Dallas Marathon Half: My Favorite Day In My Favorite City

Marathon weekend is one of the best weekends in Dallas, Texas.  It isn't the Boston, New York, or Chicago Marathon - but Dallas, with all of its quirks and flaws, does a pretty good job showcasing the city and welcoming runners on race day.  This has been a favorite weekend of mine for many years, way before I even knew that I would be a runner someday.  Mr K and his cousin Brock have been the driving force behind the legendary Dolly Parton Hills water stop for more years that we have been married.  The Dallas Marathon (formerly White Rock) became even more special to me when it was Mr K's first marathon in 2008 and my first marathon in 2011.  I have run the half every year since 2008 except for 2011 when I ran the marathon and 2013 when it was cancelled due to the great ice storm that had us all "entombed in ice." The race has changed names once and the course and venue have changed more times than I can recall, but it seems as if the race is finally starting to find its groove.  The current half course is my all time favorite, it starts to trend downhill a bit after the halfway mark and it highlights some of the best parts of the city.

This guy is pretty famous.

I was pretty much on my own on race day as none of my immediate friends were running the half, which was fine with me, I enjoy disappearing into a crowd sometimes.  December in Dallas is unpredictable, at best, and we have seen all kinds of weather for this race.  It wasn't too bad this time - in the 50s - but super humid and with some pretty strong winds.  The race has associated itself with some running super stars over the last couple of years and Meb, Deena, Desi, and Ryan were here again.  It was a special treat when Meb said a few words to us before the race began, he is one of my favorites!  The National Anthem was sung by a Dallas police officer and it reminded me of that terrible night in July.  I made my heart happy to see these same streets filled with so many people and such vibrant energy.  Good will over come, y'all.

It was my third time running this course so I felt familiar with it and put a good game plan into action: get off to a good start, stay steady through the hills in the middle, pick up speed until the end, run the last mile hard.  I have gotten into the habit of racing largely by feel and just checking in with my watch when the mile splits chimed.  My first mile was the slowest before settling into a pace in the lower 9:00s - perfect start.  The timing mat for the first 5K is just before uptown and I hit it at 28:28 (9:10 avg).

I love Dallas. 

There is a nice downhill just after mile 4, heading down Turtle Creek, but then the next 5K through Highland Park is the hilliest section of the race.  It is also one of the most beautiful sections of the race.  The trees were vibrant with fall colors and the stately homes on Beverly Drive were beautifully decorated for Christmas.  The sights are almost enough to keep my mind off the hills...almost.  I knew that I wasn't going to be flying up any hills here, the plan was to stay steady on the ups and conserve energy for the final few miles.  I crossed the 10K timing mat somewhere in here at 56:33 (9:03 avg) - picking up speed and almost halfway done!  K2 and Jessica were working the RAW aide station around mile 7 and it was nice to see some familiar faces and get a quick hug from K2.

The next section of the race takes us down Greenville Avenue and it is my favorite part of the race. I'm certain that the spectators here are having more fun than me, the energy there is terrific!  There was also a live drum line, pretty sure I would be more efficient if one of those followed me through life.  And any day that I can high five a Mavs Maniaac is a good day in my book.  There is also a mental boost here as I know that the hills are done and it is literally downhill from here.  The 15K mark is somewhere after Greenville and I hit it at 1:24:23 (8:58).

I made the TV broadcast again! (Thanks for the screenshot, Lulu!)

The hoopla of Greenville starts to fade pretty quickly, but there was a good crowd around the marathon split.  I was feeling pretty thankful that today was not my day to take that left turn.  The streets looked wet from the heavy humidity and the wind heading back towards downtown was pretty strong.  The final three miles or so back to the finish are probably my least favorite of the course.  The scenery isn't pretty, the crowd is sparse, and I'm just ready to be done at this point.  Who knew that the random mariachi band playing "Feliz Navidad" could pick me up so much at mile 10 of a race?   The race planners must know what a beat down this section can be because they had installed speakers blasting upbeat music through this section. I probably looked like a crazy lady screaming out "so good, so good, so good" during Sweet Caroline, but it sure helped me power through those desolate miles.

My race plan was to run the last two miles as fast as I could, so I was both looking forward to and dreading mile 11.  The fast finish and LOFO (last one, fast one) plan always sounds like a great idea on paper, but isn't all that pleasant when the time comes to execute the plan.  But no guts, no glory - right? Mile 11 felt like it took roughly 100 years, but in reality it was closer to 8 minutes and 13 seconds.  Last mile, it's go time MK.  I almost always feel like I'm failing miserably during LOFO because it is just that darned hard.  The race finish line was within sight of the Reunion Tour and I desperately searched for it on the horizon.  Mile 13 came in at 7:54, bringing my pace from 15K to the finish to 8:19. Finally the finish line was within sight and I glanced at my watch and saw that I could get in under 1:56 if I just kept pushing.  I crossed at 1:55:53 - a course PR by a few seconds. Another solid day of running, I'll take it!

After the race I found a spot on the lawn and enjoyed a free beer while listening to Hard Day's Night, local Beatles cover band.  I enjoyed watching the happy runners mill about and I soaked in the good vibes and energy.  Running is my favorite, Dallas is my favorite, it was a good day.

DRC Half: 8 years. 60 half marathons

The DRC Half is one of my favorite half marathons of the whole year.  The course is beautiful, many of my friends are always there, the weather is usually starting to get a little bit nicer, and it is just a great way to kick off my half marathon season.  It was the first half marathon eight years ago and I haven't missed one since.  I'm a sucker for tradition, after all. I wasn't all that sure what to expect from the running itself.  I had a super strong triathlon season, but I hadn't really done any speed work since Kerrville 70.3 at the end of September.  This seemed like a great opportunity to have a fun day of running and get back into race mode.  It would be a great chance to establish my "base" and see what kind of goals looked realistic for the upcoming winter.  My goals for the day were to run by feel and aim for negative splits and a fast last mile.  I ran this one in 1:58 last year so I was hoping that I could come in a little bit faster than that.

We arrived super early and I had a great time catching up with so many friends before the race.  It almost seemed like a party - an odd early morning party with many people wearing spandex - gotta love runners!  We ran into the Bahas early on and I was happy that Karen shares my pre-race porta potty obsession -haha! I love the beginning of a race, there is so much happy energy and right out of the gate I spotted Drum and Stude (The Encourager).  Drum was out on her bike to cheer on Sandie who was going for a huge PR (spoiler alert: she killed her race!) and Stude was recovering from a broken collarbone so he was stuck on the sidelines cheering this time.

Big Pre-Race Smiles (Pic: EW)

I settled in and tried to find a steady pace that felt somewhat challenging, but also one that I could hold for a long time.  I started near the 1:55 pace group and they quickly slipped away from me in the first mile.  Mr K also slipped away from me very early in the race and he went on to have a killer run. The first four miles are mostly flat and I held a very reasonable pace in the low 9:00s.  I knew that most of the hills came in miles 4-9ish and I just wanted to run them as evenly as possible and then push for a fast finish around the lake.  I love running downhill and focused on picking up the pace whenever these opportunities arose.  I was surprised to see my pace trending faster in the hills and reasoned that running the downs fast must be paying off.  Miles 5-9 ranged from 8:30-9:03 with the slowest mile coming on that big, dumb hill that comes as by the dam as we returned to the lake.  It doesn't matter how many times I run that hill, it is just tough and probably always will be.

Coming in for a one-armed hug (Pic: Stude)

My plan was to start to pick it up in the last three miles since it is the home stretch and I know that section well. I saw Stude cheering somewhere between mile 11 and 12 and I paused just a second for a quick, one-armed hug. In mile 12 I saw Ninja and Drum, I love seeing familiar faces along a race course! My negative split plan worked out too and I had a beautiful splits on miles 10, 11, 12 (8:57, 8:43, 8:38). I knew that the last mile was my signal to give it everything that I had and I was quite pleased to see 7:52 when my watch chimed.  It still blows my mind a bit that I can run those paces, especially at the end of a half marathon.

I love it when I look like I'm running! (Pic: Llama Race Pictures)

As I rounded the bend and approached the park with the finish line and I saw 1:54-something on my watch and I made it a goal to cross the finish line under 1:56.  Mission accomplished: 1:55:57 and 8th in my age group.  I felt really happy and very pleased with my race - not a bad place to start my winter half marathon season!

Post Race Beer Garden Hang Out #tradition (Pic: Rico Photo)

I will never forget running this race for the first time eight years ago.  It was my first ever half marathon and the longest that I'd ever run. I finished in 2:25 and I was just so darned proud of myself because I never dreamed that I would ever do something like that.  It would probably have blown my mind to think that I would do fifty-nine more of them (and counting!). I had no idea what I was in for when I ran that race all those years ago.  Running has brought so many people, places, and experiences into my life over the years.  It has also taught me that I am capable of working harder than I imagined and that I am stronger than I think.  I can't wait to see what the next eight years holds!

Kerrville 70.3 Run: Texas Flood

(Welcome to Part 4 of my Kerrville 70.3 story - make sure you catch up with the Prelude, Swim, and Bike before you read the grand finale!)

I racked my bike in T2 and looked at myself for the first time all day and I saw a filthy mess! Cycling on those roads wet from rain left me with quite a bit of road grime.  My feet were also soaked from all of the puddles.  I had already planned on taking a minute or two to put Body Glide on my feet and change into my toe socks as I had some big blisters by the end of the run last year at Redman. Blisters can be a huge issue for me and I felt it was worth my time to take some preventative measures before I took off.  Looking back, this decision probably saved me a good deal of grief on the run.  As I stood up and began to hustle out of transition, I noticed that my right hip was still a little bit tight from the bike.  I stopped for a moment and stretched and then I was off.

As with the swim and the run, my plan was to ease into the run by starting at a pace I felt like I could hold "all day" and then stay there until the closing miles of the race.  Coach Frank gave told us that the run course started with a very long and very gradual false flat that would make things feel more difficult than they appeared.  I was grateful for that piece of information and kept it in mind as I headed off.  The course was two loops of 6.55 miles, which made it easy to divide up in my mind, and it was along a walk/run path near the Guadalupe River.  I filled my handheld (already loaded up with Tailwind powder) at the first aide station and then did not stop again until the turn around at the far end, somewhere around mile 3.

The weather had already been quite interesting and I could tell by looking at the skies that it was about to get a little bit wild.  The big, dark clouds that were in the distance were getting closer and closer to us.  I prepared myself to run through the rain and just crossed my fingers that there was no lightning or thunderstorms in those dark clouds.  I made it to the turn around and walked a few steps through the u-turn section at the very end before heading back towards transition and the rest of the loop.  It wasn't long after then that the skies just opened up and dumped so much rain on us.  I could hear grumbles from those around me, but I was not about to let the weather ruin my fun.  I couldn't help but to think of the famous quote: Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. This rain wasn't passing anytime soon and I was ready to dance!

I saw Mr K heading out on the run as I was making my way back and he called out to me that he lost about 10 minutes with a bike mechanical.  I was bummed to hear that since he is such a beast on the bike, but I was glad to see him safe and sound.  Racing with one's spouse can be worrisome as you just have to hope that they are okay and are having a good day because you often don't see them for hours at a time.

The rain kept coming and coming, it was running ankle deep across the running path in several spots.  I was a little concerned about blisters and the fatigue that running in wet, heavy shoes would bring (not to mention that I hate wet shoes and socks), but I decided not to focus on that and just wait to deal with it if it happened.  This race is especially mean as you run past the finish line four times before you get to turn into the finisher's chute.  Right after the finish line there was a huge bridge and many spectators were huddled under it seeking shelter from the rain.  I later saw an update on Facebook instructing all of the spectators to head to that bridge during the downpour.  It was a fun area to pass through because it was super loud and packed full of good energy.  There was one small out and back after this bridge and then I got to pass through it again on my way to the second loop.

My pace felt great so far, not too fast and not too labored - it just felt like an all day kind of run.  I also saw that my heart rate was staying fairly steady and was in a great range for that point of the race. I was pretty pleased when I finished the first loop in just over an hour.  A quick round of mental math told me...oh, who am I kidding, I'm not great at math on a regular day...but I knew that I was on pace for a really great run and I was still hoping to negative split the second loop.

My run at Redman was just such a mess, I walked way more of it than I care to admit and that hurt my pride a bunch.  I like to think of myself as a strong runner and a 2:54 half marathon was disappointing.  I had some very encouraging brick runs during training and they went a long way to build confidence in my run.  I didn't really have a time goal in mind for this race, I just knew that I wanted to run it well and feel good about it when I crossed the finish line.  I honestly thought that anything in the 2:20 neighborhood would be pretty awesome.

Coach Frank was hanging out in the Tri-Now tent on the course and he made me laugh each time I passed.  My favorite might have been "Hurry up, MK! I'm getting wet here!" As I began the second loop, I told myself that there would be no stopping until that u-turn at the far end, then I allowed myself one very short walk break.  This was probably the longest part of the run, it felt like forever to get out to that u-turn.  It was still raining too, sometimes just a drizzle and sometimes it came down on us in sheets.  It was during this loop that I noticed that the aide station volunteers had all been pulled and the aide stations had become self-serve.  This was one run I would never forget!

I saw Mr K a couple of more times on the run and we cheered each other on each time.  He was looking steady and strong and that made me feel happy.  The second "out" section of this run was definitely the toughest for me mentally - as the middle miles in races usually are for me  - just past the halfway mark, but not close enough to be to the "almost done" part.  I was tired, but felt nice and steady, it was just impatience starting to set in - gotta calm the restless mind.  The nitty gritty, time to dig in and focus on the task at hand.  After what felt like forever I reached the u-turn at the far end and walked about 20 steps.  And guess what? Running felt a lot better than walking so off I went again.

I love the last time through a looped course because it feels a little bit like a victory lap to me.  There is something uplifting about knowing that is the last time you will see all of the landmarks.  The way back didn't seem as long as the way out and as I passed by the finish line I knew that the next time I came by I would be making that turn.  As I approached the final miles, I knew that I had to go for the LOFO (last one, fast one).  My buddy Stude (The Encourager, remember him?) raced up at Redman the day before and cranked out an impressive LOFO despite the rough conditions.  As I made the last turn around and heard mile 12 chime on my watch, I dug in and gave it all I had.  The people under the noisy bridge seemed to know that I was headed for the finish and they gave me extra loud cheers. These are the moments we live for!

Finally, the finish line.  I crossed that line knowing that I had executed the best possible race that I could. I had no regrets and knew that I left nothing out there, my training was solid, my mental game was strong, and my race came together perfectly. That finish was everything that my finish at Redman was not. I had been waiting a year for that redemption, to put together the race that I knew that I was capable of, to live up to my potential. My official time was 6:21:05 - an hour and seven minute PR! Placing in my age group was not a goal, but I was thrilled to learn that I was 4th.

A couple of weeks later, I was talking with Drum while we were running on the beach in Port Aransas.  She shared that she believed that an athlete gets a limited number of "perfect" races in their lifetime and when they happen they should really be savored.  I believe that she is right about this and I know that I experienced one of those dream races in Kerrville. I've been working hard to savor it before moving onto my next big goal.  In looking back over the day, I can honestly say there is nothing I would change or do differently. And most importantly, I had an absolute blast! I can't remember the last time that I had that much fun racing.  I found myself moping about a bit in the days following the race simply because it was all over.  I loved the training and the race so much that it left a bit of a void when it was all said and done.

So there you have it, my Kerrville 70.3 story.  I'm not sure where I am headed from here, but I feel certain that it will involve a fast bike and a pair of running shoes.  Heck, I'll throw in some goggles and a swim cap too, if I must.  I know that this race was not a destination, but a fabulous experience a long the road.  I'm enjoying the ride and I'm waiting to see what is around the next corner.

Run: 2:06:03
2nd AG
Total: 6:21:05
4th AG

Kerrville 70.3 Bike: And She Rides

(Welcome to Part 3 of my Kerrville 70.3 story - be sure to catch up with the Prelude and Swim - I'll wait here!)

The energy coming out of the swim and T1 was incredibly good.  I noticed that the winds had picked up, but there was no rain yet and that was a good thing.  Time to take Vivace and go for a little spin!   The bike course was one giant loop that we rode twice.  We headed southeast along a highway for the first dozen or so miles before turning onto a beautiful country road for the next 8-10 miles then we headed back towards Kerrville on another small stretch of highway.  Once again, I focused on settling in and getting a good, steady pace.  My plan for the day was to not go out to fast on anything, but to get a good solid start.  Coach Frank backed up my thinking when he said these same things at the team dinner the night before.

I passed several people on the first five to ten miles of the bike, while I am a slow swimmer I am not so slow on the bike.  This was a little bit nerve wracking as we were riding on the shoulder of the highway at this point.  There wasn't a ton of traffic, but the surface was rough at times and there was some chip seal too.  Things really settled in for me once we made the turn onto River Road.  I wish that we could have ridden the whole thing on that stretch of road because it was really quite beautiful. We passed through a tiny town, but other than that there weren't many cars or people around.

The roads were wet by then and I could tell that it had rained in some spots, I was extra cautious on the turns and the downhills because this was no time for a crash.  The puddles only got worse as the ride went on, and I got rained on a couple of times.  It sounds like I got pretty lucky though because Mr K said he rode in a driving rain at points.  The last part of the first loop began to wear on me a little bit because I was so ready to see the end of it and be on the second loop.  I knew that this restless feeling might be even worse the second time around and I tried to prepare myself for it.

It was a bit of a boost to ride by the race site and start the second loop - halfway done!  I wasn't sure of my average speed, but I knew that my five mile splits were coming in consistently and at a good clip.  My heartrate was also staying nice and controlled and I knew that would serve me well over the course of the day.  I was eating and drinking on schedule and I felt pretty good, other than starting to get that "I've been on my bike a while" feeling.  My right hip was getting a bit stiff but I was able to deal with it by changing positions on the bike on occasion.

The first part of the second loop was even more treacherous this time because the wind had picked up.  The crosswind was so scary at times that I had to get out of aero just to feel more secure on the bike.  This also happened to be the section where the road was a little bit rough and where some of the faster guys were passing me so it was a bit of a white knuckle ride.  I was very ready to make that turn towards River Road.  I had a huge "heck yes!" moment during this part of the ride when I grabbed a water bottle from a volunteer at the aide station and jammed it into my aero bottle without stopping.  Seriously, that just makes one feel a bit like a badass and it is only the second time I have ever done it.

Now for some honest talk:  triathletes always talk about peeing on their bikes.  It seems to be a little bit of a badge of honor, for some odd reason.  I'd never given it much thought until I was on the backside of the course with no aide station in sight.  I kinda needed to go....could I wait for the next stop....did I want to get off my bike?  I decided just to let it go...and I laughed to myself about it for the rest of the day.  Who have I become?

There was a random guy out cheering on a small out-and-back section and seeing him the second time really lifted my spirits - especially when he pointed out that I had ridden nearly 50 miles!  I was so ready for this ride to be over, but I hadn't really realized that I was less than 10 miles from the end of it.  I saw several people on the side of the road with flat tires and I just triple crossed my fingers that I would make it into T2 without any drama.

I had set some very broad time goals for myself on the bike and on the run.  The bike was the bright spot in my 1st 70.3, which started with a dramatic swim and ended with a tough run.  That ride is still one of my best ever and I rode that one in 3:16.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to top that here, and still have good legs for the run, but I decided that I would be happy to match that time.  Spoiler alert: I beat my previous time by about 5 minutes.

T2 was waiting for us! I still know where my bag is!

I have grown and improved so much as an athlete in the past year, and I think that my biggest area of improvement has been on the bike.  I worked hard and made a lot of gains last summer and I was determined to keep my bike fitness during the off season.  I was fortunate to have discovered the Shawnee Trail Cycling Club and we join the Thursday night rides almost every week.  Riding with that group not only helped me maintain my skills, but increase them as I even moved up a pace group during the off season.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention my new bike in all of this, Vivace is one fast ride!

I had all of these things in mind as I rode back into Kerrville and towards the transition area.  I was having a great day swimming and riding my bike and now it was time for my most favorite of all - the run!

Bike: 3:11:05 (56 miles - 17.6 mph)
4th AG
5:24 T2

Kerrville 70.3 Swim: Take Me to the River

(This is the second installment in my Kerrville 70.3 story, if you haven't caught the Prelude yet you can find it here.)

I felt as if I slept fairly well, albeit lightly, the night before the race.  I was ready to get out of bed when the alarm went off and we quickly went about the business of the day.  At one point, Mr K opened the door of the hotel and it was absolutely POURING outside. We are talking cats and dogs, rain coming down super hard kind of stuff.  This wasn't a total surprise since Mr K told me that it would rain early and then was not in the forecast again until later in the day. We laughed it off and reminded ourselves that the race start was more than a couple of hours away.  It had already stopped by the time we loaded the car and we discovered the streets to be totally dry a mere mile from our hotel.

Team K reporting for duty!

The finish line was about two miles from the start, so we parked near the finish and took a shuttle over to the start.  My incredibly relaxed attitude remained in place as we arrived at the swim start.  I think that the size and energy of the race had a lot to do with it, very little hype - just some folks who were out to have a fun day swimming, riding, and running.  They had divided us up by swim waves and I had plenty of space in my assigned area.  I kept feeling like something was missing and then I remembered that my running stuff was waiting for me down the road in T2.

Ryan, Mr K, & Nestor 

The time leading up to the race start always feels as if it takes an eternity - the hurry up and wait game is hard.  I was very thankful that my swim wave was the first one after the open category simply because I wouldn't have to wait a minute longer than necessary.  The start was in a time trial fashion, meaning they released us into the water one at a time about three seconds apart.  It sure made for a pretty mellow swim start and gave me a nice opportunity to settle in, find my rhythm, and get to work.

The swim was in the Guadalupe River and it was just divine.  I think that I could have swum there all day - the temperature was perfect and it was a little bit clearer than the lakes that I am used to swimming in.  It was super easy to sight to with the banks of the river on each side and the grey sky making the buoys super visible.  I had been told that they were 100 meters apart and I just focused on getting from one to the next.  It wasn't long before I saw swim caps from the wave after mine coming around me. I wasn't too surprised either since I know that I am not a fast swimmer.

I had so much drama during my swim at Redman 70.3 last year - I lost my nose clip early on and ended up swallowing a bunch of Lake Hefner.  I also ended up backstroking about half of it and crawled out of the lake mentally exhausted after an hour and six minutes.  My goal for this swim was to get through it calmly and with no drama.  I'm happy to say that I was able to settle in to my usual breathing pattern and just cruise.  My sighting was spot on and according to my watch I only swam .04 of a mile extra - not too shabby!

Hard to look cute in a swim cap! (Pic: Coach Frank)

I never got too tired, but rather impatient since I was ready to have this part behind me and get on with my race.  Stoke, stroke, stroke, breathe, sight.....over and over again.  I could feel myself smiling under the water as I made the approach to the swim finish.  I had done it, what a relief! I could tell that it was going to be a good day.  I was smiling all the way up the HUGE hill to transition (seriously, that thing was like a small mountain).  I decided not to try to run up it and the guy next to me gave me a big high five and wished me well on my day.  The vibe in transition was super positive, I think that everyone feels relieved to get that swim done.

A shot of the big hill we had to run up to get to T1

I noticed that the wind had picked up quite a bit while I was in the water and the skies were still very grey.  No time to worry about that now, it was time for Vivace and me to ride.

Swim: 53:36  (1.2 miles)
16th AG
T1: 4:52

Kerrville 70.3 Prelude: Donkeys and Sunsets

Sometimes things just come together so perfectly that you surprise even yourself.  I've had a super strong training and racing year and my training for Kerrville 70.3 followed that trend.  I had more "life" happen during this training cycle than in most and I didn't get to follow my training plan down to the detail, as is my usual tendency.  Regardless, I felt so much stronger and more prepared than I felt heading into my first 70.3 triathlon exactly one year ago at Redman.  In fact, I felt downright chill and had a calm that was almost eerie.  I was so mellow about the whole thing that I started to worry that I was a little too calm.  Did my mind really comprehend what we were about to do?  I did the typical race weather stalking, but the forecast got worse with each peek that I took.  It started with a 60% chance of rain early in the week and ended with a 100% chance of thunderstorms by the time I looked on Friday.  I decided to stop looking at it or even thinking about it as it was something that was totally out of my control.  We would either race, or we would not race.  We would get soaked, or we would not.

Texas, y'all.

On Friday afternoon, Mr K and I packed up the car and headed towards Kerrville.  Driving through the backroads in the Texas Hill Country as it was bathed in the beautiful sunlight of the golden hour filled my heart with happiness.  Those roads and that scenery are like a love letter to my beloved state and seeing them looking so gorgeous really set my soul at ease.  As we passed through Hico, we saw a man walking with a donkey who was pulling a cart that said "will work for carrots." I hollered with excitement at Mr K "DONKEY! DONKEY! I THINK I SAW THEM ON CHANNEL 8 ONCE!!" Well, if you know Mr K then you know that he has never met a stranger and before I knew it he had pulled over on the side of the road so that we could meet them.  As chance would have it, I was right, Charlie and Smokey had been featured on a story on WFAA earlier this year (go watch the story here - it is a good one!). It was such an honor to meet them and talk with them for just a little bit.  As you might know, I consider the donkey to be my "spirit animal" and their random appearance along the road gave me an overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be alright.

We took it pretty easy on Saturday morning before meeting up with Coach Frank and his group from Tri-Now for a practice swim.  Many thanks to Frank as he was super supportive of Mr K and I all weekend and included us in some of their team events and the Saturday evening meal.  The place where we swam was all too familiar to me as I had been there on two prior occasions. Two and a half years back, when we were at a spring base camp with Tri-Now, I stood on the shore of the Guadalupe River and watched Mr K do his first ever open water swim.  I thought that those triathletes were so cool, but I couldn't imagine myself ever swimming like that.  The water didn't scare me as I spent much of my childhood in Lake Texoma, but the act of swimming itself seemed downright daunting.  I visited this same area later again that same year when the FIGJAM group came down to the Hill Country for a long bike weekend.  This time I watched Drum and Julie swim in those same waters and again, I thought that the were pretty awesome.  Now it was my turn, life is funny that way.  Mr K and I both did the practice swim in our wetsuits only to learn later that the water was too warm and it was not going to be wetsuit legal.  I'm not sure I've ever swum that far in the open water without my wetsuit and I tried not to let that worry me too much.

The rest of Saturday was spent hustling around town, dropping off bikes at the first transition area and bags of running stuff a couple of miles down the road at the second transition area.  I've never done a tri with a split transition before and it takes a little bit more pre-planning.  There is just so much stuff involved - thank goodness for check-lists! Everyone was optimistic about the forecast since the thunderstorms had been taken out and the rain was scheduled to come in later in the day.  This thing just might happen after all!  I don't think that I have ever had such a happy and positive feeling before a race.  I wish that I could bottle it up because it was a pretty amazing feeling.

Vivace and I were ready to tango.

We enjoyed a nice dinner with the Tri-Now folks and soon it was time to head off to bed.  The big day was finally (almost) here and I could hardly wait for my alarm clock.

OWS Challenge & Aquathlon: Oh Buoy!

After my rather...umm....dramatic swim at Redman 70.3 last year I decided that I would like to gain more experience with open water swimming in a race situation.  I got a big dose of experience at the Texas Man Tri in May (hello chop!) and I eagerly signed up for the Open Water Swim Challenge & Aquathlon in mid-July.  This race is produced by our friends at Tri-Now and I wanted to do it last year, but it was cancelled thanks to the spring floods.  I chose the Olympic distance, which consisted of a 1500m swim followed by a 10K run.  Because life is...well...life, I didn't get a chance to do any open water swims between Texas Man and the Aquathlon, but that is okay as my goal was getting a good experience in a race environment rather than swimming a fast race.  There were no bikes at this event and I felt like I was forgetting something as Mr K and I headed out on race morning.  It reminded of just how much "stuff" bicycles add when they are involved.

Big smiles from Mr K, Marshall, and Keith

The weather wreaked havoc on the race crew with the big storms that came through the evening before the race.  Thankfully Frank and Marshall and the crew worked tirelessly and were able to get things prepared our race to go off on time.  The weather was pretty good for a July morning  and they water was just about perfect without any chop. There were several swim distances that day including 750m, 1500m, and 4K and there were various buoys noting each distance.  Since I was swimming the 1500m, I would do two of the smaller loops.

My swim wave went off first and I just worked on getting into a good groove.  There area was big enough that there was not too crowded and I never did swim into too much traffic. The course was set up like a big square that we basically had to swim out to.  I made it "up" the first side of the square and turned at the buoy and began to look for the next buoy.  We were swimming directly into the sun at this point and my goggles had fogged up, so I was having a really difficult time seeing.  I could not see the buoy, but I was hoping the others around me could and I could follow their lead for a little bit.  It was then that I heard swimmers talking to each other and I realized that they couldn't see the buoy either.  I wasn't sure what to do at this point, but remained calm and tried to work out a plan.  I could see the a couple of kayaks ahead and I knew that I could pause there long enough to clear my goggles.  The kayaks kept moving away from me and I could hear that they were also trying to tell people where the swim course was.  Eventually I reached them just in time to hear one of them say "I am the buoy! I am the buoy!" I was very thankful to make that turn once I reached them and cleared my goggles.  Now to finish that loop and do it one more time.  Thankfully, by the time we came around the second time the buoy had been placed and things seemed a little more normal.

Big smiles on the run (Pic: Carin S.)

I happily got out of the water and headed on to transition for my run.  I did not know what to expect as I have never gone directly from swimming to running like that.  It was a challenge to get going at first, but I settled into a groove.  The run course was two loops of the park path - park of it on sidewalk and part of it was a crushed granite type surface.  There was a good amount of shade, which I was very thankful for.  I didn't pay too much attention to my pace, rather ran by feel and kept things nice and even.  I was happy to see that my pace was trending faster with each mile while my heart rate was staying fairly controlled.  I had not been doing any speed work at this point in training and I wasn't really sure what to expect. Because it was two loops, I saw many runner faces multiple times and it was fun to cheer on my friends who were also running.

I promise there were more than 2 of us (okay, so there were 3...)

I gave it my best for a strong finish (and my fastest mile of the race), but honestly had no idea how I did. While I feel fairly confident about my run, I know that I am not a fast swimmer so I had no idea how I placed amongst the others.  I didn't see any other women my age on the run course, so I took that to be a good sign.  I was thrilled when I checked the results and found that I was first in my age group.  (Never mind the slight detail that there were only 3 people in my age group...) with a total time of 1:32:30 - 37:00 for the swim, 52:56 for the run, and 2:32 in transition.

This race was super fun and provided another good experience in the open water - add "can't find my buoy" to my list another with high chop and lost nose clip. I always come away from these wishing that I was able to spend more time in the water and knowing that I am better for having another one under my belt.

Liberty 5K: All because I signed up for a race...

The Liberty by the Lake 5K is one of those races that I'll probably always do.  It holds a special place in my heart because it is a long standing tradition in my little 'burb and it was the first race I ever ran back on July 4, 2008.  I thought that it would be fun to run 5Ks, but I had no interest of going any further.  My goal was to run the whole time and I did! It took me about 34 minutes, I was wearing a cotton shirt and some bad shoes.  I was so darned proud of myself though, and I was undoubtedly hooked.  I had no idea what a life changer that day would be though and I always smile a little bit looking back at it all.  This race was also the first place that I ever placed in my age group, I earned a small eagle trophy and I think that I carried it around in my purse for a solid week.

In 2011 one of my most favorite holiday traditions was born as we hosted the first annual Waffle Party.  The idea for the Waffle Party came about as a group of us were standing around after a trail run, trying to plan another time to get together again.  A plan emerged: run the race and then everyone would head over to our place and Mr K would serve up waffles and bacon.  Life, Liberty, and Waffles is a highlight on our summer calendar and I have defined it as my "Running Thanksgiving" as it gives me a chance to look around at all of the frunner faces filling out home.

Pre-race with Fred, Marci, and Mark O (Pic: Mark O)

There was a very small group of us at the race itself as I think that most people have wised up and just head directly to the house for brunch instead of dealing with a race that starts at 8:00 am in Texas July.  I can't say that I blame them, but like I said, this is a sentimental favorite so I will probably always run it.  I was nervous heading over because 5Ks are just so darned hard.  There is no cruising or "all day pace" you just gotta hit it hard!  I wasn't sure how it would go either as I have not done any real speed work since sometime in May.  I parked just under a mile away from the start so that I could get a good warm-up before the race started.

I probably started a little too far back, but it also might have helped me pace my first mile a little bit too.  We took a left at the elementary school and the sign out front said that it was 86 degrees....okay then, it is going to be that kind of race.  I was very pleased to see the first mile come up at 8:11 - keep on going!  The race is largely through a neighborhood and folks are so nice to come out and cheer for everyone.  Some are even cool enough to turn on their water sprinklers, now if we could only get a few more trees through there.  The second mile came in at 8:01 - could I hang on for the "last one, fast one?" I was trying my best!  I love to see that turn back towards the park because I know that we are getting close to the end.  Mile 3 came in at 8:00 - hooray for negative splits!  My total time was 25:26, good enough for 1st out of 39 in my age group.

I returned from the race to a house full of friends and the smell of bacon!  I think that Mr K served up 10 lbs of bacon and a mountain of waffles.  We sure have some hungry friends because all of it was gone by the end of the day.  It all seems to go by in a blur, so quickly!  I love looking around to see a house full of friends that feel like family (and some "real" family too!).

One of my favorite scenes (Pic: Mark O)

I always try to take a moment to think of all that running has brought me over the last eight years.  It isn't always easy and those alarm clocks go off so darned early, but I take the good with the bad because it has brought all of these amazing friends into my life.  This group of people is constantly pushing me to take new challenges and be a stronger, better person.  All because I signed up for a race...

TexasMan Tri: She's Going The (Olympic) Distance

Did I ever tell you about the TexasMan Tri, my first Olympic distance triathlon?  It happened back in mid-May at Lake Ray Roberts.  An Olympic distance triathlon consists of a one mile swim, a 23 mile bike ride, and a 10K (6.2 mile) run.  You may remember that I did three sprint distance triathlons before my Half Ironman distance triathlon last year.  It was my plan to do an Olympic distance race during my training, but the epic spring rainfalls left most local lakes closed for the summer and forced many races to be cancelled.  I was looking forward to giving the distance a shot as it sounded like a good challenge.  I was also planning to use it as good baseline measure of my fitness level heading into training for my second Half Ironman distance triathlon coming up in September.  The swim would be fairly close to Half Iron distance and the bike and run were just shy of half the distance.

Post Race with Sandie and Andy (Pic: Andy)

Mr K and I arrived plenty early and went about the business of setting up our stuff in the transition area.  I am getting the hang of this, but still feel like a rookie at times as I forget important stuff.  This time I forgot to take my bike food out of my bag, but fortunately I remembered it before I took off. The weather seemed to be pleasant with temperatures in the low 70s and a slight breeze to blow around the ever-present humidity.  We saw lots of friends as we donned our wetsuits and headed down to the beach area for the start.  The sprint distance race started before us and Mr K and I were in the last two swim waves of the Olympic race, so we had plenty of time to visit with friends.  I think that we were all trying to distract ourselves for the chop that was happening out on the water.  We all knew that this was not going to be fun swim.

Hanging on the beach with Andy (Pic: Goat)

Swim
It probably took 45 minutes from the start of the race until it was time for my swim wave to go.  I heard that they were allowing more time between each swim wave to insure that there was enough kayak coverage to keep everyone safe.  As we stood on the beach, itching to get going, they announced that a boat was bringing in a swimmer from a previous wave who could not make it. Upon seeing this, I immediately thought "do not be on that boat." I wanted lots of open water swimming experience this training cycle, this would certainly count as experience!  We were finally off with a splash as the waves were hitting me in the face.  My initial thought was "I can't do this. I just can't!" I took a second to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand.  I could and I would do this.

That chop was no joke (Pic: Andy)

The swim course was a triangle shape and my first goal was to get out to the buoy halfway between the start and the first turn.  It was not easy and I had trouble even keeping it in sight at times, but I did it.  Once I made it there, my next goal was to make it to the first turn.  I really couldn't allow myself to think about the fact that I was swimming out into a super choppy lake, forward progress was the name of the game.  There were a few swimmers around me and I just focused on staying with them.  I hoped that once I turned the first corner things would get better as I would not be swimming directly into the waves anymore.  It felt like I was swimming forever, but I made it across the "top" of the triangle and to the final turn.  Swimming towards the shore was a big mental boost - I was going to make it!  I thought that it might feel like a tail wind after the final turn, but it didn't quite work out that way.  I was so happy when I could put my feet on the ground and run towards the beach. Knowing that I could survive that choppy swim was a great feeling, especially after the swim drama at Redman 70.3.  My swim time was 49:11, good enough for 5th in my age group - I'll take it!

T1
I'm not sure that there is anything more awkward than me with the wetsuit strippers.  Maybe I should practice this at my next open water swim - haha!  I think that it is just not a natural skill for me.  A random button on my watch got pushed during my wetsuit removal and I spent precious time in transition trying to mess with it.  I was quite distracted when I heard Goat holler at me to go faster - I really wish that I could have some of that time back, but I consider it another lesson learned.  I got back to hustling and headed towards the bike course.  My T1 time was 4:33, smack in the middle of my age group, but I can do better.

Celebrating with Nikki, Mr K, and Nestor (Pic: Nikki)

Bike
I was super excited to take Vivace, my new bike, out for a race...after the most awkward bike mount ever.  I had been riding my road bike so much and the tri bike was still a little new to me, so getting clipped in and finding the handle bars was a little tricky.  I kinda slow rolled off to the left and hoped like heck that I wasn't about to lose my balance and fall over.  I was embarrassed too as Goat was standing right there and witnessed the whole thing.  The weather was pretty nice for the bike, not too windy and the sky was still overcast.  There were some rollers on the course which made it interesting and fun.  My main thought during the bike was to keep my cadence fast so I would have legs for the run. Since it was my first time at this distance, I wasn't sure what to expect or how to pace it.  I kept my efforts pushed, but manageable and focused on cadence.  I enjoyed the ride, but I was ready to be finished by the time we made it back to the park.  My bike time was 1:23:46 (17.3 mph), the fastest bike split in my age group.  I might be the most proud of that as I have worked hard over the last year to become a stronger cyclist.

Big smiles as I finish up the bike (Pic: Goat)

T2
I'm still working at getting more efficient with these transitions and I think that it is something I will get better at with experience.  This one was fairly uneventful and I was out of there in 2:32. Time for my favorite - running!

Run
Much like the bike, I thought about having fast and light feet.  The run course was two loops so I settled into a pace that felt slightly pushed, but manageable.  There were lots of faces to see as this was a two-way course and I tried to let that distract me a bit.  I didn't look at my watch until the first mile chimed and I was absolutely astounded to see 8:20.  There was no way I felt like I was running that fast....but I was really happy about it!  Taking Meb's advice and focusing on one mile at a time, working to run that mile the best I could.  I was thrilled again and again as the next two miles came in at 8:17 and 8:16.  The sun was out now and I could feel the heat and the humidity.  Where did that breeze go?  I felt fatigued a bit as I headed out on my second loop, but knowing I was halfway done was a good thing. I was grateful to see Goat's face occasionally, he is a great cheerleader!

On the run (Pic: Goat)

 It was during this loop that I remembered that I could pour water on my head - not sure why it took me so long to remember that, the first few warm weather races are rough!  My next mile came in at 8:48 so the struggle was real.  This course isn't "hilly" but there are lots of false flats that make it challenging.  Mile 5 was my slowest at 9:09 as I walked through an aide station just to rest for a bit. It was a huge boost to come to the end of the second loop and take the turn that headed towards the finish line.  The last mile was 8:31 - not a "last one, fast one" but I did rally a bit for the finish.  My run time was 51:27 (my watch measured the course at 6 miles instead of 6.2 making my average pace 8:33) giving me the 2nd fastest run time in my age group - I missed the fastest by 3 seconds, so close!

TexasMan Finishers! (Pic: Goat)

My total time was 3:11:31.  The results were never posted, the names were just announced during the awards, so I had no idea how I did in my age group.  I discovered later that there was a mistake in the first place person's time which would have given me 3rd place in my age group.  I never got this corrected, officially, but I am happy just knowing I did it.  All in all, I was quite happy with my first attempt at the Olympic distance.  It is a challenging race distance as it has you going hard for a few hours and I look forward to taking another shot it at sometime in the future. I am super pleased with my base heading into the next round of 70.3 training and I feel happy to finally have a successful long open water race swim, such a confidence boost.

Grasslands Half: The Trail Is Calling

I wish that I had more hours for swimming, biking, and especially running because the first thing I would add would be more time on the trails.  I almost always have a blast when I am out there, but I just don't get to do it often enough with all of the other races and training that I want to pursue.  I do make time every March, however, to run the Grasslands Trail Half Marathon.  It was my very first trail run back in 2010 (and what a day that was!) and I have only missed one year since.  The conditions have varied wildly with each year: rain, sleet, ankle deep mud, hail, heat, and sand to name a few.  Two years ago, the trail was nearly perfect and I ran my course/trail PR.  When I saw that we would have optimal trail conditions again this year, I knew that I had a shot at keeping my 2016 PR streak alive!

Spoiler Alert: This guy killed his race! (Pic: Mark O)

Texas weather is all over the spectrum in March - while it was warm for St Paddy's Tri just 6 days before, it was around 40 degrees on the morning of Grasslands. I love running in sunny and cool weather, so this was about as close to perfect as one can ask for.  We all shivered a little as we waited for the start, but I don't think that anyone was complaining.  Mr K and I started together, but he was out of sight before the first mile was done.  He is so strong on the trails, much more of a daredevil than I am, and he had went on to have a heck of a race that day with a time of 1:56:51!  I decided to settle into my own groove instead of chasing him, which is good because I don't think that I could have kept up that day.

Post race with Mark O and Stude (Pic: Jesse S)

My pace was consistently in the mid-9:00 range all the way through the race with a few outlier miles here and there.  I ran alone, occasionally passing (or being passed by) another runner, and it was pretty awesome.  There is something overwhelmingly peaceful about running through nature on a beautiful day while saying precious few words to any other humans.  I really should do this more often.  

I knew that Lesley and Shama would be manning the aide station at mile 10, so I focused on getting there and then running strong for the last 3.1 miles of the race.  The weather really was perfect and the trail was in just about the best condition I have ever seen it.  The race directors, Chris and Anne, have done a great job putting this race on the last few years and I know that they must have been thrilled with the weather after the mudfest we all endured last year.

Mile 10 aide station (Pic: Llama Race Pictures)

I was greeted with a hug and big smiles from Lesley and Shama when I reached the aide station at mile 10.  They topped off my water bottle and sent me on my way, telling me how strong Mr K looked when he ran through there a little bit earlier.  Just a 5K to go!  There was a girl who I'd been following the whole race.  At times she was probably a quarter mile ahead of me, but the longer the race went the closer to her I got.  My course PR was 2:12 and a glance at my watch told me that I was on pace to come in faster than that if I just kept running strong.  I was expecting to see Stude somewhere in the closing miles of the race and he did not disappoint.  The end of this race is such a mental beatdown because the trail loops around the parking lot and right by my car.  I was thankful that Stude was there to distract from my impatience for the finish line.

I was getting closer and closer to the other girl, but I honestly didn't think that I could catch her as Stude suggested.  Once we got off the trail and back onto a little more paved surface I gave it my best shot and found myself pulling ahead of her!  I slowed up just a bit as we hit the finish line and she caught me.  We ended up in an exact tie with the time of 2:03:39 - good enough for about a 9 minute trail PR and tied for 5th overall female.  How fun is that?! My 2016 PR streak continues - what a year! Of course, now I wonder if I could have found another 3:40 seconds out there for the sub 2:00 finish.  Either way, I felt terrific about my run and I had such a great day on the trails.

My pacer is more fun than your pacer!

The post race hang out is always the best at trail runs.  There is BBQ and camp chairs and lots of good people.  Grasslands also has a marathon and a 50 mile race, so there are plenty of runners to cheer for and support as they pass through the start/finish area between their loops.  The sun was shining so brightly, it was just a beautiful day.  Signing up for Grasslands is always a shot in the dark, but I'm always rewarded (some ways more fun than others) for taking that chance.  

St Paddy's Day Tri: Not A Rookie Anymore

Last March I became a triathlete when I finished the St Paddy's Day Triathlon.  I am not sure that I ever had that much fun on a race course and I was officially hooked on triathlons. I had some great success in my "rookie" year with two podium finishes and completing my first half iron distance tri.  I grew so much in my half iron training and I worked hard to keep that base in the offseason.  I couldn't wait to tri again and I was super fired up to kickoff the season at this year's St Paddy's Day Tri.  My expectations for myself had changed quite a bit in a year.  Last year, I was most concerned about finishing and having a good time.  Mission Accomplished.  However, I also noticed that I finished seventh in my age group last year and I made it a goal to improve upon that this year.  I wasn't sure if I could make the podium, but I sure wanted to give it my best.

Race peeps: Marci, Fred, me, Mr K, Keith, Nikki (Pic: Mary)

Last year, I was lucky to have Mr K there to cheer me on.  This year, he raced with me and he was cool enough to let me borrow his tri bike (trusty Blue) so we could have one last race together.  We would have many friends racing alongside us that day too: Keith, Nikki, Marci, and Fred - to name a few.  While I didn't have quite the entourage that I had last year, we still had a good group of friends there to cheer us on.  Hard to ask for a better day!

It is always a good day when Byron shows up!

Swim 300m
I never know how to seed myself in a pool swim.  Seed myself too high and I worry that I'll be "that girl" who is slowing everyone down because she clearly seeded herself too high.  But on the other hand, seed myself too low and then not feel the "urgency" to push from those around me. I think that I did okay this time because I ended up starting after Keith and Erik and in front of Fred and Marci.  I I certainly felt more comfortable knowing all of the swimmers around me.  It took forever before it was our turn, but we had fun talking and cutting up poolside.  My goal for the swim was to get through it smoothly and without any drama (see Redman 70.3).  Fred and I went back and forth for a while - he would catch me, I would get away from him, he would catch me, etc. I got out of the pool in 7:27 - smoothly and without drama.  Of course, looking back on it now I think that I could have pushed a little bit more, but I will chalk it up as experience.

Made it out of the pool (Pic: Mary)

Bike 13.5 miles
It is always a little disorienting coming out of the water and I was a bit surprised to hear people I know yelling my name as I ran into T1.  How fun is that though?  Gives me a burst of energy!  I got in and out of T1 in 1:26, which I feel pretty good about.  I am always trying to make my transition times better as I know that races are won and lost here.  I was happy to be on the bike as I feel it is an area in which I have made huge progress in over the last year.  Last year the bike course was 2 loops of a big square-ish area with the back "leg" of the square being hilly.  This year, it was 3 loops of one leg of the square - you guessed it - the hilly leg.  It was challenging, but repeating it that many times allowed me to become super familiar with the proper gearing.  Blue and I had a blast and I was grateful for Mr K for allowing us to have one final swan song together before I returned it to him permanently.  I love tucking down in aero and going fast!  Mary was the ultimate photographer/cheerleader for all of us and it was great to see her face on one of the loops. I rode the course in 45:14 (18 mph according to my watch).  I felt very pleased with my ride - faster than last year on a tougher course.

Blue and Me in our swan song (Pic: Mary)

Run 5K 
I rolled my bike into T2 and searched for my spot.  The transition area always looks so different with all of the bikes and people gone.  I spotted a bag that looked just like mine and I ran towards it...only to discover that it wasn't my bag.  This is not a common bag either, in fact, I have never seen another one like it!  I was thrown for a loop and stood still and frantically searched for my bag.  Of course, my eyes kept falling on the wrong bag.  It felt like I was standing there forever! I finally located it and tried to hurry to make up for lost time.  I got out of T2 in 2:15.  I have to work on that one next time, haha.  Running is my favorite and it was time to tango!  My buddy, Stude (The Encourager - remember him?) had "warned" me that he would be waiting for me on the run so I expected to see him.  What I didn't expect to see was Stude dressed in his infamous gorilla outfit.  I might have laughed a little longer if I didn't feel so out of breath from running hard.  The run course is an out and back and it was pretty hilarious to see the expressions on the other runners' faces as they ran towards us and spotted a gorilla running.  Eventually told me to keep on running hard and he peeled off to go and harass support other runners.  I spotted Mary, who had a bird's eye view, up on a bridge.  She told me that Erik was not too far ahead of me - I tried like heck, but I never did catch him.  I was so thankful to see the turn around and I was ready to head on back to the finish line.  I had one more encounter with my gorilla friend before the final push to the finish.  Last one, fast one is always my goal, and I pulled it off as my last mile was my fastest.  I finished the run in 24:09.  According to my watch, the run course was 3 miles even (instead of 3.1) so my run pace is not quite as impressive as it looks when calculated as 3.1 miles, but I'll take an 8:06 average pace any day!

Finally a picture where I look like I'm running! (Pic: Mary)

Total time 1:20:33
My total race time nearly three minutes faster than last year - my 2016 PR steak lives on!  Even better than that, it was good enough to earn me 2nd place in my age group and a coveted spot on the podium.  Man, I love it when that happens!  And just like that, I am a rookie no more.  I learned so much during my first season of triathlon and this race gave me some good ideas of what to focus on in the coming season.  I love that there are always new challenges to be found and new goals to be set.

(Pic: Mary)

The best part of racing is being able hang out with my buddies before and after the race.  It seems like everyone comes out to cheer for St Paddy's Tri as it is the unofficial kick-off of the racing season.  I got such a boost of energy from seeing everyone, I am so glad that I decided to give tri a try last year. I can't wait to see what my second season holds!