Cotton Country Race Report...

I'm having trouble sleeping, so why not post a race report.

Saturday - competed in my 4th sprint triathlon at the Cotton Country Sprint Triathlon in Levelland, Texas. True to west Texas weather, the wind did blow.

This was a reverse tri, meaning you run, then bike, then swim. I'm not sure if I like this order or not mainly because of my competitive nature. My hubby, whom I might as well call SuperDad and quite possibly run coach, warned me about starting off too fast. "Don't start out too fast." I didn't, I thought. I mean I was immediately in the back of the pack. I passed a girl walking and thought - "good at least I won't be last." I kept hearing this shuffling sound and looked behind me to find an elderly man shuffle-running. Then he passed me and I saw 70 on his calf, great I was passed by a 70 year old shuffle runner - what a confidence booster.

During my training runs I've been averaging about 12 min/miles, every once in a while I break the 12min by a tenth of a second or so, but 12 has been my number lately. So when I hit the turn-around at about 17 minutes and some change I got pumped a little (regardless of the shuffle-runner). Then I was passed by Double-Barreled Athena, which surprised me cause I thought the only ones left behind me was walking girl and the sweet elderly couple. She was doing what SuperDad told me to do (not starting out too fast)and had some legs/lungs left to run a negative split. I on the other hand did not. Eventually the sweet elderly couple passed me too. At the time I was not thinking they were very sweet, and I was looking forward to passing them on the bike.

I finished the run in about 36 minutes and some change which was my 12min pace, but after the race we find out that the volunteer decided to make us work a little harder and inadvertently (or not) moved the turn-around out on us. So the run distance was 3.3 - 3.4 making my run time approx. 10.9 - 10.5. That's cool.

Remember the wind I told you about? Well 24mph wind makes a flat course equivalent to a long gradual hill with lots of noise. First race on the new bike, first glitch was the computer decided not to work. Second glitch - still having hand numbness which is more frustrating than anything, but I soldiered through. I passed sweet elderly lady (turns out her hubby just ran with her for kicks or moral support). I peddled my heart out, or maybe my butt off because that is where I felt it was in the glutes. I set my target on one bike at a time. I passed shuffle runner next, then two more folks before the turn-around. It was so windy and loud, then after turning around - nothing.

Later we drove home along that same route and I didn't remember seeing anything on the right side of the road, but the left side was familiar. Even though I took full advantage of the tail wind and cranked it, I guess I looked around more. This is where I missed my computer, cause I'd have liked to known how fast I pushed it. Oh well. I kept it up all the way back to transistion. Got off the bike and was dizzy and wobbly. Then it was like, wait - now I've got to swim?

So I swam, luckily it was only 300 yards in a 25 yard pool, so it was kind of like being on home court. Nothing to write home about during the swim other than I didn't breast stroke at all. Although my shoulders were sore from the very beginning... My overall time was 1:41:08 (I think), so I did okay. I wish they recorded splits, but the didn't and I've got to remember to hit the button on my watch. Got second in the Athena division out of two - Double barreled got first of course, at least I gave her a run for her money (not... at least not yet).

SuperDad says I've got to work on my running form. He knows a little about running, was pretty good in his high school days. Trying to recruit him as running coach. All this triathloning and I've finally peaked his interest in dualathons (he does not do water), so when the kiddos get a little bigger, maybe we'll be running together... Anyway he says that I run all tensed up. To quote him, "you look like you're running with a bat stuck up your --- and trying to keep it there." He's one of those sensitive types. He's right though I can feel the tightness in my shoulders, and I noticed during this race that I ride with tense shoulders too - could be part of the numbness trouble. Anyway there it is, and I must try and sleep. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if the Steath Triathlon is still open, if so I'm going to do this again in a couple of weeks.