Tri Virgin...

no more! i have completed The Rookie with flying colors and am officially addicted to triathlon..can't wait for the next one...i only have to wait two weeks :P

arrived at the ski ranch just before 5.45am to find just a few cars in the parking area...got out of the car and started to get my stuff ready...pumped up the tires...made sure i had everything and headed over to the transition area...it wasn't open yet...but Amy was there to greet me...in her volunteer's shirt :)...have i mentioned that Amy rocks!...so after a quick potty stop and some chatting with some ladies around me it was time to go in...Amy got to do the honors of body marking me at my first tri...good memory...then off to find a rack for my bike...

it was marked by age group...Open (pros mostly) first then youngest to oldest...putting F30-34 four racks back on the right side...i was literally the first one to rack in my AG...prime end spot on the first rack...just the one i wanted...put my towel down and got my self organized...then off to get my bearings...walked down to the swim start stuck my feet in the water squatted and found a large light post that was perfectly in line with the swim course...so it was the perfect thing to sight to...then looked over to the swim out to see if i could find something to sight to on the way back...first the building then after a slight turn...the exit sign...big white obvious...nice...back to transition...following what looked to be the path we would be taking...to find the bike out/in and the mount/dismount line...saw drew :) yeah! figured out where i was going then back to my spot to find the run out and run start...easy...

then it was time to kill...hit the potty lines...got some water...sat around...avoided the negative talkers...potty again...down to the water...chatting with some of the folks i knew from the bike shop...T3...others in the Cap Tex group...back to transition to drop the flip flops and grab the swim cap and goggles...pre race meeting...just generally the stuff in the race packet...and then the start...open wave...then all the men...youngest to oldest in three minute increments...then one wave of ladies then it was go time for me...

i was feeling pretty relaxed...we were allowed into the water...the mass stayed right in front of the swim start shoot...i moved over to the left...very close to the buoy line...no one in front of me...the girls behind me were spaced out...i was ready...then we sat...there was some debris in the water they wanted to get out for safety reasons...so we stood there for a few minutes...people were chattering...i just stayed focused got horizontal then it was time to go...i was swimming...there were people...then there were toes...toes! i was on them...then the toes got too slow...so i was the toes...then toes again...then bodies...a few bumps...then were almost at the buoy...then more bodies...did a weird head above the water turn thing...then 10 hard strokes...then toes...almost the whole way in...then the toes were going in a direction i did not want to go...so i just hauled it in...swam until i hit the ground...past about three volunteers...and others walking...and i was out of the water!...i was done with the swim...and jogging to transition... swim: 7m 11 seconds

didn't have to think in T1 thanks to the practice just did my routine...glasses helmet socks race-belt bike go!...easy T1: 1m 47 seconds

jogged to the mount line...people were stopped on the mount line...i went ahead...then was not in a hurry...and successfully completed the flying mount...feet in the shoes the first go round@!# yes...and i was off...me and the rocket ship just put it out there...passed up all those people who passed me getting on the bike...and just continued to bike hard...i stayed aero the whole time...coming up on the turns (most were pretty hard tight right turns)...it felt great...two skunk road kills in a row...if that doesn't make you ride faster...had a few moments on the bike...thinking wow i am in the middle of the bike in my first triathlon...this is fun...yeah rocket ship...even had a moment for Jeremiah who was in FL doing his first HalfIronMan...then it was the last turn...(wow)..popped it in the big chain ring...and dug in...i was going fast then...33 or something...then all of a sudden the dismount line...saw robert and robert and amy...then i was ready to dismount...one leg over...then stopping then...my bike was on the ground...and i was confused how that all happened...but a volunteer tossed me the bike shoe that got ejected i caught it...and ran into T2... bike: 35m 13seconds average 18.9mph

on with the run shoes off with the helmet...it was still overcast so i ditched the hat...T2:1m 12seconds..

then i just ran...i knew it was short...i gave my self a small adjustment period...felt a little twinge in my heal...must have run over a rock in my socks...and settled into a steady run pace...saw jimmy running in as i was running out of the parking lot onto the road...and was just running past people left and right...some folks just looked so spent!...one two three...just keeping my rhythm...started to hear the marching band (they were at the 1 mile mark) and picked it up...grabbed a sip of powerade...green flavor eek!...then just ran...i think...i was running kind hard...but i don't know...it felt like it...then there was a girl in front of me...then i passed her...then i was in the parking lot then i was on the path then i was done!!!...as adam said i am no longer a rookie :) run: 15m 43seconds 7:52pace

overall time: 1h 1m #7 in my age group

a very happy and successful day...the only race day objective i blundered was the bike dismount...but hey...one out of 12 not bad for the first go round...man what a great day...i am beaming and totally stoked that i liked it...it would be a long yeah if i didn't ha! here we go on the road to IMAZ...oh yeah