was able to watch my speed. I really wanted to do well on the bike since I've been working on it, and BOY HOWDY!! I KILLED that course!! I usually average around 15 mph, but I managed to average 17!!!!! YAAYYY!! I was passing people left and right, I was having fun and I was FLYING!! - well for ME...
The pavement was wet too, so I had to be careful in the turns. I am WAY proud of my bike leg, and that's what I really wanted to do well in. I guess all those miles in the saddle DO count for somethin!
Now the real test was if I would have running legs, and i did- somewhat. They were still my slow stumps, but I was chugging along. I did walk a couple of short sections, but I ran 96% of it, so I am WAY proud that despite pushing on the bike I still had a run in my legs. SWEET!!
Anyhoo, it was fun. I ran with my cousin Terrie on the second loop of the run, so she kept me from wimping out and walking. I think I need that diversion. I'm so mental some times!!
So yeah, it was a great race- despite the swim!!! I should have the official splits and some photo's in the next couple of days. but I have some Spencer took on my photobucket site here:

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...denise69/?sc=1

[Lise]

What fun! (To read about, at least!) The hospital computer won't let me look at the pix, but I'll check them out when I get home. Was this a sprint? What were the distances? I am so glad you guys did it. Nothing gets me psyched for a tri like reading other peoples' stories. Thanks, RM!

[Running Mommy]

Yep, an itty bitty one.. .25 mi swim, 9 mi bike, 3 mi run... But SOO good to be back racing!!

[Lise]

Yep, an itty bitty one.. .25 mi swim, 9 mi bike, 3 mi run... But SOO good to be back racing!!

I hear ya. Sounds like a great re-entry race. L.

[Nanci]

Makes me miss the ocean, though not in a triathlon sense...I know exactly how it feels to have the surfboard guys trailing me!! "No, I'm fine, I don't need to rest, I'm just S L O W!!!!!!!!!"

[Tri Girl]

Congrats on your race Denise! Isn't this your first race since IM?
I'm so proud of you for 1)going there and doing it and 2)for kicking serious tail on the bike. Woo hoo!!!! 17 mph is FLYING in my eyes! Wow- thanks for the race report and congrats on a great race. Hopefully the next one will be a lot less wavey and wet.

[DrBee]

Congrats! Sounds like quite an adventure!

[Brina]

that actually does wound like fun. congrats on the great bike and run legs.

[btchance]

Congrats! Sounds like fun, minus the swim I mean

[chickwhorips]

GOOD JOB!

glad you made it out in one peice from the swim. excellent job on the bike and glad you found your running legs.

i like the pictures too. thanks for sharing.

[colby]

Wow, sounds awesome! Welcome back to the world of triathlon Great pictures, I hadn't ever looked through the Iron ones, either.

I am definitely ocean-intimidated. Having to think that seriously about the current, swells, waves... wow. Sounds scary and cool at the same time.

[tprevost]

You SO rock!!!! Terrie looked great~ I am so sorry for bailing on you two... I just couldn't get my act together ... heck, lately I'm lucky if I have a shirt on when I leave the house! UGH!

Great Job though! I will look forward to seeing the times etc.... loved the bike leg! That was really fast; especially since it was wet... was the course pretty flat? I thought it would be fairly flat since you'd have to have a longer course to get to any major hilly stuff but I wasn't sure.

Are there more pics coming???? And, YES, my ears were burning, I was totally thinking of you guys yesterday

T~

[Tristnmum]

Yes, my cuz has it right on.....burning, burning, burning..those ears should have been crispy! But I totally understand the inability to get out the door as I've been getting a bit like that lately.....as I've been reminded and thoroughly spanked in the ocean this past weekend. When asked how "things went" I can only mumble that the swim was sort of like a "controlled drowning!" in the wonderful ocean..... I was doing nothing that even resembed swimming...ekkkkk

Yes, it was a first---and likely a last, as I was rebaptised by fire! The first tri since 2002..and a tough and highly underestimated ocean swim....

had I fully known what i was getting into--I'd have not gone near the surf!

But--heck, were it not for my cuz loaning me a wetsuit, the experience would have been complete..NOTE: The only people being pulled from the water--seriously lacked the rubber floatation device! Make that a note to self!

And once again! It was a wonderful experience, and were it not for my cousin---the infamous "Running Mommy" I'd have not placed a toe in the water! Another adventure on the "tales of the road" experiences we've had!

And on that note--do you know that some people think we are "psycho" to do this for "fun" on any given weekend....;-) Aren't they stupid! tee-hee

[tprevost]

Hey there T!!!!

I am so sorry I missed you ladies this weekend!!!! I'm glad you made it through safe and sound though... although I DO hope you have more pictures...

more later... I just got a job and I'm a little in overwhelm... but when I saw your screen name pop up, I had to say HI!!!!

Trac'