Women Rock

Rocked!  

What a great race!!  I really really liked the course.  Let me tell you more.

So signed up week of (story of my life this year) thanks to Powertri, just figured I'd go up there and have fun.  We found a great RV resort to camp in - minus the RV, we have a nice tent though :)   But it was great for the kids, lots of grass in a big tent only area right down by a pretty river, table, modern restrooms/showers, game room, rock wall, nice pool, clean sleeping arrangements, no dingy budget hotel, and $20/night - score!  I got up to Park City that afternoon with the kids to get my packet (the only thing that's hard about that race, no race day check in) then we headed to the campground to play.  A nice afternoon/evening with them since they'd be with me all the next morning, and it was finally bed time.
You were supposed to shuttle in from Park City to Rockport Reservoir, a 20 minute or so drive, but I'm rebellious, more like I have kids and worried about using a shuttle (which was BAD on the way out, like hours, I'm sure they'll improve it next year), so I drove our car as close as I could, parked, and rode my bike in 3 miles.  My husband who joined us later Friday evening after working, wisely drove in in our van with the kids to the marina right by the start.  Now there wouldn't have been room for everyone to park, but there was plenty and I was grateful he didn't have to bike the 3 kids in the trailer in the 3 hilly miles - I never would have heard the end of it!
Ok, blah blah blah, sorry.  Set up quickly, probably faster and more efficient than I ever have, I tend to dink around.  Time to put on the wetsuit and head down.  Got to find and chat with Ammie Black who is always fun, great hanging out with her all day!

Swim - 15:31, 6th woman.  There were 4 waves, 5 minutes apart, I was in the first wave.  Don't like waves.
The water was great here!  Not amazing visibility, but good, tasted clean, wasn't too cold.  Easy sighting except on the way back.  I do appreciate all the buoys they had out there, I think they were really looking out for beginners, lots of kayaks too and even swim buddies if you wanted (someone to swim next to you).  I felt really good on the swim!  No legs squished in the wetsuit, no anaerobic out of control feeling.  Just felt good and steady.  There was a pack of 3 swimmers always a couple body lengths ahead of me, but I never could catch up enough to draft, oh well.

T1 - :53, 1st woman.  With a long dirt trail run up to transition I decided while swimming I would take my wetsuit off just out of the swim in front of my sandals (quick note there, they gave all participants a pair of black or purple flip flops, nice touch, but I still bought my own for identification).  I knew it would dry on the way up and be a pain in the butt, so got it off fine, fumbled with my flip flops, probably puzzled spectators who watched me hang out there for what seemed like forever, and ran up the trail.  Entered T1 in 4th, left quickly in 1st giving a quick smile of acknowledgment to a certain coach there who I'm not a fan of.  Upon meeting me several years ago at a half ironman, told me I'd go no where as a mom with young kids, especially without his help.  I passed 2 of his girls in T1....all while wearing the sportsmanship bracelet my 5 year old boy told me to wear  :)  Hey, I didn't say anything to the ladies.  Ok, vent over, he just really irritates me with extremely rude comments like that, and several other girls have heard crap like that.  Yikes.

Bike - 37:32, 5th woman.  I wasn't expecting to leave transition in 1st, I was expecting to get to kind of hide out of the podium spots since I came out of the water 4th.  My goal that day was just to have fun, not race my guts out.  Well leaving in 1st boosted the ol' confidence and I worried would push me to work too hard, but it didn't.  I just smiled and had fun the whole time!  The first 3 miles are curvy and up and down, and can be steep, but aren't leg burners.  I may have stood up twice but it was short and sweet.  Just a very fun section in my opinion.  I'm sure it could be challenging if you're not experienced with shifting quick and climbing some, so for some beginners I can see how it would be a little hard, but I really thought it was a blast!  Then the next 3 miles after leaving the park and getting on the highway were basically straight and false flat.  No winds I recall, good roads, good police support, just fun!  Turned around curious to see where I was and don't think I saw anyone for a good couple minutes.  Continued back toward the lake and really enjoyed pushing fast on those now false flat downhills.  It was so sweet and uplifting and awesome to see all these women all the way back to the lake just smiling and cheering.  I wish they hadn't cheered for me like I was something cool, because they were out there doing something out of the ordinary for them and they were smiling!  THEY were something cool, I was really touched!

So while I may still be too scared to do a flying mount again since breaking my foot a couple years ago, I do do flying dismounts, and when time counts, I DO think they are faster.  Some will argue with me, but I believe it's faster to run without bike shoes slipping around and having to take them off.  

T2 - :52, 6th woman.  Fun to arrive back in first to lots of cheering, it really was a great crowd.  Surprised just now looking at my being 6th in rankings here, but I bet there were a lot of ladies biking in their running shoes.  Hey props to them, some speedy times ahead of me!

Run - 23:54, 5th woman.  Needed to keep this under control.  I recall how it felt at Daybreak, and I didn't want it to hurt that bad, but I was in the lead and that's fun and motivating.  Just tried to hold back a little and be cautious of effort and have fun.  And have fun I did!  A TRAIL run!!  That is unheard of in road triathlons. I mean there's a few races with even dirt paths, but if it's something I could drive my little Saturn on with no problem it's not real trail in my opinion, at least not the kind I like.  After 1/2 mile on the road this was single track and enclosed with trees!  It had mild ups and downs and curves and was slightly overgrown in some places, I'll take it!  There were signs at the places we'd cross over another trail, but a few flaggings here and there would have been nice since at times I hadn't seen any markings in a while and just hoped I was on the right path  :)  Anyway, figured I'd get to the turnaround and see where the ladies were behind me and that would guide my pace to the finish.  Turned around and had ladies coming again, probably 2 minutes behind me.  Figured I couldn't really go slower, but could hold this pace and be ok since the girls I saw were in my first wave.  Enjoyed the end of the run, cheered on some ladies coming toward me and made my way off the trail to the hard part, the last 1/2 mile on the road.  I didn't have to win this race, that wasn't even on my radar before the start of the race, but I figured if I'm this close I might as well try  :)   Made my way into the finish to cheering and feeling great!  What a great day, I had so much fun!!!  1:18.39


Second place came in a couple minutes after me and immediately came up to me asking my time and wave (which I find annoying, at least say nice race or good job or hello first).  I didn't wear a watch, I had no idea, I was there to have fun.  Turns out she was not the girl I thought was in back of transition as I ran out, she was in the wave after me, so she actually won by 2 minutes.  That's ok, it really is.  Sure it would have been nice to know that, but the way I wanted to race that day, I really don't think I should have pushed for those 2 minutes.  I at least got the thrill of thinking I was winning most the race!  : D
 I'm so satisfied with what my body did, with what fun it let me have despite the fact I haven't trained it this year.  I tell ya, maybe there's something to this taper all the time / hardly train thing ;)   Seriously though, I just loved the day.  Loved having my babies there cheering, love seeing their faces while I'm out there.  Had a great feeling swim, had so much fun on the bike, and just adored the trail run, it was all exhilarating.  Way more fun than pain, way more!  Even if it is just as a swim buddy volunteer sometime, Women Rock is definitely one I will put on my calender in the future.