Race Report and Review: Superhero Scramble Villain

 So . . . we signed up for the Superhero Scramble using a deal on Living Social a LONG time ago.  When we did it, it was for the Intimidator course, which was supposed to be 8 miles.  When we did it, I figured it would be a fun "last long run" before Ragnar (before I knew how crazy I would get it my training, to the point 8 miles really isn't a "long run" anymore . . . )  It was meant to be a fun chance to do something crazy with a bunch of girls at the gym, except most of them bailed/moved/were injured.  So it ended up being just Brad and I.  Brad and I don't usually run together, because I run an 11 min/mile +/- and he runs in the 9:30 min/mile territory.  Those two just don't mix well.     At some point, the powers that be at Superhero Scramble decided to add a "Villain" course to this race, which is advertised as "13+ miles".  They also moved the race from Miami up to Deerfield Beach, a LONG way from our house.

Whatever, we rolled with the punches.  We somehow ended up registered for the Villain.  Don't ask me how, I still have no idea.   We debated downgrading to the Intimidator, but decided we could swing 13 miles.    We headed up to stay with my friend Jess on Friday night, and she watched the kids.  The first wave wasn't supposed to start until 9:00, and our wave at 9:15, but we headed up to the park at 7.  We arrived by 8, and there was already a line for parking.  A short line, but a line all the same.  After we got our numbers, we started chatting with a couple ladies from New York, who said they were told the course was 20 miles for the Villain.  Wait, what?  What happened to "13+"?  That's a lot of "+".   But then the MC for the event announced 8 miles for the Intimidator, 16 miles for the Villain.  Okay, that's still a lot of "+", but better than 20, right??  RIGHT???   Right after that the MC announced parking was such a disaster that they would be delaying the start.   Our wave, which was scheduled for 9:15, didn't start until 9:40.  During this time, I managed to down half my hydropack, because it was already hot and humid.  In a major case of forshadowing, there was no water at the finish line water station, so I couldn't refill.  Oh well.  I ditched my shirt, because it was seriously hot.  I'm super selfconcious, but if we *were* running over 15 miles, I wanted to stay cool.  So whatever. 

Here we are before the race

Race started, there were some simple obstacles along the way.  And then we hit the trails.  HOLY TRAILS.  We were literally running black diamond single track mountainbiking trails for 4-5 miles.  It was INTENSE.  And hot.  And there was only a single water station on the entire course.  But we held our own.  I didn't fall on my face, which was a WIN considering how intense those trails were.   The entire time though, I was thinking what a PERFECT Ragnar training run it was.

Then, after what felt like hours, we finally got to an obstacle that wasn't a wall, and the chance to get wet.  The "Leap of Faith" is a 20-30 leap into the lake, followed by a 250ish yard lake swim.

Photo Courtesy of Superhero Scramble

When we got there, things were a little crazy.  Multiple people were having to be rescued.  There was  a rope for people to hold on to, but it went across the ENTIRE swim and was swamped with people.  We waited for a good 10 minutes while they sorted that out.  It got cloudy and started raining.  We finally got to go.  SO FUN to jump from that high, and the lake swim wasn't a big deal.  It was just awkward swimming in shoes and with the hydropack.

Climbed a net to get out of the lake.  Passed the *only* other water station on the course immediately after that.  About 10 minutes later, we stopped to provide medical assistance to a guy who had immobilizing leg cramps and was probably majorly dehydrated.  At some point we passed a mile 7 marker.  Only the 2nd mile marker on the entire course.  But whatever.  There was a balance beam obstacle, which was cool.

There was the Arach-net-phobia, which was seriously cool.   And no, I didn't mange to climb the rope.  I used to be scared to death of heights, so I felt pretty bad ass doing this obstacle.

Photo courtesy of Superhero Scramble

Other than some rock walls, which are always fun, there weren't any other "awesome" obstacles.  There was a row of deep, steep pits that were challenging.  There was a cinder block pull and a sandbag carry.  *Yippee*  NO mud.  Although it was nice reminder of how much Body Pump pays off.  :-)

As we were heading through the parking lot, we started strategizing how we would survive the next loop of the course.  Because it had DEFINITELY been way more than a mile since we had seen the "Mile 7" sign.   We stopped at the car to get extra nutrition and refill the hydropack.  Then headed out for our second loop.  We saw a guy right after the split for the Intimidator course who had clocked 9.5 miles on his GPS.  Yeah, NOT 8. 

We managed the 2nd loop.  But things were dire back at the first waterstop.  They had run out of cups, there were lines, 2 jugs, and everyone drinking from the jug.  DIRE.  We refilled our hydropack.  The 2 guys working the water stop said that they only had two jugs of water left.  We walked a lot on the trails during the second loop, but still passed a lot of Intimidator people from the later waves.  When the trails finally ended, we did the "Leap" again, and swam the lake.  Balance beam was harder the 2nd time around.   Similar conditions at the 2nd water station (no cups, 2 jugs, NO volunteers).  After that point, there were very few volunteers anywhere on the course. 

The end of the course was a total fail, IMO.  There were several obstacles at the end . . . a fire jump followed by an ice pit.  The ice pit had collapsed.   Here we are jumping over fire though.

Then the wall climb (which we skipped, because I watched a girl fall almost from the top and no. After 19 miles in the heat and humidity . . . Just no.)

Photo courtesy of Super Hero Scramble

The slide was FUN.  That's actually us.  One of the things I *did* like about Superhero is downloading race photos is included in the package.

The final obstacles were supposed to be a slime pit, mud pit, and battling past some people with giant pads.  EPIC FAIL.  The slime was dried up, the mud was dried up, and there was one person just standing there with the giant pad.  Oh, and Brad managed to cut his hand in the mud pit, which had all sorts of fun sharp objects in it.   Insult to injury, there was no water pressure in the hoses and no place to change after.

Shirts and medals were cool.  Except wait, what year it is??   Yeah, 2014.  The medal and shirt both say 2013.  Superhero says it is because it is because it is the end of the 2013 season.  Okay, whatever.  It would still be nice if it said the year we raced it in.  Oh well.  Otherwise, the shirt is awesome. 

Final thoughts:  We had a BLAST, and it was definitely great Ragnar prep.  AND I've been stuck at 14-15 miles for my max long run, so this got me over that hump.  But considering the hydration issues and issues on the swim, I am surprised no one died.  And I'm not joking when I say that.  I thought the obstacles at Warrior Dash were better.  Having *MORE* obstacles doesn't really do anything for me if its the same thing over and over, or if half the obstacles are dried up/broken/whatever by the time I get to them.   My biggest thing though, is I do NOT SEE how a race organizer can not let participants know the correct distance before the start of an event.  We were fortunate, because we overpacked, but there is a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE difference between 13, 16 and 19 miles.  Its impossible to bring proper nutrition and water if you don't know the proper distance.  There was no nutrition on course and only 2 water stations over 9.5 miles.  I get that this race wasn't a supported race, but how do you bring proper fuel when you don't know the actual distance? There's even a pretty big difference between 8 and 9.5 for the Intimidator people.  Overall, this race was poorly executed, especially for a "World Championship."  We only do Obstacle Races once a year, and I don't think we'll do Superhero again. 

Miami Man Recap (In Pictures)

Oye, I have fallen off the blog train.  Life, in all of its chaotic glory, really got away from me this holiday season.  Between homeschooling the boy and logging miles (lots and LOTS of miles), I just didn't log on enough to blog.  Whoops. 

But we've been busy here at Life Beyond the Chaos. Miami Man was awesome, and I never did write a race report for it.  Again, whoops.  It was a fun crazy ride, and here's a summary in pictures.

I'm not a fan of lake swims, but this swim was AMAZING, the water was beautiful and it was nice to not have salt going up your nose.  :-)

 Transition was HUGE.  I'm used to little races so this was different.

I don't ever get tired of that race day thrill though.

 

 I LOVED the bike.  It was an open road course, which was a little scary. I was surprised that I liked the longer distance.  I felt like for the most part, it was just me and the road.  Looking forward to some longer distance tris in 2014 (already registered for 3 mid-distance races).

 I died on the run, which was a little disappointing.  It was just smokin' hot, and there was little shade. But for a first international, I was okay with it. 
Splits were as follows, and were good enough for 5th in my division.  Again, a little disappointing, but it was what it was, and it was defiantly a learning experience.

Swim:  0:26:07

T1:  1:58

Bike:  1:18:02

T2:  1:33

Run:  1:29:20

0

Total:  03:16:59.50

 I got to meet up with Ragnar team-mate Dawn, who smoked the female relay with her team.

I found myself both glad and sad tri season was over.  I love triathlon, it is such an AMAZING sport.  But it has been nice to just get back to the run.  Since Miami Man, I have literally split my time between only running and lifting.  I haven't touched my bike and I haven't done much else, which has resulted in FINALLY getting some really good running miles logged.  Which (hopefully) will translate to an improvement in my pace come February.  Only time will tell.  

I'm already registered for Miami Man again next year--its a great way to end Tri season.  :-)

Miami Man Ramblings

Miami Man is almost here.  THREE short days until my first non-sprint triathlon.  I waiver between being scared to death, excited, and nervous. Part of me wants to just get this over with so I can go back to having a training life, rather than being stuck in the continuous recovery/preparation phase that has governed my life for the past 6 weeks.  Because TRAINING is the only real break I get from my every day.

 I'm doing the international distance.  Its more than twice what I've done so far this year, but approximately half of a Half Iron Distance . . . 0.6mi swim/22 mi bike/6.6 mi run.

So to break it down . . . first comes the swim.  .6 mile lake swim.  And can I just say HOLY CRAP, it looks long on paper.  

Goal for the swim . . . not die.  Really, that's all I'm going for.  A goal is under 25 minutes, B goal is 30.  But not drowning (or needing to hold on to a freaking lifeguard) would be acceptable as well.

 The bike . . . 22 miles in the Redlands (agricultural district) . . . flat, crappy roads with nothing to block the wind.  Wind tends to be out of the ENE, so it could be a rough ride back.  It was blowing 25 mph earlier in the week (which was freaking me out) but has calmed down. Hope it stays that way.

Goal for the bike . . . hard to say because it depends on the wind.  I'd like to negative split the out and back.  A goal is 18mph+, B goal is 17.  But I really haven't ever tried to keep that pace for 22 miles, so we'll see.  I will just have to pretend my favorite riding partners are pulling me the whole way. Any time I feel like quitting I'll definitely be thinking of Rosie and Sus.

The RUN . . . the whole reason I picked to do my first mid-distance Tri at THIS particular race is because loops make me want to scream.  I hate loops with a passion.  This 6.6 mile run should be pretty cool though, since its through the zoo.  I have spent a bazillion hours at this zoo, so I know it like the back of my hand.  This SHOULD be handy when it comes to knowing where I'm at and how much further to go.

I KNOW KNOW KNOW the run is going to be the hardest part for me.  I have a tendency to spin more on the bike racing than I do when I train. Which means my legs are dead for the run.  I haven't bricked enough in training, I KNOW it.  So, in an effort to not suck on the run, I'm dedicating miles . . . so corniness ensues NOW. . .

Mile 1 - My kiddos, who motivated me to START my fitness journey and keep me moving.
Mile 2 - My hubby, who will be waiting for me at the finish (thanks to an awesome friend) . . . he used to think I was crazy for doing this stuff but I'm slowly pulling him over to the dark side
Mile 3 - My Tough Chik Sisters, who motivate me and move me and never fail to support each other
Mile 4 - Every single woman out there who ever thought she couldn't do something.  Who felt like she was too fat, too slow, to weak . . .I have to post this now because its been in the back of my head all week.

Mile 5 - A few very special friends who are going through a REALLY, REALLY crappy year.   They know who they are. 
Mile 6 - My gym peeps, Cherokee, Peggy, Carmen, Abbey, Lourdes, Dawn. . . really too many to list them all; and my forever running bud Jess, who will be racing her own 13.1 at the same time; my good friend Julie who has always given me something to aspire to in mothering and in speed, and who has been recovering from an injury for a large chunk of the year :-)
That last 0.6 .  .  myself.  This race closes out the competitive year for me, as well as my tri season.  And it WAS a season.  6 sprint triathlons since March.   This will be my 12th event in 11 months.  Something I would never have considered possible a few years ago.  This has been a break through year for me and I want it to end on a high note. 

A goal for the run is a 10:30 pace but that may be pushing it.  I'd really like to be under an 11 minute mile as a B goal, but it really depends on how the bike goes.

A goal is to be done under 3 hours.  B goal is to (once again) simply NOT DIE.

And eep, I think I'm now officially really freaked out, having put all of that in writing.   Have an amazing long weekend, friends!

Miami Beach Halloween Half 2013 . . . the one that almost didn't happen

I wasn't entirely certain I could handle a half marathon in October, when my tri season wasn't ending until the 2nd weekend in November.  But alas, hubs and I committed to the do the Miami Beach Halloween Half.  I worked this race last year and it looked super fun--lots of people dressing up in costumes.   In the weeks leading up to this badboy, I was secretly hoping for a new half marathon PR.

Then my oldest son got sick. Then I spent the whole week coughing up a lung and fighting a horrible sinus thing.  Brad got sent out of town on a whirlwind two day business trip.  I didn't sleep.  I was pretty sure that not only was PR NOT happening, I was probably going to be taking my first DNS (Did not start) because I couldn't walk around the block without feeling like I was going to die.

The night before the race, I took nyquil and spent most of the night sleeping in a chair (AGAIN).  I resigned myself to the DNS, but decided to pack my race clothes "just in case" because I knew I would regret it if I didn't.  We always work these races, so even if I wasn't racing, I was still going to help out.  I was undecided until 30 minutes before the race started.  It was SUCH a beautiful day.  I finally decided what the heck.  It was 4 miles from the start to where we ran by the finish line for the first time.  If I felt bad, I would just stop there.  Dead Last > Did Not Finish > Did Not Start.   So I got dressed.

 We were supposed to be Gilligan and Mary Anne, but I failed getting Brad the signature hat and didn't really do it to the full extent we could have.

I started off SUPER slow, just willing myself to get warmed up and *not die*.  At this point I had zero expectations and just wanted to enjoy the moment.

The view as we passed the finish line the FIRST time (mile 4).  I was feeling good, and kept going.

 And all things considered, THIS was a beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning.  We had to run half a mile on the beach on the way out, and then the same half mile on the way back (around mile 11).  No biggie on the way out.  On the way BACK on the other hand . . .

At about mile 5, I felt INCREDIBLE so I decided to pick up to my goal pace.  I knew PR wasn't happening, so I decided to make this a training run and go for a negative split.  It so happened that my music stopped working, so I ran 3.5 miles between a 9:25-10:25 min/mile pace. (Fast fast fast for me) I was feeling ON FIRE.  And then, two things happened.  # 1 was that there were no water stations  for 3 miles.   #2 was we turned on to the famous Lincoln Road, which is APPARENTLY not my cup of tea.  I did not dig the detour, I was thirsty, and I crashed quickly.  I slowed down and never got my mojo back.  I know nutrition was an issue, because I wasn't feeling well and didn't eat like I normally would have leading up to a race. 

Back on the beach stretch I got to hang with Dr. Dribble , which was fun and entertaining.  Even HE had to carry his balls across the beach stretch. 

And THEN came the biggest letdown of the race . . . we had to run PAST the finishline AGAIN for the last 1.5 of the race.  All the way to the site of the after party.  Then turn around and run BACK to the finish line.  No secret to those that know me that I am NOT a loop girl.  I am an out and back girl.  I don't run by my house because I WILL quit.  This was totally because of a last minute course change the city required, but it was PAINFUL.   My mental toughness was gone.  I walked way more than I should have. I was SO GLAD when I finally crossed that finish line.

My time for half marathon #3 was 2:36 and change, just under a 12 minute mile.  Not what I was hoping for going in, but not as slow as my first half.  It was a total learning experience.   Things I learned:
-Speed work pays off.  I CAN maintain a faster pace for a prolonged period.  All of my tempo runs have been in the 3-4 mile range, and if I expect to maintain a faster pace for 13.1, I need to start upping my tempo runs.
-I actually stay on pace better with music.  I think from now on, music is for the last half or so.  Or maybe the first 3rd and last 3rd.
-I still need to carry my own water, because if I don't drink, I crash.
-I can ABSOLUTELY kill my run at Miami Man this coming weekend, and hopefully do it under an 11 minute mile pace if things go well.  I CAN RUN FAST(ER) if I focus. 
And, your TMI for the day . . . if you run with a head cold, it drains, and it causes tummy trouble. NOT FUN.

Recovery coming off this race was not great, simply because I felt so crappy after that I didn't even stretch like I should have.   I have felt under the weather for the week and a half since, and haven't really done much of anything.  Mostly because Miami Man is this weekend, and as my "A" race for the year, I want fresh legs.  Another thing I learned about myself is that scheduling too much to close in means I end up undertrained.  I haven't really trained since the first week in October, between recovery from the Columbus Day Tri, this race.  Soooo ready to be done with Miami Man so I have two months to just FOCUS on miles and speed before Ragnar and the spring half marathons.

Hoping YOU had an amazing October. 

Stronger Together (and a Race Report for Columbus Day Triathlon)

This past weekend was the Columbus Day Triathlon at CB Smith Park.  The soul reason I signed up for this race was because my former neighbor and long time training bud Jessica was celebrating her 34th birthday, Tough Chik style, by doing something she never thought she would do--a triathlon.
Coincidentally, my Tri season started back in March on this same course.   It seemed an appropriate way to end my sprint season.  The only multisport event left on my calendar is the Miami Man International Distance Tri in just 4 short weeks (with the Halloween Half sandwiched in between). 

Anyway, I was off my game this past week.  Anxiety and eating like crap and all that fun jazz.  I can't even explain it.  Anyway, I was feeling off my game coming in to the weekend.  But seeing as the whole reason I was doing this was to support my friend, it really didn't matter.  All I knew was that I *had* to do better on the bike portion of the course than I did back in March.

Jess and I were looking super adorable in our Tough Chik Zoom Zoom kits, with matching painted nails and the whole nine yards. 

Its FINALLY cooling down a hair in South Florida . . . which means mid 70s in the morning instead of 80s.  Race morning dawned beautiful and calm.  The lake was pleasant (as opposed to March when it was bone chillingly cold).  We met so so so many first time triathletes waiting to start, which was amazing!  The swim was just meh for me.  I'm so much more comfortable in the water than I was when the season started, but I'm just not an efficient swimmer.  And I can't seem to swim in a straight line to save my life.  Going to work on that as much as I can in the off season (even though our Y pool is closed) so that next year can be better.

The bike was ROCKING.  All the weekends spent schlepping around with my awesome riding friends has paid off.   I averaged 19mph over 11 according to my computer, and 18.5 according to race timing.  The only people who really passed me were serious competitors on tri bikes.  I was super stoked at how fast my little aluminum baby rode.

Legs felt like jello after the bike, which I know is because I'm not practicing enough bricks at my race pace.  I'm too lazy to push that much outside of a race.  Something to work on going forward.  I was determined to break an 11:00 min/mile pace, which has been my pace for the ENTIRE summer, on this run, so I set my watch timer for 33 minutes, making sure I was on pace at each mile marker.  This race is a 2 loop run, and at loop one I got passed by a young lady I remembered from packet pickup.  I spent all of the 2nd loop watching her back, and we finished together. Pace for the run came out at 10:21, which makes me SUPER stoked to see what I can pull off at the Halloween Half. 

Times were good enough for 2nd place Athena.  If I would have raced Age Group, I would have been first, but I'm so incredibly happy being an Athena.  I feel at home there. 

I had to grab a picture with Madison, the awesome chik I kept an eye on during that second loop.  My favorite races are always the ones where I find someone to keep me company/push/encourage over those last miles.  She scored a 1st in her age group.  

 Jess did amazing for her first time out, scoring 3rd in her age group. 

 This medal design is probably my favorite of the season.

The bling is nice, but this is my favorite race of the season for another reason.  In part because there were so many newbies there to encourage.  It was a personal best (by a lot) on the run, and I felt sooo strong on the bike.  It was nice to conquer a course that conquered me back in March.  But its more than that.

 One of the great advantages of racing with Multirace is that they give you a link to all your stats, and keep track of everything.  I think back to who I was when I did that first race in 2009, and how far I've come since then.  I was still scared, wasn't sure what I could tackle.  I feel slow, still, but when you look at the progression, its slow forward progress.  SLOW, but still progress.    And this last race was all the sweeter because I managed to improve while being two months in with this whole homeschooling thing. 

And THIS is the Stronger Together part of this post.  This progress has been possible because of support.   The folks I run with on a daily basis from the gym and from my running group.  My Tough Chik sisters, who keep me motivated when days are rough at home and I want to sit down in cry.  Who understand that determined does not necessarily mean FAST, and don't care.

As I look forward to 2014, I want to cry--half out of terror, and half out of sheer excitement.  I'm chasing a 2:22 half marathon goal this season.  I want to tackle the Ragnar Relay with so much more strength than I did last year (it was certainly the event that turned me in to a distance runner).  I (can't believe I'm saying this out loud) hope to tackle my first marathon.  Its time to stop settling for "slow" and going for more.

Its never easier to push the envelope, but its SO much easier with people by your side.  Pacing you, pushing you, cheering you on.  Getting stronger (faster/fitter/happier/healthier) is never easy.  Its not in a pill or a powder.  Its in the work you put in, every day, and how you look at your life.  Sometimes we, as a society, like to compare/compete/demean each other . . . but we are STRONGER when we work together.  I was stronger because I managed to attach myself to Madison during the last 1.5 miles of that race.  I am stronger because I just happened to "meet" TooTallFritz in a Weimaraner discussion group online, a lifetime before even considered running.

Sometimes, as we struggle, we feel alone.  Like we are the only ones who feel that way.  Like you might be the only person who wants to quit, so you do, because it doesn't seem like anyone else is struggling.

The miles go by a little smoother when you know someone believes in you.

The tears come a little easier when you know someone is crying with you, even if they aren't in the same room, or the same state, or the same country. 

Find a tribe to help you reach your goals.  Find them in a gym or a run group . . . or if you still feel like you are drifting on alone, join Team Tough Chik.  Its easier to believe in yourself when there are others who believe in you.  When people who have never even met you believe in you.  Team Tough Chik registration is open only through the end of the month.

Fast or slow, thick or thin, we are STRONGER TOGETHER.  So go out, get inspired, and be inspiring. 

On Values and What Is Right

The world right now is a world of uncertainty, especially here on the bit of soil we call America.  There is finger pointing, there is a blame game, and there is a government (not one side or the other of the government, but the ENTIRE government) playing politics and being ridiculous while the American people suffer.  There are children shooting each other in school and adults shooting each other almost everywhere.

There are people who make vows to one another and then simply leave when the going gets tough.  And no, I'm not saying there is anything simple about separating from a spouse.  But we live in a world where a PROMISE really just means "I promise to love you while its convenient and easy.  Unless it gets hard.  Then I'm done." 

There are people who spend the few hours they have with their kids with electronics in front of their face instead of listening, REALLY listening to what their kids have to say.  Our children can be empowered when we give them a voice and actually LISTEN to what they are saying.

I'm blown away lately by the nastiness that is floating around in the world. . . from partisan rants to vitriol among people that should be friends. It leaves you with a yucky feeling.

So do yourself a favor.  Smile.  Say something nice to someone.   Listen when your children speak.  Turn off the TV and have dinner as a family. Let your children know that their opinions and thoughts matter.  Model how they should treat people by how YOU treat people.

Our world is broken, and sad, and sorry right now. But it doesn't have to be that way.  Even though we are each single people, we can change our little corner of the world.  We can change it for our children.  We can change it for our friends.  Bad things will happen, but we can approach them with grace and show that strength is beautiful.  We can revel in the simple beauty of the day.  We can find wonder in the simpler things in life.

We had a great yoga class a few weeks back about keeping steady in times of uncertainty.  Going back to basics is a great way to do this.  Our foundations, our roots are what keep us strong.  What is your foundation?  What are your strengths?  Think of those things as you move through your day. 

Take a step back. Unplug.  Do something kind.  Say a kind word to someone you don't know.  When you make a promise, keep it.  And when there are people in your life who don't do these things, let them go, because they don't add any value to your life.  Our days on Earth are numbered . . . we are each only here for so long.  Don't kid yourself that what you do DOESN'T impact someone.  Because it can.  And it probably does.  Live a life you can be proud of.

Race Report - Mack Cycle Triathlon Trilogy Bonus Round - Mostly in pictures

In 2012, I was amazingly pleased with myself just for completing all four races in the  Mack Cycle Triathlon Trilogy.  (Yes, Trilogy means THREE, but there is a bonus round).  I got a new bike and spent a lot of my season learning how to ride it well.  This season, the trilogy was different.  I learned that I could be competitive. 

This race was super special because after Brad thinking I was NUTS for doing this stuff, he decided to JOIN me.

Getting ready to head out in the wee hours of the morning.

 After racking our bikes in transition

 And really, what beats this??  It isn't about winning or losing or how fast you go.  Its about meeting the day, rising to the occasion, and living each day to its fullest.

 I got to pass Brad on the bike once.  Other than that I didn't see him.  He was waiting at the finish for me, but in the end I had him by a scant amount of time.  Of course, HE was on a mountain bike and it was his first race.  I was actually sad when I saw my run time, I was expecting to kill it because I felt AMAZING.  My time last month was faster. 

 After

 Really liked the Tough Chik Zoom Zoom top.  It didn't chafe and stayed in place and was kind to all my lumpy places.  I snagged the matching shorts for the Columbus Day Triathlon, where I'll accompany my long-time run bud Jess on her first Tri.

 Times were good enough for another 3rd place.  I had a personal best in almost everything.  The currents were in our favor for a change.   I also managed 3rd place Athena for the series.  Sooo close to 2nd, but close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.  Was happy having my little miss on the podium with me, arms raised in victory.

 We managed to finish up the awards ceremony before the storms started rolling in.

Beautiful day.  Brad had fun, and will definitely be back for more next season. His only response to his time was "I should have practiced a brick."  :-)  Ever so slowly pulling him over to the dark side.

Don't forget Team Tough Chik registration is still open, through the end of the month!