What a fun race! I was nervous going in as I hadn't ridden my mountain bike since last year until about a week before the race. I did a clinic last weekend with Endorphin and felt good about being able to at least make it around the Buttermilk trail on my bike with shoes clipped in, but it is one thing when you are pre-riding a course and a whole different animal when the adrenaline is pumping and people on on your wheel during a race.
Nevertheless I knew the course, and until I did my track workout that week felt good. I was trying a new running form that we were working on and ended up firing off of my toes too much during 1200 meter repeats and absolutely trashed my calf muscles. I could barley hobble down stairs! How was I going to race. That combined with some pre-race jitters and on Saturday night I was really doubting if I wanted to race or not.
Being my ever biggest fan, Danielle said go for it you will do fine. I resolved that I would have fun no matter what. I am glad (as usual) that I listened to her.
Race morning I headed downtown and actually started feeling confident. I got there early set up my transition, ended up next to Karen, an awesome person that I met at the Endorphin clinic, so had someone to talk to while setting up. I had plenty of time before the race start, so I hopped on my bike and decided to pre-ride Belle Island for a warm up. The ride went well, I nailed a couple of technical spots that I wasn't too sure about and got a chance to strategize my first section of the bike course and headed back to transition with a good sweat going to re-rack my bike. Unfortunately some other people had moved my stuff around a bit to rack their bikes. (Side note to any triathletes: if you get to a race late, fine, everyone oversleeps and you have every right to rack your bike too, but if you move someones stuff who is out on a bike warm up, don't cram all of their stuff in a small little pile and then lay yours out like you are having a picnic for 20.... it isn't cool)
Anyway I re-racked my bike re-laid my stuff out (in the little spot left for me) and decided I wasn't going to sweat it as I was feeling good. I headed for the river with my cap and goggles to get a swim warm up in before the race. I passed the RMS security guy at the entrance to Brown's Island that I had been chatting with on and off for the past two days, he was a really cool guy. He wished me a great race, and I said thanks and that I would see him in a few after the swim leg on the way to transition. ( Every time I passed him he had a great comment that made me smile)
to be continued.......
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