Flexible is sex-able...

Ya, I have to give credit where its due. I stole that tagline from my buddy JMegs. You can follow his blog here.

So like any multi-sport athlete, I'm always looking for other types of workouts that will allow me to recover from the rigors of swim/bike/run training. Throw in that my body is the rice krispies treats of bones due to years of injury and that list becomes even more narrow! So J turned me onto Bikram yoga a couple of years ago. For those of you not in the yoga "know", Bikram is 26 yoga poses, done over the course of 90 minutes in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%. So in essence, you're turning your body into a human pretzel in a sweat box. I know that might sound like a turn off to the exercise but believe me...it SHOULDN'T be. The heat keeps your body warm and receptive to the stretching, the list of poses (13 standing, 13 on the floor) are designed to gradually get harder throughout the session. The poses not only have benefit to joints but also for concentration, balance, digestion and circulation.

And...if you don't think its a workout, just look at my heart rate graph and calories expended total, courtesy of my Polar RCX5G5 and polarpersonaltrainer.com. Those spikes in and elevated heart rate are from...POSES. My "workout space" for such a tough cardio workout was my 6ft by 3ft yoga mat. Um, did you see the caloric burn for that session? A thousand calories! That ain't no joke folks. I get a great plyometric muscle/joint workout in 90 minutes, that caused no pounding stress to said joints AND I burned a grand in calories to boot! And to be honest, when its over, I never feel more refreshed. A nice hot shower and I'm ready to head out for a run or bike ride. I know that sounds crazy but its the truth (at least in my case). Not to mention its a great change from the monotony that is triathlon training. Few things I certainly want to point out if you've never been to a Bikram yoga session: it wouldn't hurt to look here to at least get an idea of the poses you'll be doing (don't get freaked out, the people in those poses are PRO's. Very few people on the planet actually achieve that level of stretch in Bikram), understand that your first few sessions are going to be a learning experience until you get accustomed to the flow and tempo of the session, don't get upset that you can't do a pose or poses because "muscling your way" through them isn't going help and will probably hurt you and lastly...when they say all you have to do is breathe...believe them! I'm amazed about how much better I feel, how much more flexible I am and how quickly i seem to recover from tough workouts when I have Bikram in the trainiing rotation. You really should try it out. If you're looking for a great Bikram studio in the MetroWest Boston area I totally recommend Bikram Natick run by my friend Maria. She and her staff ROCK!!! Namaste.

I reached the beach...

Okay, so back in May of this year I was made aware of this thing called "Reach the Beach" (RTB) because J and a mutual friend were asked to be on a team. Being the inquisitive kind of guy I am, I had to log onto the Internets and find out as much about it as I could. The readers digest version: it's a 200 mile race over 24 hours, where you race as teams of 2 to 12, self supported. "Legs" are broken down by mileage/runner and the race folks set up and man "official transition points" where they note what runners are coming through and handing off the " baton" in order to make sure no one is cheating. Said transitions areas range from cones on the ground in the middle of nowhere to churches, schools and restaurant parking lots along the way. One of the benefits of the latter transition areas is that they are manned by locals and stocked with all sorts of great post run fuel.

So, I watched J and her 12 girl team do Reach the Beach Massachusetts, following their tweets and texts throughout, meeting them at a transition area at o'dark thirty in the morning to say hello and even met them at the end to see how it went. From the outside looking in it looked like so much fun and quite a challenge.....so....wait for it.....you KNEW I was gonna have to do one myself.

Flash forward a few months and I find myself on a team for Reach the Beach New Hampshire. I must admit that seeing the start gate for the race was a little daunting but I was gonna do this thing come hell or high water (and as you read on you'll see it came pretty close at times). I had asked to be the runner with the most mileage on my team (um, of course) so at 11:16 on a cold Friday morning I stepped off on my first leg of 5.65 miles. If you know me at all from reading this blog or knowing me personally, you know I had two goals; run faster than any of my team mates AND run down as many other teams as I could. It was cold. Yes, I know its New Hampshire in September but it was cold. Tee leg started sunny but it rapidly got overcast, rainy, sleety (is that even a word?) and then cold. I picked up 6 teams while out on my leg and finsihed at a 7:05 average pace. Not bad, not great. I was hoping for sub 7 but knew that I had 3 more legs and little chance of real rest over the next few hours so I just did what I had in me. Two more runners after me and then my team was "off" for the next few hours while our second van and the runners therein took there turn at legs 7-12. The next few hours were spent having a delicious lunch, grabbing some more cold weather running gear (did I mentioned it was freezing cold) and napping in the van until it was out turn.

Less than 12 hours after my first leg I was back at it. My 2nd leg was 4.98 miles at 10:15pm. Not a long leg but I never run in the dark. I am always fearful of getting hurt, because of my own ignorance and lack of attention that leads me to step off a curb or into some hole in the pavement and sprain my ankle or worse (which I have totally done by the way. My last night run, I fell and sprained my ankle in the middle of a 10 mile anger-fueled-run that required me to run 5 miles back home on it. My foot, ankle and lower leg looked like some terrible science experiment gone wrong but that's for another post) or because some half awake idiot driver was gonna plow head on into my squishy body. Luckily, neither of those things happened. But, in my opinion, that leg was not marked very well for night running. At one point, had it not been for my team sitting at the top of a hill, I would've taken a wrong turn. The level of suck that would've come with that mistake isn't even something I would care to discuss. I would've been crestfallen (ya, big word, I looked it up, perfect for this situation). The leg was hilly and there was freezing rain. Amazingly, it was warmer at night for my second keg than it was for my first one in the middle of the day. AND...there were hills. I'm not familiar with the state of New Hamphire but I guess there are hills EVERYWHERE. So when I finished my leg in 37:09 at a 7:20 pace I was wiped out. Back in the van in some warm clothes and support my teammates as they finish their legs and and then it was off for some well deserved sleep.


My third and final leg was 8.66 miles at about 9:27 the following morning. Remember when I said earlier that the 'Shire of New Ham was hilly? Ya, I got the whole state in my last leg. THe elevation profile of the legs looked like a fat man's EKG! I have never in my life run a course like this. It was a bold new experience. One, that in all honesty, I'd rather not repeat anytime soon. Maybe I can talk to these organizers about a "Reach the Beach Georgia"...it would be pancake flat...um pancakes...wait back on track here. Anyway, the course was hilly and I was tired. Around mile 4, in perfect daylight with no one around, I stepped off the shoulder and twisted my ankle. So loudly in fact that a lady from another team standing on the side of the road asked if I had just broken my ankle and did I want to stop and have her call me team? Um, no. My motto has always been that there are only two ways to finish a race, crossing the finish line or being carried off in a stretcher. So, my response was, after a stream of expletives, "no thank you I have 4 miles to run this off" and just kept going. It was somwhere around mile 6 that I had that age old chat with myself that we all have at some point..."why the hell am I doing this?", "why can't I just be fat and sit on the couch watching tv while pounding a bag of Doritos (I've done that by the way, one of those family pack bags...it wasn't pretty and I'm not proud)?". I just need to get this run over and then I'm done. Of course, when I glanced down and saw that I was under two miles from the end I turned it on and headed for home. My frustration was replaced with the elation of running into the transition area with LOTS of people cheering me on and the realization that I was done running. Final leg done in 1:04, 7:22 pace. Ah, the hills were indeed alive and I was delighted to be through with them. Hence the look of fatigued happiness while I sat in the back of the van!


Yes, my RTB just turned into a spectator sport...sweet! Amazingly enough, while walking back to my team's van I ran into the lady that saw/heard me turn my ankle. She asked if I was okay and said she couldn't believe I kept running after that. Ya, the ankle was a little swollen and later turned a bit purple but to be honest it was worth it. I got to spend the rest of the time cheering on my teammates as they ran their last legs and we headed to the finish. I have to tell you, that I am normally ALL about MY performance but Reach the Beach taught me to actually enjoy a race and see it with/through the eyes of my teammates. My teammates were awesome and I can't thank them enough for asking me to participate! Now...when is Reach the Beach Massachusetts?

Allow myself to introduce myself...

Its funny that I get questions from alot of folks about "who I am" or what I think of myself or my favorite, "you seem like an interesting person". Not the least of which come when people, who only know me through social media, meet me in person. So here's a snapshot from a "25 things about yourself" that circled around my group of friends a while back. I'll do a write up of "my story" for the blog and throw in some pics for comedic relief.

1) I desperately wanted to be the cool kid in school but beyond the fact that I was a dork it was near impossible to get away with anything when my mom was a teacher in my high school and my dad was a cop in our town.When I look in the mirror I still see that dork kid.

2) The saddest day of my life was when the doctors told me that due to injury my career as an Airborne Ranger was over. I'm upset I never had the chance to lead men in combat nor did I get to leave the Army on my terms. I miss it every day.

3) I've had broken bones, surgeries, spinal meningitis, kidney stones, a broken back and pelvis before the age of 28. I figure the rest of my life should be smooth sailing. I'll sound like rice crispies but hopefully injury free.

4) I am a firm believer in the mantra of "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". Everything in our life, good or bad, helps us become the person we are. I truly believe that suffering makes you a better person.


5) Every year I treat the Tour de France like its the second coming. That's all that's playing on all the TV's in my house, its on the web and I get updates non-stop. I'm fanatical about it. I even take days off from work to watch the certain stages live (L'Alpe D'Huez is a must). I saw the Tour pass near my mother's hometown of Gaillac France in '86 and have been hooked ever since.

6) I have very few happy childhood memories but one of my fondest is my French uncle (a bear of a man) sneaking me out of his house so we could eat Lion-O chocolate bars and drink Orangina in his beautiful garden outside paris. I just thought that was the coolest thing.

7) I have 2 speeds, 100mph and 0mph. Unfortunately after all this time I've never found a speed in the middle. It has been a great cause of difficulty for me and most of the people in my life.

8) At any given time I have a thousand TV's in my head all tuned to different channels that I am indeed watching. And you wonder why I always look pre-occupied!

9) I care for my friends and family to a fault. If you're "in the circle", call me at 3 a.m. and say you need me to be there, I'm on the next plane no questions asked. I do however expect the same out of them but have been disappointed most of my life.

10) I believe like and respect can be mutually exclusive. I known plenty of people I've disliked but that doesn't mean they're not the best at their given profession.

11) I wear my heart on my sleeve. If I like you you'll know and if I don't like you, you'll definitely know that. Life is too short to put up with hidden agendas or BS. Either say what you mean or get out.

12) I love a good discussion. To sit down and have an in depth conversation with anyone is one of the best things ever. I don't care if its Schroedinger's Cat or Who's the best Bond (Connery of course!).

13) I know the craziest stuff. Wanna know who's voice is on that commercial on TV or when was the first time "x" actor was on screen? I'm your guy. However, I couldn't tell you what the inverse log of 10 was if my life depended on it. I have come to realize I have no say in what knowledge my brain retains.

14) For some reason I always feel I have something to prove and everything is a contest. I know its a terrible way to go through life and its caused more than one injury over time (see #3). That's probably driven by the fact that I grew up with a father that used to tell me "no matter how good you are there is always somebody better". I have to be the best at everything and if I can't be then I debate with myself over whether to do it all.

15) I fear death. I've seen it up close, on too many occasions and know that there are too many things I have left to do that I don't have time to die right now.

16) I have an unhealthy obsession with technology. If its a new bell or whistle I have to read/know all about it and then must have it for myself. When they find a way to install hard drives in our head and replace all our joints and muscles with nano composites, I'll be the first in line for the surgery.

17) I am constantly amazed by the human race. I find it very hard to believe that we possessed the skill to crawl out of the primordial ooze and evolve into what we've become. Or the fact that all it takes is for you to look around and see most of us haven't evolved at all.

18) I get sick to my stomach and moved to tears any time I hear "Taps" played.

19) I realized that after deep introspection that I'm an obsessive compulsive, narcissistic sociopath with low self esteem, approval issues and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Yes, ladies I am a catch!

20) I love comic books and in particular Iron Man. When you were a dork kid without a lot of friends, comic books were a great way to escape and be anyone. I, in particular, idolized Tony Stark and Iron Man. What kid doesn't want to grow up to be a genius billionaire playboy who was also a super hero. Yeah he's an alcoholic but that's a small price to pay. I know practically EVERYTHING about Iron Man and own almost every comic book. Whatever, its my one vice.

21) Learned in college that drinking and I don't agree. Its not that I don't like it, its just that I get in trouble. I'm a huge fan of Double Black Jack and Hose Cuervo but they've gotten me into more than enough trouble. I have the bone chips and scars to prove it.

22) I hate my birthday, Christmas and almost all holidays. I do however LOVE Thanksgiving and would be happy to spend all day cooking, making the turkey and enjoying the meal with family and friends.

23) I could spend all day in a movie theater watching movies. I have skipped out on class and work to do so, paying for the first show of the day and then spending the rest of the day sneaking into movie after movie. There's just something awesome about the lights going dark and getting lost in a great story for a couple of hours.

24) After leaving the Army I got up to 245 pounds on a diet of Coca-Cola, McDonalds and cigarettes. Yeah, there's ONE of fat me that exists. I've never been so ashamed or embarrassed.When I look in the mirror I still see that guy.

25) Every time I fly to Atlanta I always take time and drive out to Covington (the place I consider my hometown). I have no family left there (and until Facebook had no idea that any of my friends were there) but I drive around just to see home. I like to see the town, how its changed and am always surprised at how its become a suburb of Atlanta. I remember when the only thing to do was cruise Newton Plaza, go to El Charros, drink at the water tower or hang out at the Waffle House. I've lived all over the world and now that I live in Massachusetts I realize the greatness that is down to Earth Southern people. I wanted so very much to get out of that hick town but as I get older I'd gladly move back there in a heart beat.

By no mean is the above list all inclusive, to quote Shrek..."I am an onion" but I thought this might give you a shotgun blast about me.

The Inaugural BAA 10k, the first time in my life that negatives have been positive

I am still short the goal money I needed to raise for my charity run of the Boston Marathon. I'd appreciate any and all contributions. No amount is too small. If you are so inclined/motivated to donate just hit the button at the top right of my blog and thank you in advance. Now on to the bloggy.

Hi, my name is Dutch and I have a problem. Hi, Dutch...

No really, I do have a problem, I get caught up in the moment at start of EVERY race. The nervous energy, the "will I do well", "am I faster than that guy", "is today a PR for me", "do these shorts make me look fat"...all sorts of thoughts run through my mind. That all leads to me going out way too fast, blowing up within a few miles of a race and then fighting through pain and agony in order to finish and turn in a decent time.

Well, not this time my friends, no sir. THIS time I was finally gonna do it, I was gonna run negative splits at the Inaugural BAA 10k. Now to be honest, I was helped in that decision by looking around and seeing all the pro's and club runners warming up around me. Looking like little, fast, nimble deer in their warm up gear and here I am walking around looking like bull in a china factory the decision was made. So, knowing there was NO way I was gonna place, I decided that this would be the first race I would actually try this novelty thing called "the negative split".

So...walking up to the 7:30min pace corral I did some last minute stretching, reminded myself of the goal at hand and waited for the gun to go off. And...for the first time...when it did go off I didn't take off like a bat out of hell. Looking down at my pace, I decided to start on 7:30's and then slowly work my way down.

Miles 1,2,3-7:38, 7:23, 7:30

I wouldn't say they were comfortable miles. Not in the sense that I was hurting, rather I didn't know what to do since I wasn't hurting. I mean, isn't every race supposed to be a battle with nausea and cramping right out of the gate? Realizing that wasn't the case was a new experience. Change? We fear change... I was trying to be conservative (hence the 7:38) but hitting the turn (yes it was an out and back course...my favorite kind) I realized I could start chipping away at my pace on the way home.



Don't worry Marathon Photo,
I bought this pic it just hasnt arrived yet



Miles 4,5- 7:19, 7:12

Now I felt like I could start to speed up. I should probably run negatives knocking off 10secs per per mile but I kinda got excited when I hit the turn and then tried to make myself settle down. In hindsight I didn't need to be so conservative the first half but oh well.

Miles 6 and the .2- 7:02 and 6:23

One mile left and I felt good...like I had gas in the tank for a kick.  Contrary to my normal feeling of running on vapors and having extending conversations with the deity of choice about how, if I ever cross the finish line, I will never run another one of these stupid races again. So with only the .2mi to go I figured I should dump whatever fuel I had left.

For the first time ever, I crossed a finish line: not angry, not a wreck and actually happy with my performance. And...I might actually have been happy. I only thought other people experienced this but no, no I could too. Granted it was no land speed record at 45:39 but it was a decent time. It was however only 8secs slower than the 10k I'd run the 2 weeks prior and in that race I blew up at mile 3 and was hanging on for dear life. I'm still chasing a 40min 10k but I guess getting smarter about how to race will help.

My name is Dutch, I have a problem...but I'm working on it and am making progress...

It was my shame but now it's my pride...

As I write this I am still short the goal money I needed to raise for my charity in order to run the Boston Marathon. I was able to run (obviously) but the bill is going to come due and I'm still over $1,000 short. I'd appreciate any and all contributions. No amount is too small. If you are so inclined/motivated to donate just hit the button at the top right of my blog and thank you in advance. 

It has taken a long time for me to come to grips with the 2011 Boston Marathon. To be honest it took all my desire to train and race, hard or otherwise completely away. I have been embarrassed and ashamed of that race and my performance, or lack thereof, so I've done everything I could to not think or talk about it and move on. Then I ran across this picture in a stack of racing photos and numbers. I hate this picture. I hated it when I turned the corner and saw the cameraman taking it, I hated it when I saw it on the "proof page" for marathon photo and I hated it when it came in the mail. I ordered it however because it is an image that truly portrays how I felt from mile 13 on.

You can read about my Boston Marathon in an earlier blog post on here but a quick BLUF (bottomline up front) is that is sucked. Not sucked as in "aw, man I'm not gonna get a PR" but sucked as in "I'm so angry and in so much pain that hate everything and want to find a puppy or baby to strangle (don't worry, no children or animal were harmed during the course of my marathon)".

I will be honest and tell you that I work very hard for no one to see me in pain or struggling especially when it comes to races. I was taught as a young cyclist thats okay to be in pain...but no one shoukd ever know you're hurting lest they attack. I would love nothing better to be a machine when it comes to training and racing, able to drop a 6 or 6:30 mile pace at any distance on any day but that's not the case. When it doesn't go my way I just lock my jaw and push through. Which, in hindsight, is probably why I look constipated in most if not all of my race photos and most days at my desk ( in hindsight maybe that's why I always get those weird looks at work).

I do think however that weakness is not in the body but in the mind. The only reason you can finish well or even finish at all in some cases is because you believe you can and tell your body you will. Unfortunately for me it feels as if I have spent most of my life in damn near any of my pursuits, athletic or not, having to put my head down and telling myself to get it done no matter what. That certainly was the case with Boston. My race systematically fall apart as the miles went on. I cramped up, threw up and blew up but the thought of not finishing NEVER crossed my mind. I saw people fall down, pass out and give up all around me. I just put my head down and knew I'd suffer whatever I had to in order to finish. The face in that picture shows it.

I hated this picture...and now...I love this picture.

My Half Mary...it's been a long, long time.

Just a reminder, I have still yet to raise the required amount of money needed for the charity I ran the Boston Marathon for. As of today I'm over $1,000 short of my required goal. I'm STILL to raise money so I could really use your help. I appreciate any and all contributions. NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL. If you are so inclined/motivated to donate, please click the donate button at the top right of my blog and thank you in advance.


So I registered for the Worcester Half Marathon a while back thinking it would be a good follow on for Boston. Little did I know that I'd lose all my racing/training mojo after that marathon. I've slowly gotten back into racing through duathlons but those only have 2 or 3 mile long running legs. Subsequently, I haven't done a run over 4 or 5 miles since Boston...but my duathlons have been going well so I figured I'd throw in at least a 6 mile training run before the race and I should be good. Right? Right?!


As competetive as I am, I had to realize going into the race; I haven't done a half mary in over a decade and that having any expectation more than finishing would be silly (um, just because I said that out loud does not mean I thought that for real at all. I just know it's the "right thing" thing to think). I did not however expect to dislocate a rib the day prior to the race (a different one this time, long story for both how I can dislocate ribs and how this one got dislocated). Oh well, figured since I registered for it I'd just go into for fun and see how I did. If the pain was too great I could always drop out, right (yes, another thing that sounds right to say)?


So on Saturday J and I went to the "expo" to pick up our numbers and race. Said "expo" turned out to be 4 tables and a rather disjointed group of people assembling race packets. I wasn't expecting an expo the size of Boston's but sheesh. So, big pasta dinner and a good night's sleep was in order before the big day.


Luckily the race start was just down the street from J's place so no need to deal with the mess and hassle of parking. A short walk and we were there. Milling around at the start, it dawned on me that the dislocated rib, the realization that Worcester is by no means a flat city (i.e. hilly) and that I've not run over 5 miles since Boston were all conspiring to make this a less than fun endeavor. So, I tried to something a bit out of character for me...calm down and be smart. I recently read an article on Active.com that for races where you're given a chip for timing, since time starts when you cross the start line not at the gun there's no need to be at the front nor rush to be there at the gun. Since I have a terrible problem with going out to fast at the start of a race and fading over time I figured this would be a great way to approach the race. The gun sounded and we're off. Now one of the added benefits of starting at the back of the pack...is you get the great psychological boost of running by people throughout the length of a race :)


Miles 1-4: 7:44, 7:34, 7:38, 8:11
My rib was killing me. By mile 2, I made the decision to give it one more mile and if I didn't feel better I'd stop. Then I said the same thing to myself at mile 3. By mile 4 it didn't notice it anymore so I just concentrated on running. That 8min pace at mile 4 was a result of a hill...a really big hill.


Miles 5-8: 7:32, 7:44, 7:25, 7:53
I tried to settle into a comfortable groove. However it was starting to get warm so I tried running in the shade as much as possible.


Miles 9-12: 7:55, 7:55, 8:11, 8:02
Now I'm obviously starting to get tired. The lack of training at this distance is starting to set in. Add in that there was one huge, long hill, in the sun with no shade in sight before the "turn for home" and I started to slow.

Mile 13 and that .1: 8:07, 7:34
To be completely honest, by this time I just wanted it to be over. The last mile seemed to last forever. I started to pick up the pace as I passed the mile 13 marker. I crossed the finish in 1:42:45, averaging a 7:50 pace. I was shooting for at least a 1:45 so not too bad. Hindsight being what it is, had I been able to keep pressing through miles 10-13, I could've not only a shaved 2 minutes off my time but I would've been able to catch my other friend running the race (I am competitive remember). All in all not a bad day and the grin in the photo shows I am very happy to be done with the race. Oh ya, HUGE thanks to Jessie for being an awesome, one woman support staff and photographer. 

I just did it at the "Just Du It" Duathlon

Even though the Boston Marathon is over, I still have yet to raise the required amount of money needed for the charity I ran for. As of today I'm over $1,000 short of my required goal. I was lucky enough to get an extension so I could really use your help. I appreciate any and all contributions. NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL. If you are so inclined/motivated to donate, please click the donate button at the top right of my blog and thank you in advance.

I have to admit that I wasn't really planning to run a race this past weekend. I'd been out of the gym/off the road for 5 days and was just gonna be a lump but I got peer pressured into registering for the race (funny story actually because I registered for the wrong race! My friend wanted to do the one on Memorial Day weekend and I thought she meant the one on May 21st. I refuse to have a "DNS" so I dragged my butt out of bed to get to the race). Of course I ended up being the first racer there. So after being the test case for check-in and packet pick up I headed out to the transition area to set up. I have to admit that a duathlon transition spot looks so much smaller compared to a triathlon one. It looked like I was missing something (ya, another sport!). 

After set up I had time to chill out and make the prerequisite numerous bathroom stops required from a morning filled with water and coffee. A little warm up run and it was off to the start line. 

On the starting line I looked around to see a local that always places in the top 3 of any race he enters (ugh) and then I glance over to see a guy wearing a skinsuit of the Great Britain National Team (are you f’ing kidding me?!). So….I quickly made the assessment to just go out and enjoy my first real “race” since the Boston Marathon. I was really surprised how good I felt off the starting line. We quickly turned into the lead pack of 4 runners and pulled away from the rest of the field. I knew we were running fast but didn’t want to look down at the pace for fear it would freak me out and I’d slow down, so I just focused on hanging with the lead group. 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd pulled away but I kept them in sight. Heading into T1 off the 3 mile run my time was 18:24 and I was 4^th overall. For whatever reason T1 was a killer. I took way longer than I wanted. I don’t know if it was because I couldn’t seem to catch my breath or I was amazed that I was 4^th overall but I fumbled with getting out of my running shoes, helmet on, grabbing fuel and a quick sip of water before hopping on the bike. That time wasted let 3 people get by me coming out of transition. 

The bike course was billed as rolling hills and a downhill toward the end. It certainly didn’t feel that way to me. I shot a GU and got some more water in me. It took me a good couple miles to get my breathing under control and settle in. By then I did notice that I need to change the stem on the tri bike. I felt way to jammed up and need to stretch out a little more (a 10mm longer stem should be just the ticket). I was also concerened that the bike course wasn't marked very well and there were a couple of times I had that sinking feeling I missed a turn. While on the bike 2 other people passed me. Now if you know me at all, you know that makes me VERY angry…cycling is MY sport and nobody is supposed to pass me. So I got angry and pedaled harder. The course was hilly and on a couple of occasions I got out of the saddle to muscle through (and yes, I know that negates all aero goodness of my sweet tri bike but I did say I was angry…). Headed into T2 off the 11 mile bike my time was 35:18 and I was in 7^th overall. 

2^nd transition went a little more smoothly but still fumbled with trying to get a drink of water and get out. Unfortunately 1 guy beat me out of transition so I left out for the last 2 mile leg in 9^th place overall. My legs felt like lead coming off the bike and I needed at least a quarter of a mile to get them settled and back on pace. I could see 7^th and 8^th place in front of me and tried to close the gap but since the final leg was only 2 miles I couldn’t catch them. I came into the finish with a 2 mile time of 14:03, finished 9^th overall and took 2^nd in my age group with a final time of 1:10:25. I have to say, I was actually proud of myself. I just did the event “to do it” and didn’t put any real pressure on myself to place. Like I said earlier, I contemplated not doing the event at all. I was very happy to get a top 10 finish and the age group placing was icing on the cake. Not a bad day. Not to mention, wearing my Polar gear and doing so well I really felt like a Pro! Big props go out to J for being my support team. It was great to have her there to chat with and keep me calm during the morning and yell out splits and words of encouragement at the transitions and at the finish! Now to register for that Duathlon this upcoming weekend….