Happy Race @ West Point

I LOVE race morning sunrise!

This might be the first time I finished a race and was really content - I had a great time racing and didn't beat myself up at the end for doing poorly. Perhaps I've grown....let's not get ahead of ourselves here.  West Point is a sprint triathlon.  But hell hath no fury like a race run by the Army that people call "just a sprint".  This race is not easy - there isn't one flat surface in the entire race, except the swim but even that  had a curve to it!  The swim was beautiful - I had the lovely but very fast Lesley in my wave so we got to hang in the corral while waiting for the start of our wave.  The water was calm and beautiful but the bike was hills, hills and more hills - at least some of them went down.  The downhills were awesome and a great way to pick up some time that I lost on the damn uphills.  Then saw the beloved Coach Beth at the bottom of the steepest hill, just in time to climb, climb, climb to transition.  Once out on the run you go straight up hill but I just chugged along.  Half way through this guy ran with me - no idea why, I think he was bored.  We chatted the entire time (no one tell Matt that I was able to talk during the run - I really was doing my best!).  At least with someone to chat with and keep me laughing it kept me from walking and I was able to move along, not fast but still moving.  The highlight of being in the second wave is that only Lesley finished before me and we got to watch the rest of the team finish.  Even though everyone races with a timing chip and they all beat my time it's still nice to not be the last athlete out on the course!  And even more fun to watch everyone else finish.

Custom Team Lipstick rainbow loom bracelets!

Being on a team makes a huge differene while racing - you see all of your friends that you normally see at the butt ass crack of dawn 2-3 times a week.  These are the peeps you see at your worst and yet they keep coming back. I'm not sure I know what these women look like outside of bike shorts and a hat - I might pass them on the street if I saw them in "real" clothes but on the course they are the best thing to see!  Thank you all for racing with me and making my race so much fun - I can't imagine racing without you!

Note the sign in the back "WITH HONOR WE LEAD"