Lethbridge Oly RR

Hey Cam,

Yes I'm around. :) I've started writing a post twice now, they never got completed. Some of you can read minds right? The rest of you just have to wait till I post again. Oh well my posts aren't that interesting. I do have a lot to say, it's not that, I just suck at writing!!! Sorry Julie I don't believe you, hee hee (she told me my posts were always so interesting) oh well thanks for the compliment anyways. :P Ok here goes.

The road to Nepal was awesome, thanks again Keith. I had the last bit of a cold, was horkin up snot the whole ride, but Julie said it was ok so I letter fly. The hills were wicked, Keith wasn't kidding when he said it was hilly. I don't think there was any flat terrain. The stuff that looked a tiny bit flat between hills ended up being a false flat, but we took what we could get right? The hills were varried too, some short steep ones, other longer gradual climbs. Then you'd just get over one crest to realize it dips down a touch just to keep going up. Julie's workout called for hill reps, well after our first out and back I suggested she may as well just keep riding one direction cause that's literally what it was, no need to turn around just keep going straight. She kids that she could smell me and the direction I was headed by the garlic comin out of my pores. I think I was so fried after a couple hours I didn't even catch on at first. She is going to be so strong this year, I can tell you that!!! I realized that into the first 10 min when we hit our first couple smaller hills still warming up and I was down on the aero bars thinking I'd dropped them both. Nope didn't drop either of them, in fact this is about the time I GOT CHICKED!!! Yes that's right here she comes flyin by, with a big knowing smile. hee hee

So anyways we turned back out after one out and back and did some more hills, almost got to the turn around again. There's not too much more to say about the ride, what did we do like 3 hours? I believe I had wanted to get 4 in, but I was too tired after to head out for more. Keith and I headed out for a transition run. I've never run with Keith, he's doing quite well and will def. improve on his half IM time guarrenteed. The man can ride too, and of course we all know how good a host he is. The meal tasted sooo good, we had a blast.

Ok fast forward to Sunday May 10 (mothers day). I wasn't too interested in staying the night in Lethbridge, nor spending more money as the tri season will be pricey enough. This sport sure isn't cheap eh??? Oh well Lisa decided to make the early trip in the morning, we headed out before the sun came up, I think aprox 5 am??? I was really nervous, then realized we probably should have left a lil early so I was stressed about getting there on time. Lisa is a trooper for coming along so early with a stressed triathlete. Sometimes I get annoying when I'm like that. Oh well we got to see a beautiful sunrise. I rarely get to see that!! The car went a bit faster then usual and we got to Lethbridge on time. Took a wrong turn at first but found the right road soon enough and low and behold found Leslie/Chad in the parking lot. I have very good eye sight, have I ever mentioned that?

We got checked in, marked up inside the unniversity. It looked to be a good venue, well organized. I may just do this event again, specially if they lower that hill or offer rides up on the run. The meeting was well done, we were sitting on the balcony over looking the pool. Some crazy chick starts waving at us from down below, oh heyyyyyy it's Julie!!! Got to meet her parents, if you reading have not met them yet. They are very cool people and an absolute delight to chat with. I'm not kidding Julie's dad even gave me the coveted marriage advice. I hope I get this right he told me after the race so I def. was out of it, "You can be right, or be happy" very wise info. :)

Ok race meeting over, transition set up just ouside in the parking lot, or sidewalk I'm not sure which it was. They had it well organized there were like 8 per lane? we all had dif. color caps so they'd know the order. Then they'd count our laps and adjust our time at the end of the race for the staggered start, make sense? We all would start 5 secs apart. A couple guys passed me right aways. I expected that, then I did maybe 500m before more feet taps came. I'd let them by, but then they'd just sit there. So one guy went by so the guy behind him thought he had to pass him, although he was no faster. What is it with people, don't they know about the draft??? Half the people in front of me shouldn't have been there. But I refused to waste energy passing, so almost all of us finished one behind the other. In retrospect I'm glad I took it easy, I exited feeling good, not WASTED like in Arbour lake last year.

I was able to whip through transition and get going sooner on the bike. I'm such a dork, I had put my singlet at the edge of the pool and slipped it on as I ran out to the bike. Not easily done, but managed to pull it down, get to my bike then realize it's backwards. Damn! decision time, pocket's in the front, that was where my flat stuff was gonna go. I didn't want to change my singlet. Screw it, I toss my CO2 and spare in my bag, grabbed my bike and ran off to the mount line. Oh yeah I almost forgot Leslie chicked me on the swim, same with Julie oh well I'm happy they swam well. I got going on the bike, feeling good. There wasn't much wind, saw Leslie early on the bike as she dropped her nutrition :(. Later on after the turn I saw Julie, man I had to work to catch her.

This transition went well no shirts to put on backwards. I guess I'm better at putting on shoes. Got out of transition, ran down the big hill into the valley. I managed to hook up with this guy running just ahead of me. I just sat on his shoulder pretty much the whole race. Somtimes he'd pull ahead a bit then I'd get it back. It worked well actually, much easier to run with someone else. On the way back I got to see Leslie and Julie again. I can't say much, but managed a go Julie, and a high five for Leslie. No favorites here girls it's just the way it worked out. lol. Leslie is looking better and better on the run, could it be she's turning herself into a runner??? Leslie if you're reading this and don't believe me check out the running pics on the website, you look so smooth. Maybe all that turnover work with IG? Just a thought, oh well I kept running and worrying. Worrying about one thing, that damn'd hill. In one way I think I gave up before I got there, on the other hand I really don't think I could have run it all even with the best positive Julie like thoughts. Plus would it have helped at all? the running pace was nearly a walk anyways the hill was so steep at times. So I did what most did and walked 2-3 sections. I took a quick look behind me and saw no Oly athletes were close. Got in and saw the clock 2:24, not too bad and the run was 45 min. BTW the swim was just under 29 min, and 1:09 for the bike and transitions. Had a great time talking with Julie, her parents, Chad, and Leslie. I also burnt myself. Over and out;

DP