Finger Lakes Tri 2017: And the run stands alone!

Ambitious goal - write race post the day after race.  Realistic goal - write it that week.  Reality?  Same month.  Meh.  It happens.  I sort of debated not even writing one, but hey, I suppose a PR (spoiler alert) deserves a damn race report.  Plus, perhaps reading this will make me ride my damn bike to prep for 2018. 

I suppose I just gave it away, but hey, we will meddle with details....so I can ramble.  Ok?  Thanks :-)

Tri season 2017 ended (wait, it began?) with Finger Lakes Tri 2017.  Back in 2014 I PRed with a 2:54 on this course and was reasonably confident I could beat....at least my run time.  I think I've swam about 10 times this year and biked,,,maybe just a few more.  Wait, you have to do all 3 in a tri?  Dammit.

Well, we started out the right way.  I googled my race report from 2014.  Looked up my previous times to see if I could beat them.  Laughed.  Stalked last years race results to see what I needed to place in my AG (2:59-doable) 2:51 (meh).  Legit prep, people.  I also rode my bike around the block for the first time since June to check gears, cause clearly I can cycle through all of them in .30 miles, right?  Right.

Race morning dawned at 3:30 and it was...cold.  Like, hand warmer cold.  Like, those asshats dedicated athletes at Lake Placid would probably be doing their 70.3 swim leg by walking on water.  Brr.  Greg and I loaded up, debated sleeping in (Gramma took the kids) decided $200 was too much for a late morning, and were off.  We set up our crap (can do this in our sleep), peed a zillion times, and hung out with some friends until our wave starts - me at 7:19 and Greg an hour later.  Poor guy.

Swim:  32:xx - This was 2 minutes better than 2014, which I didn't deserve in the slightest.  The water was cold AF, I didn't warm up, and I wore goggles that I probably have had since 2015.  I should also mention that there is a 1/4 mile run on gravel to T2, so I'm feeling less and less pathetic as I go on with this.  Sighted like $hit, hyperventilated when I stuck my head in the water for the first time, floundered around like a fool, and still hit land in 30 minutes and change.  Score.

Bike:  1:25:xx ish ish.  I don't recall exact time except to say it was lame as hell and I need to get my ass on my new bike, who is much cooler than I deserve (only her second ride in a race and she is already much cooler than me!)  I never felt horrible, tried my best to stay focused, got pissy because I can't figure out tri mode on my garmin (did I practice? NO).  About the only good thing I can say is A) I didn't ride scared, and B) I put in full force Gatorade in my hydration system, which helped a ton with calories...yay for me Greg for making me buy it.  Thanks Babe.  Aside from a few cold miles, I felt pretty good off the bike, till I realized I couldn't feel my feet and spectacularly crashed as I dismounted.  WHAT A ROOKIE.  I like to pretend that cost me a good 5 minutes, but it's a lie and I racked into T2 2 minutes slower than in 2014.  Even. 

Me n my new pal 

Run:  I looked at my watch heading out and was at a 1:59, so I knew a 54 minute10k was possible - course is flat as flat.  But I squinted about 10 minutes in and couldn't read my watch again.  No mile markers.  How the hell fast am I going?  DAMMIT.  At the same time, my right arch started to throb.  I had been so worried about my left ankle, which was rocking a giant open wound (thanks, run shoes!) that I was pretty pissed that I now felt like there was a pebble in my right shoe, my good foot, right under my arch.  Stop?  NOPE NOPE NOPE.  About the time I was getting annoyed with myself, I ran by a guy who called out Hey, where's the fire?  Then trotted up to me and proceeded with one lame joke after another.  He looked to be in his early 50's, great spirits, and fun to run with.  So we connected, bad jokes and all (Thanks Doug!) He old me he was clocking 8:00-8:15 miles - perfect.  We spent the next 4 miles talking (mostly him), telling lame jokes at aid stations to volunteers (Who liked the skeletons new outfit?  NO-BODY!) and had a great time.  I had no idea what the clock was doing until we rounded the last 1/4 mile and I saw 2:47 in my watch...OHMYGOD I can beat 2:50!  I told Doug, he yelled he was gonna chase me, and it was on.  I passed about 4 people to run it in in 2:49:28, with a.....48:12 10k.  Seriously???  A new PR.   For Olympic and 10k.  YESSS!!!!

Overall, I ended up placing 7th woman (I think) out of 50, and I won my AG (35-39) which sounds super impressive until I tell you....I was the only one in it.  WHAT?  Now usually, my AG is super competitive, and there were 7 people in it last year.  I would have beat them all.  Of course, they probably knew I was coming, cause I am fearsome like that.  Or not.  But...more nut butter for me.

Also a big HOO-RAY to Greg, who won the Clydes division for the sprint tri (there were way more than 3 people in it) and to my friend Kim, who placed 3rd OA for the Olympic!   She and I have it worked out...Ill ctach a ride with her next time and give her a piggy back on the run.  Sounds about right to me.

Overall, a great end to tri season 2017 and a good intro to what's to come in 2018....I wonder what that could be?  (Wiggles eyebrows)