[emartin10]

Well, it went great. Thanks for all of your positive thoughts, I really needed them.

I got out to the Res about 4:50am, and got my tires pumped, water filled, and body marking. I got a great transition area, and made a few new friends from both the CU and CSU triathlon teams. They were really nice guys, and ended up being SUPER fast!

My wave went out at 6:40am. I was positioned at the front, outside of the swim group. I went out pretty fast, and tried to get a good rythem going, which I did. I finally attached to a group, and we all traded turns pulling, kind of like a swim pace line. It took me about 15 minutes to really get comfortable, which is a while for me. But I just kept telling myself to settle down, breathe, and it worked out alright. Swim time - 24:51 (1.5 km)

T1 was alright. Nothing special.

The bike was good, but tough. I went out slower, because Olde Stage was looming. I took a gel about 10 minutes in, tried to settle into aero, and just spin. Olde Stage is a 15% grade for 2/3 of a mile, and is just a brutal run killer. If you go too hard up it, you're done for the day, literally. It's cool because people go out there and chalk up the street, and there are fans everywhere, even a few devil outfits and plenty of cowbells. It's really a cool scene. Once you crest Olde Stage, it's a beautiful descent into Lefthand Canyon. I hit about 40 mph, and was getting passed, which blew my mind. But again, I just had to settle into my race, and enjoy it. I'm sure a few of you heard about the triathlete that hit a bear last year at the Peak, and they had a mile marker sign posted that said "Bear Crossing" where she drilled it last year. Got a chuckle out of me. The rest of the ride felt really good, just hammering my big ring, and trying to beat last years time. I averaged exactly 20.0 mph over a 28 mile course. Bike Time - 1:18:17 (42 km)

T2 was quick. Again, nothing special.

The run was bad. I felt strong for the first mile and a half, and then the cramps set in. First, my stomach. Then, my right knee got tight. Then, my quads, just on the inside of the knee cap (tear drop muscle), just locked up. It was incredibly painful. My only solution was to meditate. So I just tried to think positive thoughts, think about anything else but my knees. I dumped water on myself at every aid station, and just tried to find people to catch ahead of me. I caught quite a few of them, but it wasn't the run I had set out for myself at the beginning of the summer when I was planning my season. But it happens. I averaged 7:15 miles, so that'll just have to do! Run time - 44:16 (10 km).

It was a tough race, but a really fun one. I'm hurting right now, big time. But I'm icing, treating myself to a little Light Ben and Jerry's, and just relaxing. I had a good massage right after the race, the masseuse worked my like a $2 hooker. It hurt, but felt really good too. It was a really fun day. It's not often that you can crack a smile and just enjoy the morning when you're pushing yourself the way I was today. It was a great day, and just showed me again why I love this sport.

E

PS - Camera was out of battery, so I'll post race pics when they come up!