Up the Lazy River

Deschutes Dash Olympic Triathlon
Bend, OR
1500 m Swim/40K Bike/10K Run

2008 Results
Overall Time: 2:56:03 (126/195 OA, 44/89 F, 5/14 30-34 AG)
Swim: 19:15
T1: 3:53
Bike: 1:35:26
T2: 1:06
Run: 56:21

2007 Results
Overall Time: 3:03:37 (98/138 OA, 29/54 F, 8/11 AG)
Swim: 20:27
T1: 4:01
Bike: 1:35:49
T2: 1:03
Run: 1:02:15

Fashion Report: Black tri shorts, red Sugoi shimmel, Promotion Power Glide wetsuit for the swim, black Transition Girl skirt for the run, LIT visor, & a temporary Red Lizard tat on my right shoulder
First Breakfast: 2 packets of Cinnamon Bun oatmeal (I forgot my cherries), bad coffee, Gatorade Endurance
Race Nutrition: 2 Gus (20 min before swim, on bike), water, Gatorade Endurance on the run
Post Race Libation: Cascade Lakes Pale Ale

5:15 sure comes early when you spend the night tossing and turning wishing your scratchy, achy throat would just go away for the day and leave you to race in peace. Looks like I was coming down with Nathan's little summer cold. Nothing else hurt. I could breathe so I swallowed my "harden up" pills and pulled myself out of bed to choke down a breakfast of oatmeal and bad hotel coffee. We got to the race site in plenty of time for me to pick up my chip and set up while Chad & Nathan went in search for their own breakfast. The swim start was less than a mile away so I decided to hoof it instead of waiting for the shuttle. Goals? A-/B+ race for me. I tapered the bike and swim. The run? Not so much since I'm ramping up the run mileage to prep for marathon training. I'd be happy with a PR, ecstatic with a sub-3, and over the moon with a 2:50. Oh and I wanted to have fun and collect as much "road kill", preferably age group "road kill", as possible.

Into the wetsuit, dropped off the swim bag in the station wagon, and got in the water. OMG! This water is glacial! It felt colder than SF Bay. I had checked the USGS data further downstream earlier in the week and it was bobbing between 53 and 54 F. Definitely colder than the Bay. Stupid snowmelt. Now I wish I had my neoprene hood which I decided to leave in transition at the last minute.

More motivation to swim fast once they blow the horn....anytime now. Finally! Some thrashing & bashing as I try to move into the fastest current. Yikes. I hope I didn't kick or elbow anyone too hard. Heart rate too high. Relax and settle in. Time to sight! Ack! Bright light and my goggles have fogged up. There are green caps around me. It's all good. At least now I can barely see the river grass which is a lot slimier than I remember it. Sight again. Someone please turn off that big yellow orb in the sky. Still going the right way. Don't hit the bridge pilon. Follow the bobbing heads. Stop a few times to rinse out the lenses. Man this current is screaming. There's the end already. Out of the water. No ice cream headache this time. Woohoo! Try to strip the wetsuit. Can't find a panel to step on to get the silly thing over my calves. Sit down. That doesn't work. Stand up again. There it goes. A quick towel off. Fumbling with the socks. Chad & Nathan asking me if I need a cup of coffee. Very funny guys! Finally got my bike persona together. What a fiasco of a T1 but I'm finally on the road.

Out of the parking lot. Spin since the legs are popsicles. First road kill 500 m from the parking lot. That was fast. Through the business park, into the residential area, and finally onto Century Drive bagging three more on the inclines but getting killed by a couple including a woman in my AG. Can’t let that happen again. She’s hammering but slowing on the climbs. I could eventually catch her, maybe. Suck down a Gu. Can’t find my back tank pocket. Stuff empty packet into my aerobottle. Focus girl! The big hills are coming up. Keep spinning. I’ve lost sight of the first woman but I’ve bagged a few more in my AG. A few guys pass me like I’m standing still followed by a couple of women in the 45-49 AG. Wow! I want to ride like that when I grow up. Couple in front of me are drafting. Course marshal yells at them. I move to pass. Road kill times two. Almost at the turnaround. Passed again by a dude wearing a dress. Yeah, that’s embarrassing. More AG road kill at the turnaround. Turn and get ready for the sled ride! Into the big girl gear and hammer it home. Road kill, road kill, road kill. I’m in my 50-11 and free spinning. Crap, I’m out of gears. I could really use my old 55 but I’m not willing to trade in the compact. More road kill. Bike computer not working (turns out I put the front wheel on backwards in a sleepy haze this morning). I’m going so fast and passing a lot of people so it’s probably a good thing the computer’s not picking up a signal. Yet more road kill. Never caught that first woman. Oh well. Slow to negotiate the roundabouts. Scream down the hill to transition. Stop & dismount before I give the volunteers a heart attack. Drop the bike gear. Skirt, shoes, visor. Time to run.

Legs feel pretty good. Form is meh but that’s typical for the first half mile off the bike. Gatorade at the first aid station. Rocky trail portion is starting. At least it’s flat. Start picking out and picking off rabbits. Across the footbridge and back down the other bank of the river. I wish the sprinklers were crossing the path. More road kill. Gatorade at the second aid station. Gravel, yuck! This wasn’t here last year but they did say that part of the path was under construction. Under the bridge. Watch your step. You’ve already finished the swim. You don’t need another one. Back across the footbridge and onto the sidewalks back to the amphitheater. High five to Nathan. Pass but don’t look at the finish line. You’ve still got one more loop. More Gatorade. This is starting to hurt. I’m doing this why, exactly? Rabbit with an Oscar the Grouch jersey. Stalk, catch, pass. Yeah! I’m working. Breathing is a chore. Back over the first bridge. More rabbits down. This hurts. Last cup of Gatorade. Feeling the feet pick up a bit. Yeah! Under the bridge. Back over to the other side. Almost home. Where’s the next rabbit? It’s the woman who passed me early on the bike. She’s fading! Stalk, catch, pass. Sweet! Another half mile. Hold on. Heavy breathing behind me. Don’t. Look. Back. I really hope it’s not her. It’s not but it’s another rival I passed on the bike. She ran me down. She’s building the gap. Pick it up a bit. Legs are saying this is as fast I can go at the moment. I can’t catch her but the gap isn’t growing anymore. A last high five to Nathan. A feeble kick and I’m home!
I fumble with my chip until a volunteer takes pity on me and removes the strap. Medal, rehydrate, food, and a well-earned pint of beer. Had fun? Check! Collected road kill? Check! Sub 3 oly? Yeah baby! This sucker hurt but I felt strong throughout. It was a good race. It was a good day.