My Accidential Marathon!

How does one run a marathon on accident? Well folks, let me tell you how it happens!



Yesterday was the Bartram 50K and 26.2 miler. Technically it was on my schedule as a 50K attempt but honestly I never had true, serous goals to run the 50K. I added this race to my schedule a long time before I realized that Chickamauga would be only 2 weeks prior to Bartram. On paper the 50K idea sounded great, but in reality I knew it was not a smart idea.

My realistic goal for the race was to

1. Just get out and run and have some fun
2. Stop when my legs said no more
3. Help pace Tim for his 50K PR attempt

I seriously went out to Bartram not knowing how many miles or what pace I would accomplish. I just wanted to have fun. I ran this race last year (here is the report) as a training run for the Disney marathon, so i pretty much knew what to expect.

Laid Back Atomsphere
Great Aid station
No time cut off
Friendly runners
Awesome Race Director


Pre Race-
Kenny and I arrived at the race site at 6:15am. Being a true Eagle Scout, Kenny pulled out all of our camping gear to help Kevin (the race director) run the main MEGA aid station. Since he could not run, Kenny wanted to be certain that he would do what ever it took to help Kevin out. Kenny's job for the day would be making coffee, fixing chicken soup and making a ton of Grilled Cheese sandwiches! Have I ever mentioned how much of a trooper my husband is? Not only is he injured and can not run nor bike, but he is willing to come manage an aid station while I run... and drag his parents along for the ride too. LOL

People slowly started to trickle in. I spent part of the morning making runner goody bags, getting people registered and tell people about the course/race. At about 7:15am, I gathered with Tim, Deb 1 and Deb 2. The four of us decided to run together and see what the day held for us. Deb 1 is a veteran ultrarunner who was supporting Deb 2 for her first marathon, Tim was hoping for a 50K PR and as I mentioned before, I just wanted to run and support Tim's crazy attempt at a 50K PR.


The Race-
The official race start time was 8:00am. However our group decided to start a bit early at 7:30am. We knew it was a long day ahead for our little group and decided not to waste any time. With an unofficial "go" we were off.

Lap 1-
This could technically say "Lap 0.50". The course had changed this year and about .10 of a mile into the race we took a wrong turn LOL. Shortly after our wrong turn we caught up with the real course and never realized our mistake until 35 minutes later when the lead runners started running toward us. However we stayed committed to our new course and ended up running our first lap backwards. Oops oh well. We later heard that several other early starters made the same or similar mistakes. Such is the fun in Trail running! We made out way back to the starting line and then turned around to start our next lap. We only cut the first lap short by 2.15 miles.

Laps 2, 3, 4-
Honestly Laps 2-4 really don't stick out in my mind individually they were just a lot of fun and full of support. We were running a 1/1 interval and just having a ball. We shared jokes, talked about different running book recommendations, shared running stories, etc. We even compared chaffing locations. You name it, we talked about it. Slowly with each lap we would shed a layer of clothing and grab tasty grub at the aid stations. As we continued on, we talked a lot about how we would make up our missed mileage from our earlier 1/2 lap and came up with all sorts of possibilities. We weren't a speedy group, but a very supportive one and I truely believe that each of us were in that group for a reason. At the end of 4 laps, we had completed approx 18 miles.

Lap 5-
I knew if I started lap 5 that my little run of 13-16 miles would effectively become a marathon or 50K. The main determinding factor would be if Tim's co-worker Kevin had shown up to pace Tim for the remaining 2.5 laps. Reaching the main aid station there was no Kevin, so I knew I needed to stay on the trail and support Tim and the Deb's. My legs were feeling fine and the body was doing well, so more running it was. At our aid station stop between Laps 4 & 5, we made the decision to run Lap 5 backwards. We were pretty sure that running the course backwards would result in more downhill running rather than our uphill "normal" laps. During laps 1-4 our little group of four stuck together pretty closely. However, on our backwards loop Tim and I took off a bit earlier from the aid station in order to gain some time. Our little group of 4 split into two groups of two.

Tim and I continued our journey onward and contemplated all of the options. Some times we ran in silence, sometimes we cursed at my watch when it told us to run, but mainly we enjoyed each others company and kept each other motivated when we could tell the other needed it. During this lap I did get a big pick me up when we passed a fellow runner who shouted out "Hey I read your blog. It is very motivating." I yelled back thanks and Tim and I got a good laugh as we carried on. It was a nice break in the monotony.

Somewhere around mile 21, Tim decided he would "settle" for a marathon. We were both super thirsty and I think we just needed a mental break. It cracks me up to think that while others were at home sitting on the couch eating thanksgiving leftovers, we were "settling" for a marathon instead of a 50K. There is a silver lining to everything. :)

Once Tim decided to run a marathon, he immediately asked me "What is your marathon PR?". Suprised by this question I told him and then he said back to me the magical words; "I smell a PR coming!" At that point I just brushed it off and we reached the main aid station.

Lap 6 (or is this lap 5.5?)-
Tim and I knew we had a short deficit to make up from our first half lap. After some hard math while running, we calculated that we needed to head out for approx 1.75 miles and turn around. We decided to take the backwards route again, so that our finish would be in the "official" direction. 1.75 miles took us to the unmanned aid station, we grabbed a quick glass of water and Tim mentioned to me that if we were going to beat my PR, then we would need to hit the trails asap. As odd as it was, this race went from supporting Tim and helping to pace his 50K PR attempt, to getting me a much unexpected Marathon PR. Life is funny some times.

We ran and ran and walked and still cursed at my watch when it said to run. But overall, we were super happy to see the finish line. With much yelling of encouragement from our significant others, we crossed the finish line somewhere near 6:32:00. (I think) I had officially earned my first Bartram gingerbread man.

Post Race-
Kenny made me the best grilled cheese ever post race. I didn't think I would want one but after the first bite, I was in heaven. The rest of our post race time was filled with lots of stretching, encouraging other runners and helping at the aid station/cleaning up.


My Thoughts-
This is a suprise ending to my day. I definitely didn't head into this race thinking I would finish Marathon #2. Overall my body felt great for the entire run and I felt well trained/rested. I didn't head out on the course expecting to run 26.2 miles but I also didn't head out trying to break any speed records. Our pace was just under a 15 minute mile but with the hills on the course and the uneven terrain, I say it is a super success. I do think I found every single hidden hole on the course and stepped into it. The even bigger irony is that I calculated that we spent approx 41:10 minutes stopped at the aid stations. I told you the grub was good and the runners were friendly! My running time minus the aid atation time puts me at a sub 6 hour marathon. However, I know that my time at the aid stations is what helped me to keep going and stay fueled for all those miles. It is a PR my any account and one that I will remember for a long time.



So that my friends is how you run an accidental marathon! Pictures to come soon!

I love my Non Traditional Life!

Happy Thanksgiving Blogging world!

I had a mighty wonderful day and here are the many reasons why... Bullet style!


I loved my Thanksgiving meal- I make it no secret that Thanksgiving, while it is a fun and fabulous holiday, I am not fond of the traditional thanksgiving foods. Never have been. Some of my best memories are having steak, pizza or crab legs for thanksgiving. I feel no pull to have a "traditional" thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry crap and pies. Turkey is ok but it has not been a favorite of mine. Just not my cup of tea.

So what did we have tonight?

• Steak
  
• Quinoa
  
• Green Bean Casserole
  
• Grilled Onions and Mushrooms
  
• Fresh Bread and Seasoned Olive Oil
  
• Green and Black Olives
  
• Dark Chocolate Fondue (Apples, Pineapple and Biscoff for Dipping!)
  

Yes by far the most fabulous thanksgiving dinner ever! I am very pleased with our thanksgiving selections. Some days I feel like I am married to a chef! I only wish I would have taken pictures to share.



I had a most fabulous Bike Ride this morning- I had planned on a short run on thanksgiving morning but yesterday I was offered the opportunity for a small group ride. I was hell-a nervous because Kenny wouldn't be going (he is injured) and I was not sure the distance or speed of said small group thanksgiving ride. However, Kenny really, really encouraged me to go this morning and I could not be happier that I did. We had 4 riders this morning and we hit a route which I had never been on before. The scenery was amazing. There was a horrible nasty headwind but honestly today I could have cared less. It was just one of those days where the sun is shining, you feel happy and everything is just peachy keen. Those days in my cycling world don't come often so I just enjoyed it. I personally felt really strong and capable of accomplishing great things on the bike.

I rode for 36.66 miles and averaged 15.77 MPH. While the numbers don't necessarily reflect my "best" bike ride, I would have to say that this ranks highest in my book. I felt like superwoman today. I even received several compliments today and I think I surprised a few of the cyclist in the group which I normally ride with. Yes today the glass is completely full in my cycling book.




I have accomplished great things this year- Today during my ride, I had plenty of time to reflect on the year. It was fitting that today I felt very thankful for all of my accomplishments. I know that I am extremely hard on myself and my athletic abilities but for just 2 hours today, all of those thoughts escaped me and I was totally beside myself and my accomplishments.

Thinking back to the goals I set for myself this year, (See this post for my goals) I have achieved each of my goals in some way, shape or form. Most of them I have surpassed. I completed my marathon, I have done 5 triathlons, I met my weight loss goal, I have (tried to) keep up with my blogging, and not only did I run an entire 5K... I ran a 10K. Then I even bested my Half Marathon PR by 26 minutes. (That wasn't even a goal of mine!)

This has been an amazing year for me and it was important for me to realize that. I just need to constantly remind myself that I am capable of many things and that I can accomplish them as long as I believe in myself.



I have met some pretty awesome people this year- Cycling/triathlons/running/athletics has introduced me to some pretty amazing people this year. And those people have introducted me to other amazing people. I won't give to many details because then I will get all sappy and mushy but all I can say is "Thank you new friends!" You truely have made a difference in my life and in Kenny's life. It is great to know that I have friends like you to call on when I need a helping hand. (You know who you are... THANK YOU!)



So yes, today has been a great day. It was a pretty non traditional thanksgiving by most standards. No Turkey, No couch sitting, No Football, No Pumpkin Pie (although, I do like that one LOL). But then again, I don't really consider myself to be the average person. So my non-traditional life works for me. I am thankful and happy for everything that is "Stefanie."

I hope your day was great as well, however you chose to spend it!

Chickamauga Half Marathon Report

Well finally the day had come. Kenny and I registered for this event back on January 18. Ten months later and here we are. I was prepared and well rested. Kenny was fighting a nagging knee issue but I am happy to say we both finished!!!!


Here are the details.

Pre Race!
We left town Friday afternoon in an attempt to get up to the race site just a tad early. Atlanta traffic had a different idea in mind, so we finally reached the race site at 5:30pm. Just in time for packet pick up and the pasta dinner. Packet Pick up was fairly easy because we had our trusty buddy Tim there to lead the way. Luckily our name was in the S - Z line and not A - F, because that long was supa long!

Next we went to the pasta dinner... or shall I call it a pasta snack. The pasta dinner last year was reported as amazing and tasty. I can only report that this years pasta dinner was small and greasy. We met up with quiet a few Macon Tracks friends so at least the companionship made up for the lack of food. It was great to have a pre-race dinner with friends.

We contemplated stopping for Dinner #2 on the way home but instead opted to check into the hotel and raid the lobby of all its Yummy Otis Spunkmeyer cookies! Got to Love the Hampton Inn. Did you know they put a limit to the number of cookies they make in a night? I now know. Put a whole bunch of runners at the same hotel, and you quickly run out!

Here is FM Contemplating how he will enjoy his last cookie


Tim enjoying a nice cup of coffee and of course some cookies.


Kenny was demonstrating all of his cold water gear for the group!


ANd me... well I was just enjoying the company (And the cookies!)


We left the lobby shortly before 9pm and said farewell. Kenny and I attempted to sleep but it took a few trys. I was woken up in the evening by a need to use the restroom. I was terribly upset when I realized it was only 10:53pm. It was an off/terrible nigh of sleep for the both of us but we survived.



Race Morning!
We woke at 5am on race morning. Or simple goal was to get ready at a relaxed pace, eat breakfast and eventually leave the hotel in time to get a good parking spot. See this usually works when I am the only one racing. Having temporarily forgotten this was Kenny's first half marathon, I agreed to our "leisurely" pace.

HA! Leisure it was not! We dressed in a hurry and took all unnecessary luggage out to the car. Then we made it to breakfast in no time. Hampton Inn was super nice and opened up their entire breakfast (even the hot items) at 5am. They were super excited to have all the runners! And I am pretty sure they quickly realized that runners eat a lot of food.

I had my obligatory oatmeal and Kenny had a clif bar. We waited a few minutes and chatted with Tim while he had some frosted flakes!

My Bib on race morning. Notice all of the crinkles.


Kenny's bib on race morning laid out nice and flat. We know who is the engineer in our family!


After his clif bar, I managed to catch Kenny mid yawn! However in this picture I am more interested in the cat on TV in the background LOL


A neat pic of my timing chip. I have never seen these chips before and they were quite interesting. I could never get mine to stay straight so it laid at an angle the entire race. I was worried about it hitting my toes while I ran but it didn't


And of course our obligatory self picture. I think Kenny is getting tired of these but I love them. Plus look at this, he is getting so good at taking them. We only needed one take for this gem!


I don't think Tim was ready for me to click the picture! Either that or he is glaring at Kenny for his uber hyper attitude!



The Race!
We arrived at the race site by 6:15am and secured an awesome parking spot. One thing I have to say about this race is that I loved the fact that there was access to indoor bathrooms on race morning. I hate using a dark port o potty. It was a might bit chilly out so I donned a long sleeve cold gear running top and a north face jacket until 5 minutes before the starting cannon. The race starting temp was 43 which is cold for this gal.

With the sound of the cannon we were off! I was lucky to run the first 6 miles with Marathon Maniac Tim. He was going for Marathon #6. I was so sure that he would keep pace with Kenny but once Kenny said he was shooting for 11 minute miles, Tim decided I was more his speed at 12 minute miles. I have to say that the first 6 miles were the best of the race. We joked and chatted about random things. I almost got my nose knocked off when Tim pointed at a couple of deer. He pointed things out to me in the park. It was a fun 6. But sadly at 6 miles the marathon and half marathon courses split and we were super bummed. If we had only know that my split off was only about a 0.10 difference. Oh well.

I spent the rest of the race playing leap frog. I had a group of three who I was playing leapfrog with. They eventually passed me at mile 7 or so and I never saw them again. I was also leapfrogging Tim's High School friend Shannon and her Husband. I passed them at mile 8 and never saw them again. From miles 8 - the finish I tried to keep pace with a coach from Get Fit Atlanta. She was good motivation to keep me going. I will be interested to see the finish line photos to see where we ended up finishing in relation to each other.

My goal for this race was 12 minute miles. Miles 1 - 10 were dead on. I hit mile ten at exactly 2 hours. I knew this would put me at the finish line around 2:37:00 if I could keep the pace. However, I slowed a bit in the last three miles. My legs were starting to feel the pace and my motivation was thinning. I ticked off the last three miles and was happy to see each mile marker.

Once I knew I was getting close to the finish, I picked up the pace just a tiny bit. I knew Kenny would have crossed much earlier than I and I was only hoping that he was there to see me finish. Even with slowing down, I knew this would be a huge PR for me. Much to my surprise, I made the final turn for the finish line and who did I see running ahead of me... It was Kenny! There was no way I could catch him with less then 0.10 to go but I was super happy with my race. If only I had known he was that close, I would have pushed just a tiny bit harder those last three miles. I got a small boost about 50 feet from the finish where I heard my best friend Sarah yell "GO STEFFER!" She, her Husband Jon and their son Jackson came down from Nashville to cheer me and Kenny on!

My Offical time- 2:39:17 (12:08 pace!)

This is a PR by 26 minutes! I was sooo excited. I was so super excited for my finish that it resulted in the Best Finishers Photo Ever! This is definitely a photo I will be purchasing! I might even purchase extras for christmas gifts!

Super duper thanks to my running friend Tommy, who is the Owner of Peachsports.com, for snapping this photo of me. His company was the office race photographers for the Chickamauga Marathon and Half Marathon.


Right after the race I found Kenny who was in pretty bad shape. His knee was not doing well and he was limping a bit. This week we are going to send him to the doctor just to make sure it isn't serious.

For the first time ever, after the race I dealt with a tiny bit of GI issues and calf cramps. Nothing serious but it surely was a new sensation for me. The calf cramps passed with some walking and stretching and the GI issues settled once I grabbed a seat for a few minutes.

After the race, we had a blast hanging out with Sarah and the family. Jackson is a hoot. At 2 years old he is pure entertainment to watch. We played with the soccer ball, the football, gummie bears, chips, rocks in a plastic bottle, etc. By far the easiest way to pass the time. But the best is watching little kids interact. Chickamauga definitely does this race right. They have bounce houses for the little kids and tons of sports balls to play with in a big open field. Little kids galore but fun for people/kid watching.

But was was had by all when Tim came into view for the finish. Kenny was down the street on "Tim watch". As soon as Tim rounded the corner, Kenny was frantically pointing so that I wouldn't miss him. I danced in the middle of the street like a mad woman. Hopfully it was motivation or at least a few good moments to keep his mind off of sore muscles. I ran to the end to watch his finish.

Overall it was a great day for Macon Tracks
Kennys 1st Half Marathon- 2:38:43 (only 34 seconds faster than me!)
My 8th half and a new PR!!!!
Tim completed marathon #6 and the start of a 6 marathons in 6 months streak!
Amy hit a New Half PR by 22 minutes
Troy placed 15th overall and 3rd in his age group
Andrew beat his marathon PR by 40 MINUTES!
FM, Teri, Marcus, Karen, Cindy and Melissa did great in the half as well.
And Tommy and Mandie took some awesome pictures!


Post Race Day
Kenny and I used today as a rest day in the most major way possible. I slept for 10.5 hours last night! My bed has never felt so good. We did a bit of grocery shopping this morning and neither of us have left the couch, kitchen or computer chair since. Our legs are saying thank you! I have never seen so much "Untold Stories of the ER" and "True Life" in my entire exhistance.

We did celebrate our races in the best way possible; With Food. I asked kindly for chili as my post race meal which worked grew because the crock pot needed no attention all day long. Kenny made the best Chicken Chili from all natural ingredients. No canned tomatoes here.

Meet our Chickie Chilli!


Easy Directions
3 cubbed Chicken Breasts
6 tomatoes
Lots of dry beans (Garbanzo and Kidney Beans)
Diced Bok Choy
2 green peppers
1 diced onion
Entire bulb of garlic
Chili Seasoning (ok so that was not made by us but still all natural if you ask me)
Salt
Black Pepper
Paprika
White Pepper

Put in crock pot and wait for 8 hours. Put it in a bowl and eat LOL!


He also suprised me by making apple pie. We tried to make this as "healthy" and "natural" as possible. Oh how I love me some homemade apple pie!


3 Granny Smith Apples
3 Jonagold Apples
Cinnamon and Nutmeg (Store bought)
Premade Crusts (we weren't adventurous enough to do our own)
Juice of 4 fresh squeezed lemons
Organic Blue Agave (in place of sugar)

Make like a pie and bake for 45 minutes at 400. Let cool for 2 hours and try not to eat the entire pie in one sitting!



I am one full girl! (I am happy to report that only 1/2 of the pie is gone!)

You Need to VOTE... For my new bike!

This week was a super happy fun filled place at my computer. Why you ask? Because Trek finally went live with their 9.8 WSD Equinox on the Project One Website.

What is that in English you ask? It means, Stefanie has a cool new website to play with in order to build her triathlon Bike. SWEETNESS! I have been waiting months for this to go live. And if all things go well, I should be ordering it within the next 6 months.

I pretty much know exactly what I want but I need your help. Even if you know nothing about bikes you can help with this decision. I need help picking out a paint scheme!

So please vote. Let me know which one you like better!


Do you like Option #1?





Or do you Like Option #2?


So many decisions!

One Week to go!

I have one week until Chickamauga and I am extremely excited. Sure I am getting nervous but really I am just ready for this race to be here. The anticipation is killer.

Here is a recap of my past week. After Tuesday's miraculous run:

• Wednesday- Spinning class on a bike with killer resistance (Bad Idea, should have moved to a different bike once I realized it was "broke")
  
• Thursday- Purposely Easy Run (11:54 average for 2.54 miles)
• Friday- Swam 1000 Easy with TI drills
• Saturday- 25 mile bike ride (easy ride at 14.9mph)
  
• Sunday- Last "Long" Run (5 miles in 1:00:43... basically my goal race pace)
  

Recently I have had a weird sort of feeling on the top middle of my left foot, almost like I had tied my shoe strings too tight. It has only been an occasional awkwardness. I wouldn't call it a full on pain but honestly more of an annoyance.

Well, today I could feel my foot top awkwardness on my run. It would vary depending on what part of the road I was running on (IE the slope of the road and which foot was "higher"). This leads me to believe that this little annoyance might date back to my 10 mile run on base where I ran on a pretty sloped road followed by my Tuesday Miracle run where I ran on the opposite side of the road for a different slope. Pair that with Wednesday's killer cycling bike and I think my body is saying "whoa Nelly".

Today, it didn't really hurt me at all but rather it just made me think that I should really take this week easy. This afternoon was ice bath city for me! So I have decided, easy it will be. My foot could just be playing with my mind and making me feel paranoid but hey, better to be safe than sorry right?

So my goal for the week is relax and take it easy. Taper like mad crazy but don't cut back the exercise so much that I go insane. I am pretty sure that I will not run this week unless I just can't help myself. I just want to stay on the safe side and not mess up my goal race. So, swimming and easy spinning on my new trainer it will be (Trainer comes in tomorrow... I can't wait!)

Any suggestions on how I should spend my taper week?

Did I Seriously just do that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Two great days of running in the books.

Sunday, I geared up for my last long run before the Chickamauga Half Marathon. Ten miles is not a foreign distance to me and this is one of the first times I was not nervous heading into my run. I actually felt fairly calm and ready to tackle the mileage. My mini goal was to hold a 12 minute pace and finish the 10 miles in 2 hours. My goal for the race is to use a 4/1 interval so that is how I trained my 10 mile run.

I fell a little short of my 2 hour goal but I wasn't disappointed at all. At the half way mark I knew it wasn't going to happen but there was a miracle that did occur; I didn't beat myself up over it. Recently I have beaten myself up a lot about not reaching goals or not feeling like I was up to par. It is no secret that I hate being the slow person. Seriously hate it to the point of tears. Kenny and I have had many a talk recently about how I beat myself up for no reason at all. As I start to progress more and more, I expect more and more out of my body. But for some reason Sunday was different. I felt confident on my run. I felt prepared. I felt good.

10 mile run
Total time- 2:04:35
Pace- 12:27
Average HR- 168
Max HR- 183


Sunday was nice but today blew me out of the water. I mean seriously, I was floored. Something crawled in my legs this morning because I ran like I have never run before. It might be the cold weather. It might be the recent confidence in running... I don't know what it is but something happened.

Here are the stats

3 mile run
Total Time- 31:27
Pace- 10:29
Average HR- 175
Max HR- 187

Mile 1- 11:05
Mile 2- 10:24
Mile 3- 9:58!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only is that one hell of a negative split, that is my first mile under ten minutes! And it was the last mile of a 3 mile training run. Not even a race! YIPPIE!!!!!!! I am so utterly shocked to see this data. I would have never believed it if you would have told me that. I checked the pace calculator and if I had continued to 3.1 and kept the 10:29 pace, I would of had a 5K distance PR by 20 or so seconds.

I am not sure where the run came from or what caused me to feel like running fast this morning but I do know it has brought a smile to my face.


Now it is time to start the taper process for Chick. The training is done. The ground work has been laid. It is time to rest and run the best race possible. My Half Marathon PR currently stands at 3:05:23 (14:09 pace) . Look out Half Marathon PR, I am on a mission!

Tri COOTER!!!!!!

Twas the Night before Cooter...
We arrived in Florida the day before the race and stayed at the In-Laws house. We had a bit of fun running around south Georgia and Florida looking for a Bike Store on the way down. Part of pleasure and part because we were out of Heed. We ended up hitting two local bike stores in our destination city of all places. LOL On the plus side, I am pretty sure I am going to buy a store jersey from a really neat LBS.

We neded the night after dinner with a quick trip to Publix. Kenny and I decided to try out a new ice cream and bought the Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It was good but I dont know if it was the best idea to split the pint of ice cream that we had never had before the night before a race. (If you know what I mean. My stomach wasn't ready for that)

Don't I look so excited.


Kenny also taught his parents how to use our camera so that they would be ready for race day. Look at this neat gem that was caught on accident!



Pre Race
Race morning we left the house at 5:30 and hit the road for our hour long trip. It was a bit cold in the morning and both kenny and I were very concerned about how the swim was going to feel. I donned a jacket for most of the morning right up until I left for my swim start. We don't really have any early morning pictures but we do have a few of set up.

Here are Kenny and I with some family friends, Doc and Adam. Doc was Kenny's boy scout troop leader when he was growing up. Adam is Doc's son-in-law. Both of them are phenominal athletes and decided to join us on this race.


I look so concerned in this picture!


Here is a good pic of the guys. (I was visiting the ladies room... damn ice cream.)


In addition to my In-Laws and family friends, we were also lucky to have my Mom, Stepdad, Dad and Stepmom at the race. Kenny and I were very excited to share our sport and our new accomplishments with our family. We spent all of our pre-race time showing them around and explaining how things work.


The Swim- 9:27
4th place in Age Group

Kenny took off 12 minutes before I did so I had a tiny bit more time to rest. The swim was a knee deep wade in and honestly the water was a bit colder than I am used to. However it was warmer than the air so that was nice.

This swim just felt odd to me. First the water is pitch black. I don't mean it was murky or muddy, it was just black. I equate it to swimming in coke. Second, I had not swam in 2 weeks. My training just wasn't there for the swim portion recently and I could tell I was out of rhythm. Third, the sensation of swimming in cold water is ... well different. Not something I am used to.

However in the end, my quater mile swim at this race was quicker than the swim at Vidalia. (by 20 seconds) This is the first race where I was constantly surroded by other swimmers. It was never a ton of swimmers but I was always hitting someone with each stroke, swimming around someone, getting hit on the legs/ back, etc.

This race was really special to see. We had a team there named "Team Tsumani". It is a group from the Crest School in Lecanto, Fl. They competed very similar to how Team Hoyt competes, however this was a 6 person team. It was my first time seeing a "boat" swim. Extremely moving to see a race start like this and it makes you completely gratedful for all that you have in your life.

Here is the youtube video I found of team Tsunami from the Cooter Tri! I even spotted my Father in law!


Here is a view of the Mens start.


Here I am coming out of the water. The lady in the tank top (3 people back) and I chased each other for a while. She is in my age group but she killed me on the run


T1- 1:03
I felt really good about this T1 time. I felt like it was right on point that that there was little (if any) I could have done to improve my time that day. Shoes went on well, no problems with the helmet and glasses. I didn't stop for heed but overall it didnt hurt me during the race.

I will say that once I got on the bike my shoes felt extremely wet. I mean like soaking wet. I cant wait to use the new tri shoes I just bought and ride sockless. Hopefully that will solve my problem.

The Bike - 39:57 (18MPH)
4th Place in Age Group

This bike was by far one of my hardest race efforts. I pushed extremely hard during the first 6 miles and had to constantly remind myself to back off in the second half. The course was mainly flat with just a few Florida rollers.

There was not much "on your left" for me this race. I will say by far this was the best/hardest field competitively. It may have been a small race but there were some good athletes out there on the race course. I saw way more road and triathlon bikes at this race than I have at my other races. I did pass about 10 people in a total of 12 miles and was passed by more but nothing major. There were people always around but overall just a really competitive group. Probably a good bulk of the reason why I pushed so hard.

T2- 0:47
Racked the bike, put helmet down, stepped right into the shoes, grabbed by belt and hat and I was off. I entered T2 with the tank top age grouper that I spoke about in my swim and I was determined to beat her out of t2. I did! However she passed me pretty quickly on the run.

First time stepping into the shoes with out having to pick them up and pull them on.


The Run- 33:49 (11:16 pace)
7th place in Age Group

The run, oh the run. 11:16 is an awesome pace for me especially after a swim and bike. However, it is still my biggest area for improvement. I can not be disappointed in my efforts. This run was only 5 seconds slower than Vidalia and it is the only portion that is slower when comparing the two races. Considering how I pushed on the bike, 5 seconds isn't bad at all.

But yes, the run still "plagues" me as my slow sport. The sport which needs the most improvement. Hopefully this winter running season will do me some good.

I can never pass up the opportunity to be silly. My father-in-law caught this gem of me heading toward the finish line. No worries, I did my traditional Bulls sign while coming down the finishers chute. I will have to wait for the professional pics to see that one.


The Finish- 1:25:03

Like I said above, I can not be disappointed with my efforts at this race. I improved everything but the run and that was only down by 5 seconds. Even though they are two different courses, when you compate this race and Vidalia (they are the same distances), I beat my time by 2 minutes. That is excellent in my book.

The four triathletes after the race, Doc, Kenny, Myself and Adam


Kenny and Doc. Doc is a pretty special man to my husband. I bet Doc never thought 12 years ago that the little boy scout turned eagle scout in the troup would be a triathlete!


And of course, who can resist the two of us.


Doc and Adam even posed for a picture!


We finished off the day by gathering for some BBQ at Sonny's. So good. This is definitely a race we will return to. Well organized. There is a festival for the non athletes. Lots of stuff to do. Great volunteers and it is in a really nice location. There might not be much in Inverness but this race is good enough for me to visit again!

Next time I promise to get pictures with family!