Indian Springs Sprint Tri Race Report

Another tri the parks sprint. My second in two weeks.

Oh, am I a racing fool these days.

A 2008 filled with weight gain, constant nausea, and zero races (all for good cause, of course, Miss Alice)...in 2009, you can bet I will be dangerous with a credit card on active.com.

Indian Springs is a small, all-female race. Nice and nice. (600 yd swim/12.8 mile bike/3.1 mile run) My plan (if you can even call it that) was the same as John Tanner. Just GO! And see what happens.

One wave for everyone. I thought this was going to suck, but it was fine. Really no contact after the first 100 or so. Water was 76, so I opted for no wetsuit. I had it on, then off...I was kind of looking to the girls that I knew were really fast swimmers and seeing what they did. I am such the follower. I figured they knew more than I did about it and I would save some time in transition and avoid that annoying choking feeling that I get wearing it. (I must have a thick neck...it is so tight there!)

Swim...bouy...swim....bouy...sun in my eyes...where the hell is the next bouy?...i can't see, darn sun...shoot...i really need some tinted goggles...I can't see anything but that ball of fire in front of me....oh...here's a turn...ahh, away from the sun.....there's the swim exit....GO!!!

Out of the water in exactly the same time as John Tanner (11:00). Long, steep, uphill run to transition. Love that. I can't swim too fast, but I can haul a$$ up a hill! I think I passed 3 or 4 girls on the way there. Ended up with the 8th fastest swim of the day which is UNHEARD of for me. (Swim --11:56)

Hop on the bike through the booming metropolis of Flovilla, GA. A large urban center that lets dogs roam free on the side of the road. Angry dogs. Where denture billboards are more frequently seen than leashes or fences.

Yep, between miles 1 and 2 of the bike, going 20+ mph, I was chased (for a good while!) by an angry, barking, biting dog. Scared the crap out of me. I was all alone...couldn't see the rider ahead of me and didn't have time to look behind me either. I was screaming, "NONONONONO" at Cujo and had to veer off the road, into the gravel and grass to finally shake him. I am sure I lost at least 5 minutes right there. At least. ;) (Bike -- 40:06)

Off the bike onto the run. Run was painful. And hilly. Really hilly. I honestly thought I was running 26 minute miles the way my legs were feeling. The only nice thing about this run was my new shoes. I got some new Zoot running shoes to race in and they're awesome. SO light and comfortable and made to wear without socks. And they're pink. Perfect. (Run time --22:55)

Finish up the steep hill and DONE. Phew. No puke this time. Although, Coach Jen said that as I got fitter that would happen less and less, so I choose to attribute my lack of puking to my increased fitness instead of me dogging it out there. :) (Total time --1:16:20 1st AG/6th Overall)

Right after I finish, I head to transition for the 4th leg of the race....the race home to feed Alice.

Start packing my bag, smack a bug on my arm.

Ow.

That stings. See the remnants of a dead red ant on my arm and a large, white welt forming. SH$#!! I am allergic....like can't breathe, break out in full body hives, emergency room allergic to those little effers. Argh. I am in the middle of nowhere Georgia, an hour and a half from home, drove by myself and I KNOW my epi-pen is expired. (Mike is gonna kill me for letting that happen!) Find the medics. Show them my arm to see what they think. It is thankfully not getting worse. Wait for the hives. They don't come. Wait some more. Get bored. Update my Facebook status as to what I am doing. Scare my family. Scare my friends. Mike is getting calls to see if I am okay. Get yelled at by Mike to take it down and let everyone know I am fine. (Sorry!) Check for hives. Nope, still not there. I am SUPERWOMAN! Take a benadryl. Decide that the one bite that I got is not going to send me anaphylactic shock and drive home.

Uneventfully.

No dogs or ants in the car.