It's Always Something

Today's high point: I come out of the water at the Beware of Barrcuda sprint triathlon and hear Craig say, "You're 4th overall woman right now. With a pretty big gap behind you."

At which point, a friend snaps this picture:

 That's my "holy-crap-for-realz?" face.

All I can say is a strong swim completely changes the way the rest of the race feels. Instead of hunting down a good portion of the women's field on the bike, I feel like the prey.

And I hold all but one off on the hilly bike course in the pouring rain.

Until... I crash about five miles from T2. (That would be today's low point.)

Luckily there is no photo of the debacle, but to fuel your imagination: Picture me in my big ring on a steep rise trying to downshift (FAIL) and tipping over in slo-mo. I calmly jump back on the bike only to discover that my saddle has turned 90 degrees to the right. Give it a few hundred more yards and decide it's not rideable. The seatpost won't budge and every tool in my bag is the wrong size. I flip the bike on its side on the shoulder, grab the top tube with my left hand and shove the saddle with my right foot. It works well enough for me to sit on the bike, but by then four or five chicks have passed me.

Ah well. It was a thrill while it lasted. I was having a pretty solid ride, all things (hip injury) considered. And I really believe I could have held my position, or close to it.

The run was uneventful. A couple more women passed me, which is par for the course, including a chick in my AG. So I wound up with 2nd AG.

But it was a big win for me. One of these days maybe the stars will align and I'll nail all three legs. Until then, I'll savor yet another huge boost of confidence in what was once the most daunting part of racing.  

Katie, me, and Erica after the finish.