General Smallwood International

***RESULTS***

Overall: 2:28:30, 7th female, 1st in AG
Swim: 22:38, 2nd female, 1st in AG
Bike: 1:10:20, 4th female, 1st in AG
Run: 51:24, 20th female, 2nd in AG

***PRERACE***

I wish one could skip the day before a race. I always feel so awful...tired, lathargic, achy, irritable, etc. My pre-race strategy of having a couple glasses of wine the night before has been helping me sleep and relaxing me the night before a race. Woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty ready to go. Matias, Team LUNA Chix DC new manager and LUNA Chico, and I were at the Park by 6:30am.

In the lot we met up with Cris and headed over to transition. I set up my stuff...not much to set up...huh. Then wandered here and there till I found all the LUNA's gathering to put up our tent behind the trees and portas (yea...good spot). It as really exciting to have a tent and LUNA presence at the race. We had a lot of new people come over and check out what we were all about.

Finally it was time to head down to the lake for the start.

***RACE***

SWIM - The swim had been moved to the back-up position for some reason. With the water temperature at 85 degrees no wet suits would be allowed. The course was a triangle (1 loop for Sprint and 2 loops for International). Each wave jumped off the dock into the seaweed...very large groping seaweed...and treaded water to wait for the GO. My wave consisted of all females in the International (pink caps...yeah dog). I positioned myself in front and calmed my breathing and waited for the GO. We were off. I sprinted to get away and shortly got out with a few in front of me. We quickly caught the wave in front of us. This was going to be a disaster (all these waves and loops and the Sprint race coming in quickly behind). I lost track of the pink caps in front of me and hoped I had dropped most of them. Then it was just dodging people. Towards the end of the 1st loop I noticed a pink cap directly in front of me. I kept with her. As we were close to shore starting the 2nd loop the seaweed and shrubs were a mess. I kept getting tangled in it...all over my face in my arms around my ankes....eeeeYIKES. HAHAHA. Bust on through. Kept with the one pink cap in front of me...maybe a body length behind. I think we were 1/2. Finally the end...ran out towards T1...it was a long way.

T1 - Quickly transitioned to the bike and was off.

BIKE - YEAH! I was in 2nd place. Always hard to tell how you are going to feel right when you start riding...so I just push it anyways. I saw the girl ahead of me just ahead and I was gaining on her. Shortly I passed her. I needed an Atomic Bomb. I had taken my computer off my bike since it never works anyways so really had no sense what my pace was. My plan was to hit 5 miles every 15 minutes. 1st big hill came...there was Matias taking picture/videos..."YEAH BANANAS!" HAHAHA I was hitting the 5 mile markers under my 15 minute goal...so I was feeling pretty good. There were a few big rollers the 1st 15 miles and then things got a bit flatter but still some rollers. The last 5 miles I had a lot of bike steam left so picked the pace up a bit. Someone yelled to me..."Your are #1!" Ha Yea...not for long...the run. Now I really think I will start looking forward to the run and enjoying it. Well I do enjoy it now...but just trying to get myself there...blisters, body, etc.

T2 - Quickly transitioned to run.

RUN - I physically felt good going into the run. I had left plenty of energy coming off the bike. I just hoped hoped hoped the blisters would keep it to a minimum. I had put on some moleskins before the race but some of it had fallen off in the swim. The 1st mile or so my stomach was a mess (most likely from the electrolyte drink I had chugged in T2). At the 1st water stop I threw some water on my head (thanks Mariana) and felt a bit better. It was a bit hot but not bad. Mile 2 here come the blisters...yea. Gonna be interesting. So frustrating when you have the energy to GO but your feet freakin HURT. Could be worse...my hip could hurt...but that feels like a lamppost. Oh great...and out and back. When you are getting passed on the run an out and back is not so fun but very nerving to see people coming up on you. The 1st place winner female passed me, followed by a couple other females. BUMMER. Oh well...only about 2 miles to go. Feet hurt...BOO sad. The last mile turned into the forest and dirt path, which made me feet hurt more. I tried to pick it up. Through the forest I was passed by two more ladies but kept them within 30 seconds to the finish. Finally it was over and I believe I had made my goal time of under 2:30!

***POSTRACE***

Team LUNA Chix DC did so awesome. No one seemed to excited about racing at the start, but in the end everyone had a great day and had fun most importantly.

***LESSONS LEARNED***

-Push it harder on the bike.
-Wear socks.

Up Next: NYC Triathlon July 20, 2008