Thoughts on recent tragedy

I, along with millions of others, have struggled to understand something that doesn't make any sense after the shootings in Connecticut.  So many things don't make sense on this earth.

We heard about it in our cars and pulled over and cried or said prayers for the families involved.  We saw it on facebook or the news and desperately wanted to reach out and hold those people who had the best parts of their life ripped away from them.  Those of us who are parents of young children couldn't wait until we saw them again and hugged them tightly and for a long time, kids giggling and squirming, but not understanding the emotion.

Many have used this as a political platform to push agendas that don't have anything to do with what really happened, and to me that's sickening.  Who really wants to hear something akin to "I told you so!" when their hearts are hurting and their arms are empty.  My only political statement on the matter is this: 

Gun control is like birth control. It only works if you believe in it and practice it. And even then, sometimes things still slip through.
But no matter what you do, others around you will still be having babies.

Twenty tiny coffins will have to be buried.  Twenty.  That's so much bigger than many of us can imagine.  It makes your mind melt with the evil that something like that took.  My heart goes to the families involved, and the emergency responders that put the needs of a community first, at the same time wondering if their own children were going to walk out of that school.  It's hard to do your job while in tears, but they still did it.

I have hope for the world that my children will inherit when I look at the social media and see more stories about the people involved than the person that did this.  The stories of heroism and bravery outnumber everything else. I've avoided the news because the same isn't true for it.

In honor of the all the bright stars that will be shining in heaven rather than on earth, waiting for their family and friends when they cross that final finish line:

Charlotte Bacon, age 6
Daniel Barden, age 7
Olivia Engel, age 6
Josephine Gay, age 7
Ana M Marquez-Greene, age 6
Dylan Hockley, age 6
Madeleine F Hsu, age 6
Catherine V Hubbard, age 6
Chase Kowalski , age 7
Jesse Lewis, age 6
James Mattioli, age 6
Grace McDonnell, age 7
Emilie Parker, age 6
Jack Pinto, age 6
Noah Pozner, age 6
Caroline Previdi, age 6
Jessica Rekos, age 6
Avielle Richman, age 6
Benjamin Wheeler, age 6
Allison N Wyatt, age 6
Rachel Davino, age 29
Dawn Hochsprung, age 47
Anne Marie Murphy, age 52
Lauren Rousseau, age 30
Mary Sherlach, age 56
Victoria Soto, age 27

The Rules

I swiped this from Karbon Speed's Facebook page. This is meant as tongue in cheek humor. If you are offended by this, then you are definitely "that guy."

Enjoy!

#1. Not everyone thinks what you do is awesome. Most think you’re a bit nuts, and they’re right. Remember that at your next cocktail party.

#2. No race jerseys of races you haven’t raced in, especially if the distance is longer than you’ve been. T-shirts are exempt. If you roll up in an Ironman France jersey, be prepared to explain how you handled the Cole de I’Ecre.

#3. Only refer to courses/segments/people by their nicknames. Highway 19 is unacceptable. It’s called the Queen K, and Crowie owned it. And Macca before him. Don’t let this happen again. Pay ‘N Save Hill. Look it up.

#4. Training in rough conditions makes you tough. A little rain or heat won’t make you melt, buttercup.

#5. A reality check should be performed once per year. MIT is not going to test the effectiveness of brick workouts. The rolling resistance “expert” uses a 100 pound sac in his garage for testing. Not all wind tunnels can even record data at the slow speeds we ride. Not everything that glitters is gold.

#6. Gadgets are strongly encouraged. An old pair of shorts and some Keds are not our gig. You absolutely need every item that is out there. Afterall, we invented aerobars. If we stop with the gadgets, who the hell would cyclists copy?

#7. Feelings are for Oprah, use your data. If you own a heart rate monitor and/or a powermeter, yet train just by RPE, then you either don’t know how to use it or you’re embarrassed by what it’s telling you.

#8. If you’ve raced the distance, it counts. If you’ve trained the distance, it doesn’t. Nailing a training day is one thing, nailing a racing day is quite another. Please don’t confuse the two. Ironman/marathon/etc. only counts if you are in there mixing it up. I’m the heavyweight champion of the world if we don’t have to actually compete.

#9. The number of logos allowed on a race kit are equal to that of NASCAR. In other words, go nuts. Only Wimbledon and the ITU restrict logos to the point of communism.

#10. Ironman tattoos are perfectly acceptable. You just finished one of the toughest days of your life. A bit of ink is just fine. Don’t let douche bags rain on your accomplishment.

#11. No buckets. It’s doesn’t matter how well thought out your transition is, don’t bring a bucket unless you plan to paint parking lines on the concrete or are going fishing after the race.

#12. Shave. You’re representing a group of people generally regarded as some of the fittest in the world. It’s a hot, sweaty, sometimes muddy sport, that keeps clothes to a minimum. Hanging out all day with gorilla legs and a hairy back does not make you a good steward of the sport. Clean it up.

#13. Learn who the pros are. In this sport everyone likes to think they’re the next big deal. Do yourself a favor and learn the names of those who actually make a living at being a badass.

#14. Support the sponsors. They pay money so you can have a great time. Don’t spend 45 minutes picking their brain and then head to the ‘net so you can save 3 bucks. That will get you flogged.

#15. Exaggeration of training is perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that Rule #39 is still in effect at all times.

#16. Drinking and triathlon are first cousins. Embrace your first cousin. There’s a reason beer is offered at 9 am at the race. Because we love it. Science has actually shown that a buzz and runner’s high is very similar, and endurance athletes drink more than your average bear.

#17. It’s a transition area, not your hotel room. Spreading out all your stuff for transition beyond 1 small towel is not acceptable. 1 bag limit.

#18. White race kits are only allowed if you know your body well. Really well. If you’ve ever worried about poo leg on a long run, then white is not for you. Ladies, if you are expecting a visit from your “Aunt Flow” then white is not for you. I don’t think I need to say anymore.

#19. Qualifying for Kona and your local “wellness” or “anti aging” clinic do not go together. If by some coincidence you decide your wanker doesn’t work right the exact same time you’re trying to get to Kona, stop everything and look for a new sport. Getting HGH, Testosterone and EPO shots in the name of ‘aging’ or wiener health won’t fly here. There are sports where cheating seem to be acceptable like here and here, so try those sports. This isn’t one of em.

#20. This sport has a history, learn some it. If you don’t know who the Big Four are, unfamiliar with the ’82 Moss Crawl, or think the Ironwar has something to do with the Industrial Age, then you got some reading to do.

#21. No “trunks” in the pool. Look, we get it that you’re a little self conscious wearing a skin tight swimsuit. Get over it. I promise you that you will get 10X more comments trying to swim laps in basketball shorts than you will a jammer.

#22. It’s OK to hate swimming, but you still have to do it. It’s not OK to use your wetsuit as a life preserver. Learn to swim. If you don’t there’s a sport called duathlon just waiting for you.

#23. Learn to circle swim. You really don’t need the whole lane to yourself. Stay to the right.

#24. Complaining about the water makes you look like a sissy. This is a tough sport. The distances are tough, the conditions are tough and the people are tough. Whining that the water isn’t as clear as your last trip to Grand Cayman isn’t winning you any cool points there Nancy.

#25. Learn Flipturns. You can pick the person out racing in high-tops right away. You get the idea.

#26. Obey the law – Nothing gives us a worse reputation than someone blowing through a red light like he’s above it all. The law applies to vehicles. You’re on a vehicle. Don’t be a douche. Obey the law.

#27. Don’t ride with headphones. Save the Rocky Soundtrack for your run. Your ears are needed to help keep you alive on the bike. Plus, depending on your state, it’s illegal. See Rule #26

#28. Support yourself. Others should not be obligated to babysit you on your ride. Flat tires should not take a village to fix.

#29. No aero helmets in training. While you might ride a whopping .2 mph faster, you will look like an absolute dork.

#30. Save the race wheels for the race. Yes, the bike does look cooler with $2,000 wheels, but your wallet will be thinner when a pot hole or rock crack that carbon. Leave some sizzle for the race.

#31. Learn to ride in a group. Wobbling down the road being afraid of anything around you is no way to go through life.

#32. Hold your line. Erratic movements in a group ride will take everyone out. Tighten it up.

#33. Don’t make accordions. Taking a turn up front is expected and appreciated, but not if you floor it the moment you take the reins, The guy 20 people back is going to get dropped by moves like that. Accelerate slowly so everyone can play.

#34. No shorts over your cycling shorts. Sister to Rule #21. Dress like you know what you’re doing.

#35. Learn to pee on yourself. You’ll spend $5,000 dollars to shave 55 seconds but won’t pee down your leg to save 3 minutes?

#36. The engine always trumps the rig. Always.

#37. Be on time, but don’t leave early. If the group ride or run is scheduled for 7 am, courtesy allows for 5 minutes. That means that sometime between 7 and 7:05 the wheels start rolling. If you roll up in your car at 7am and think everyone should wait for you to assemble your bike and pump up your tires, think again. Likewise, convincing the group to leave at 6:54 because you have a t-ball game is just bad form.

#38. No tan-lines allowed. This is not cycling. A farmer’s tan doesn’t make you look cool in anyway. The only exception is cycling short lines. Those are permitted, but need to be laser sharp.

#39. If you decide to talk the talk, be prepared to walk the walk. See also Rule #15. If you claim 3 hours at 300 watts, you’ll be expected to prove it.

#40. Crawling is an acceptable mode of transportation. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done, and this sport is about getting the job done.

New Sponsorship Agreements for 2013

I'm so excited to announce that Tifosi Optics and Giro will be sponsoring me for the 2013 season!

I've been wearing the Tifosi Slip at work for a while, making use of the different lenses. Now that I'll be racing in their sunglasses, the Podium S is my choice during racing and training.

When it comes to the Giro helmets.  I'm still trying to decide!  I was wearing the Atmos when I wrecked in early March, and was pretty impressed with how well it did.  I think I'm going change things up and go with the Aeon for training, and the Selector for most races.

2012 brought so many surprises and changed the game entirely for me - I'm really looking forward to what 2013 will bring.  And I'm thrilled to be representing these companies during that time!

If Facebook were around in the 1980's...

On my way to work this morning, the radio station I listen to was joking about posts that might appear on Facebook if it were around during the 1980's.  So, for your viewing pleasure...

 

What do you think?  Add your 1980's posts in the comments!

Kerrville Triathlon Festival 70.3 Race Report

Still one of my favorite races!

Last year I went out and did the quarter distance race that they had, but I enjoyed it so much that this year I went for the half iron distance. I'm glad I did.

He thought he was going with me

I packed up and (after removing a LARGE DOG from the car) drove out the day before through some pretty decent rainstorms. I checked in and ran into several friends. My favorite part of the tri season is the people that I meet and get to see out at the races - and then see how they do.

A trip to T1 to drop of my bike and then to T2 to drop off my shoes. One thing about the Kerrville race is that there are two small transition areas rather than one large area. I'm sure as the race grows more popular that the transition area will have to grow larger, but for now, it's rather nice. Anyway, after that, kt was dinner, race prep, and off to bed.

Getting out in the morning was great. I love the pre-race energy that is just everywhere, and it was so cool getting to talk to so many first timers. So, I dropped of my run nutrition at T2, and headed over on the shuttle to T1. I got everything ready on the bike, and (after a few bathroom trips) was off to the start!

I didn't have to wait long. The half distance women's wave started pretty quick, and the swim was great. The swim is in a dimmed portion of the Guadalupe River. It's calm, perfect temperature, and wasn't crowded. I actually got to focus on my swim stroke and less on hand to foot combat that comes with the larger races. Still definitely an open water swim, but easily the calmest I've ever done. Just like last year. The only portion that I had to deal with any chop/waves or crowding was right near the finish. Fortunately, at the swim finish, there is a ramp, and lots of volunteers to help you (and your oxygen deprived body) out of the water.

Into T1 and to the bike. Fortunately, this year, no chip strap mishap to slow me down! I did take T1 a bit slow - I took an extra few seconds to wash my feet off before I rolled my socks on because there is a LOT of dirt and debris that gets picked up by your wet feet at this particular race.
On to the bike! This last year I've really learned to love my bike. I look forward with joy to the time when I can get on. Last year was a different story, but a better fit, better fitness, and a great coach have really changed things for me. So 56 miles promised to be a different experience. Well - it WAS an experience. I don't remember the chipseal being this bad last year. Maybe because I only did half the distance or because I wasn't going as fast, but for some reason, the chipseal beat me up more than I'm used to. Other than that, though, as far as courses in the Texas Hill Country go, this course is hidden gem. There isn't much gain compared surrounding areas, and it's a fairly simple loop that you do twice. It's also very scenic. Watch out for the gravel on curves and you'll be fine (also remember to tighten any important screws on your bike before the race). There are just a few short steep hills on the course to remind you that, yes, you are still in the Texas Hill country, and some false flats but otherwise a very nice course.

Into T2 and finally rattle free. I was pretty glad to be off the chipseal. Quick shoe change and remove the helmet, and out to the run.


 Now, I do all my running on hills, so more hills don't scare me. The run is four loops on hills. It's also about half hard pack trail. This year, it didn't phase me because the Bandera 50k gave me a new perspective, and I'm pretty used to doing loop after loop for races now. Up until the run, the weather had been cool and windy, but during the last loop, the clouds cleared, and the sun came out, and it got hot! Last year I remember it being hotter at the finish, though, so no complaints here.
Into the finish! They hold up a finish line ribbon for all the finishes, so I ran through it, arms up, like the goofy tri-geek that I am.

The volunteers really make the Kerrville race what it is.  They are the glue that hold the athletes together at any race, but Kerrville makes athletes feel especially welcome.  Kids come out and hold signs, adults paint their faces and hair, and everyone looks like they're having a blast.  Both years, the volunteers have really made the race amazing for me.

This race was my first half iron distance with a coach.  Jeff from Apex Endurance taught me pacing in all disciplines, and I've been working pretty hard on learning how to pace the bike by power and negatively split a run. I wasn't sure what to expect (as usual) but I went out to have fun and find out what is possible.

By the numbers:
Swim: 36:26   1:53/100m
T1: 3:01
Bike: 2:52:15 19.5 mph
T2: 2:07
Run: 2:00:14   9:11/mile

I asked around, and everyone with a garmin measured the run between 13.3 and 13.4 miles, so we think the run was a bit long again.  My results were as perfect for me as I could have asked for.  The pacing during the swim, the power during the bike, and even/negative splits on the run. 

I finished third in my age group and ninth overall female, so it was my first podium at a half iron!

Is it naptime yet?

Every time for every segment is a PR for me at the half iron distance, including the transitions.

Bling.

As for the friends who've seasons I've followed, they did rather well, two of them finished ahead of me - one taking second in my age group with a 5:25, and the other rockin' an awesome 5:21 (which is a PR for him, too).

This closes out the 2012 triathlon season for me.  This year has been an adventure - I've met so many great people and done so many awesome things.  There have been highs and lows and I've learned tat it isn't about the race, it's about the journey.  I've got the sense that I'm stepping forward into this amazing unknown, but I know that I'm in crazy wonderful company. So, for the people who have swam, biked, run, or virtually followed and in any way encouraged me this year, thank you. I've had fun.

Sinus Issues and Triathlon

AKA "The stupid sh*t we do for the sport."

While this really happened, the idea for telling this story came from a blog that I follow.  One of the posts had me laughing so hard I nearly cried. Here's my version of going to the doctor's office for something with a race in the future.  

Race day is just over two weeks away, and for the first time I stand a chance of standing on the podium for a half iron distance race.  Unfortunately, I'm currently enjoying one of the benefits of having kids.

It started last week when Thing 2 got a stuffy nose.  Two days later, Thing 1's nose started dripping, too.  And like a freight train coming down the tracks in slow motion, I saw it headed towards me.  So, three days ago, when I started coughing, I knew.  I hadn't dodged it.  Whatever sinus-crud-that-goes-around decided to move into my sinuses and start setting up a shop.

So yesterday, when I woke up and both ears were hurting, it was time to call the doctor.  A good friend of mine recently went through this...  Then promptly lost nearly a month of training as one thing developed into another and she wound up with pneumonia.  She's finally recovering, and I am incredibly grateful for that, but I didn't want to wind up with the same thing.  So I called my doctor's office at 8:40 on a Thursday morning:

Nurse: "Hello?" (Wait...  Don't they usually answer with the name of the doctor's office?)
Me : "Um, yes," pause... "Did I call (doctor's office)?"
Nurse: "Yes, you did, this is (nurse's name), can I help you?"
Me: "Yes, I'd like to get in to see the doctor.  It's possible I have a sinus infection, and I want to keep it from getting worse. I have a race in two weeks, and don't want to wind up sicker than I am now."
Nurse: "Okay, can you give me your name and number and we'll call you back?"

So I gave her my information.  An hour later, since I needed to get a copy of some paperwork from the doctor, anyway, I drove up there.  There was no nurse there by the name I had been given.  What the h3ll is going on?  So I asked if they had time to see me, explaining that I have a race in two weeks, and I don't want whatever is going on to get any worse.  They were completely booked.

Since they were booked (I worked Friday and Monday, so I wouldn't be able to get back until Tuesday) I drove around the corner to the instant clinic at the grocery store.  Oooh yay.  A doctor nurse practitioner that doesn't know me and the ridiculous shi*t I do for endurance sports. This should be fun.

I went into the store and signed in and explained again,
Me:"MykidsgotmesickandmysinusesandearshurtIdon'twanttogetanysickerbecauseIhavearaceintwoweeks."
Person checking me in: "Why don't you stay in bed and not do the race?"

Me: composing myself "I already paid for it, and besides, I still need to be a mom, go to work, and basically function between now and then anyway.  So how about that appointment?"
Person checking me in: "Alright, sign here and here, and...."

Finally, paperwork signed and my firstborn promised to the healthcare government, the person checking me in takes my information and vitals.

Person checking me in, "Height?"
Me, "Between 5'3" and 5'4"
Person checking me in, "Weight?"
Me, "127-128 depending"
The person checking me in frowns at me and taps the BMI poster on the wall. "You know, that puts your BMI at the top of healthy. You should be careful."
Me, "Wait, what?  What does that have to do with me needing to see the doctor?
Person checking me in, "Well, it does leave you more susceptible to getting sick when you're heavier."
Me, "Oh thanks.  I'll remember that. Cause BMI is soooo accurate."
Idiot checking me in gives me a dirty look.

So finally I get to see the nurse practitioner.  Once again...  Wait. Nope, not gonna do it.....
Her: "So what's going on today?"
Me: "I'm sick."
So we go through the whole song and dance again.  I'm in and out in about ten minutes.  Less time than it took for me to get checked in.  The only problem now is that this thing is likely viral, meaning no antibiotic in the world is going to do a damn bit of good for what's going on.  And the treatment is the most horrible thing in the world.

A neti pot.

Okay, I don't really care if you think it's the greatest thing in the world.  I do unintentional-sinus-rinse-by-swimming-pool at least twice a week, usually three. So what good is a neti pot going to do?

So I wander over to the pharmacy section of the grocery store, and stare at the neti pots.  Ooooooh look!!!  Something that I can pour water up  my nose!  Let's get one of each!

Not.  But I did find a battery operated one that eliminates the need to turn your head upside down over the sink.  I added some over the counter allergy medicine to the basket, and mosied over to the checkout (remember, hubby has the kids, who have been doing their best to redefine the meaning of "testing my patience" lately).

I took my time getting home, but opened the neti pot box as soon as I got there.  My desperation to breathe was increasing to the point where I'd try anything.  So...

I opened the box and read the directions "soothing sinus massage...."  Riiiiiggghhhtt...  And I'm a yeti.

I followed the directions, got everything together, bent over the sink so I wouldn't make a mess, put the spout of the neti pot to my nostril, pressed the button, and...

OMG WTF WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!?!?!  I JUST SHOT WATER UP MY NOSE WITH A BATTERY POWERED STUPID LOOKING WATER GUN!  I should have saved the batteries (and my money) for something much more useful or entertaining, and used a $5 super soaker to accomplish the same damn thing!!!!!!!!

So then my husband tells me, "You're doing it wrong.  You're supposed to tilt your head to the side and do this..."  He then demonstrates with the neti pot he'd bought years ago that had been hiding at the back of the medicine cabinet.  It goes in one nostril, and out the other.  And he doesn't choke, no pressure on the inside of his eardrums, just a nice nostril wash.  WTH?!?

And then... I tried it again.  This time it went down my throat.  So now it's not only annoying as hell, it's gross, too!

Not that gross ever stopped anyone from being a triathlete.

It took a few tries, but I eventually figured it out. And to be honest, it's much more effective than the swimming pool sinus rinse that I usually wind up with. But let me just say that I would rather do another Ironman before I ever use another neti pot.

Hopefully the sinus crud will go away by race day, otherwise, I think there might be some unhappy/grossed out athletes behind me.  Although, the day does start with a nice swim, so maybe that will take care of the nose wash for me.

At least, though, the neti pot from hell wasn't entirely a wasted purchase.  My son is currently using it to surprise my daughter whenever she walks outside.  It shoots water a pretty good distance. (don't worry, I cleaned it before I let him "bathe" his sister, the dogs, the car, etc...)

Oh yeah, and I never DID get that call back from the mystery nurse at the doctor's office!

Weekend Humor - Swimmer Style!

Finally finishing up the series.  ENJOY!

Bastrop Lost Pines Sprint Triathlon 2012 Race Report

I went looking for my race review from last year, only to find out that I didn't do one.  Bummer.  It's a good race, and it's run by an amazing company, Redemption Race Productions.  I follow their race schedule to do as many of their races as I can.

A little bit about last year:
2011 was an interesting year.  In April I'd completed the Galvestion Half Ironman, and had been convinced to do the Austin Half Ironman as well.  So a friend and I went out in search of a sprint and an olympic/quarter to do before the Half Iron in October.  Bastrop was that sprint.  We'd gone out looking for a simple sprint, one that would be too difficult.   The pre-race briefing started with

"Welcome to the toughest little tri in Texas!"

My friend and I looked at each other.  What had we gotten ourselves into?

It turned out to be a snake style pool swim, a VERY hilly road course, and an equally hilly run course.  The thing about this course is that the hills aren't rolling hills.  The grades are much more extreme than many are used to.

Megan and Me

This year, the course didn't change one bit.  I loved it.  I convinced a couple of friends to go do the race with me, and found out later that a few others were going out too.  Small world!

The swim - 200 meters snake style in a 33 meter pool with a time trials start.  This year's swim was great.  I was seeded pretty well (last year I was behind two teen/preteens that were slower than I and made the swim/passing difficult).  The person behind me passed me after I accidentally kicked him, but we talked after the race and I got to apologize.  One thing about this swim - the chop from the other swimmers makes this a lot like an open water swim!

Transition was fast!  I got hung up a little bit on my race belt, but sorted it out and got moving.  I'd rolled my socks up so I could just roll them onto wet feet.  It worked out really well.

The bike.  Getting out of transition I had some trouble getting my left foot clipped in, and wasted a few seconds trying to get moving.  Not a big loss, but one that pissed me off all the same.  Not sure if I had mud or debris from the previous night's rain in the cleat, but it took some doing.  Once I got on the bike, things were smooth.  Well, as smooth as it could be.  The course is considered to be a pretty technical course.  I know of at least two broken chains and many flats, mostly due to steep uphill climbs and road debris.  The course is an out and back with a net downhill going out, and a net gain on the return.  The roads were damp and winding so getting up to speed was quickly followed by a climb or a quick slowdown for a turn.  I held back a bit on the way out because I remembered from the course from the year before and really hammered it on the way back.  Getting close to the turnaround I started counting how many women were in ahead and started chasing the one in front of me.  It seemed I was a better climber, but she had better speed on the downhills.  Two new things for this race - a disc wheel cover from Wheelbuilder and an aerohelmet from Rudy Project.  Not a huge difference for a 16 mile, very hilly course, but good practice for the half iron distance race next month.  I'll blog about the wheel cover and helmet soon.  I did use some of my Infinit Nutrition cycling mix in the FLEXR Sports remote kit to get calories in.  It's debatable for that distance that one would use any, but I was going to need water anyway, so I added the calories.  It was nice to have.  I was a little nervous using the Duro Tire slicksters on the wet roads, but they stayed fast and grippy the whole race - no skidding or sliding out of control.

Transition was good.  F A S T.  And onto the run!

The run was tough.  Hilly, humid.  But not hot because of the rain the previous evening.  I was still chasing the same woman from the bike, and still she had the speed on the downhill, but I would catch up on the uphill.  Most of the run I didn't see a single other person until I joined up with the cycling course in the last mile and a half of the course.  The downhills were rough.  Then it was mostly uphill and to the finish.  The finish is a bit confusing, and I went the wrong way at some point, but was quickly directed back to the correct path by the volunteers.  I finished strong and smiling and happy with this year's Bastrop Lost Pines Sprint.

Volunteers - these guys and gals can make or break the race.  They really made it for me.  Supportive and all about the athletes.  Thanks, guys!

Hover Rachel

The race is well organized and fun, and they have lots of food available for the finishers and spectators.  The proceeds support a donation for the park, which suffered a devastating wildfire last year, seven days after last year's race.

My one complaint about the race has to do with my rack neighbor in transition.  At some point when he came into transition on the bike, rather than rack his bike (he couldn't get his seat under the rack) he just leaned his bike up against mine.  WOW.  I was appalled.  It's one thing to have your bike fall or cause another's to fall by accident, but to save time in transition by leaning your bike against someone else's is just wrong.  I checked his results later - the time he saved by leaning his bike on mine didn't help him at all.

So - since no race report would be complete without finishing times and places:

	2012	2011
200 m swim with swim exit	2:14	2:24
T1	1:17	1:56
16 mile bike	52:45	56:18
T2	0:36	1:05
3.4 mile run (measured 3.5)	26:29	28:29
Overall Time	1:25:22	1:32:20
Age Group Finisher	1	1
Gender Finisher	2	4
Overall Finisher	16	17

We were told that race registration increased from just under 150 to 210.  Add this race to your calendar and let's make next year an even bigger event!