Moses Lake Spring Fest Tri

I might just be the world's laziest blogger - here is a race recap from Memorial Day, in bullet and picture format, cuz I'm lazy. Obviously.

Pre Race:

  One leg in, jacket still on...probably trying to decide if I have to poop.

Swim:  1/4 mile / 9:44

 Sleeveless wetsuit.  Note how the arms never actually touch the water.

• Water was frickin' cold.  Something rediculous like 58*.  It was, after all, still May.
• The race director told us that if we panicked in the middle of the lake, stand up because lake was that low.  So I tried it.  He was right.
• When I reached the edge of the boat launch, I couldn't feel my fingers, toes or arms (sleeveless wesuit.  noted.) and was so ready to be out of the water that I just stood up and jogged the last little bit, passing people who were still swimming. 

T1:  1:39

• I was so cold and worn out from the swim that I could barely walk in a straight line to my bike.
• Actually had to sit down to take off the wetsuit.
• Could not for the life of me get clipped into my pedals.  Remember cursing loudly.

Bike:  10 miles / 34:26 / 17.4 mph

 Coming in to T2 in all my hot pink glory.

• Flat course.  Me likey.
• Saw Sam.  Saw Sam bike fast.
• You're not supposed to draft, but I got caught in a group of about 6 girls trying to run each other off the road.  Fun times.
• Locked up my brakes and felt my back tire skid out from behind me while I was coming down the hill into T2. Didn't have to pee anymore.

T2:  0:52

• Uneventful, just the way I like it. 

Run:  3.1 miles / 27:53 / 8:59 per mile

 Lookin' fast.

• Not a flat course.  Mostly uphill actually. 
• Despite the elevation changes, it was a nice run.  I kept a better pace than I thought I could. 
• I remember thinking "Find your groove.  Find a pace you can hold for the whole 3 miles." And that's exactly what I did.

Overall Time:  1:14:38 / 7th in AG

Post Race:

• Felt good
• Kissed the Hubby..
• Posed for picture with injured Run Buddy.

 Seriously, GET BETTER.

• Talked to Sam.
• Once I got back into the car I realized there was a crusty-booger/dried snot situation all over my face.  Lovely.  So glad I posed for pics and talked to Sam. Hubby didn't mind so much.

 He loves me crusty boogers and all.

Tuesday Night Crit Racing

okay, the organizers say it's not a race just a training ride, but whatever, we know the truth.  If you keep track of laps there's gonna be a race.  Just sayin'.  The thing that made this particular ride fun was that Hubby decided to come along.  Actually, he said that if I didn't suck it up and just go ride he was going to have to come along and kick my butt. 

Bring it home-slice.

This is why in our pre-marital counseling our pastor said we weren't allowed to compete against each other.  It never ends well. 

Truthfully, I was a little worried.  Not about him....about me!!  Here I am on my fancy road bike with all the bells and whistles about to get my a$$ handed to me on a silver platter by Hubby on a $50 road bike from the '80s called "Le Tour."   I mean really, how does that look?  Crappy bike or not, he's completely capable of beating me.  So on the drive over I set a goal:  I will hang on to his wheel for the whole 45 minutes, even if it kills me.  He knew it too, and I knew he wasn't going to cut me any slack.  Game on baby!

The first lap of the race is always neutral -- that just means that the speed demons in the lead pack a chance to get away from the slowpokes before they really crank it up and get moving.  (I am neither speed demon nor slowpoke, in case you were wondering.  I'm more of an Average Joe).  As soon as the first lap was done Hubby pulled out in front of me.  Perfect, I thought,  I'm just going to sit on your wheel for the rest of the night.  This will be easy.  Yeah, he dropped me on the back half and got ahead of me by a good distance.  I managed to catch up a little on the downhill grade, but he corners really well and I'm a big chicken about going fast on corners, so everytime we turned he'd gain a little ground.  After playing cat and mouse for about 20 minutes, I finally caught him.  I even pulled him along for a couple of laps.

When the 2 lap warning was given I was still pulling and trying to pick up the pace because I could feel him breathing down my neck.  At the 1 lap warning I was still in front and starting to get antsy because I knew he would make a move at some point, and sure enough, just after turn #2 on the backside he slingshot right past me grinnig and taunting as he flew by. 

Sonofabeach!  Crap! PEDAL FASTER!!

I averaged about 20 mph on the back stretch (which has the slightest uphill grade) and managed to catch him before turn #3.  HAHA!!  I rode his wheel all the way into turn #4 and as soon as we took the corner it was a dead sprint to the finish line.  I hate to admit it, but he won by the width of his tire.  If I had remembered that I had aerobars on my bike, it may have been a different finish, although with one victory under his belt I'm sure he'll retire from crit racing just so I can't beat him next time.  He's onery like that.

Afterwards we went home and cooked dinner together  - spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, Bud Light and cherry pie.  The couple who carbo-loads together, stays together.