Stanford Treeathlon Race Report

500 Meter Pool Swim - 10:26
T1 - 3:06
20K Bike - 45:59
T2 - 2:34
5K Run - 32:10
Total time - 1:35:27-ish

What an amazingly excellent day! My goal for this race was just to improve on last year's time of 1:47:00 and I did that for sure:)

The swim was in an olympic sized pool and you do four laps around the perimeter to make up 500 meters. I lost the pack on the second lap. I'm just not a strong swimmer, if I could commit myself to more pool time, I'm sure that would change. But for now, I just don't have the time. Besides, I aged-up this year which means I'm in a super-dee-duper competitive age group which consists of 30-34 year old women...they are animals! I was pretty much on my own for the last two laps and was one of the last to leave the pool.

T-1 was all about trying to get warm and getting into my bike shoes. It took a bit longer than usual to get myself sorted out for some reason. Probably because I was....damn cold! :O

Getting out of the pool and into the transition area was tough, the water was warm (80 degrees!) and it was damn cold outside....so the leg muscles tend to contract and say "I don't wanna do what you want to do on that bike, are you crazy?" But you have to force them to listen to you because you are, in fact, the master and they must obey! The bike course is fairly hilly in the beginning with a respectable climb up front and some little annoying and energy-zapping rollers along the way. Halfway through the ride, you get to a downhill and flat section where I really made up some time. I got myself in aero and mashed a little bit (yes...when I want to go fast on a flat section I mash okay?). I think I averaged 20mph on that home stretch. In other words, I killed the course like I knew I would. Last year I managed to get TWO flat tires. So it was awesome that didn't happen again. I passed two women in my age group and that's always a good thing:D

Into transition area again after the most excellent bike ride and I slipped off the bike shoes and into the running shoes. Out of the helmet and into the hat. I honestly don't know what took me so long here, I'm usually never longer than 45-60 seconds...oh well. Off you go KT!

In my dream the other night led me to believe that I was going to get a podium spot for this race. In fact, I was supposed to come in second place in my age group. F*$&*ing lying-ass subconscious! I was nowhere near second place at any point during this race! As a matter of fact, the two women I passed on the bike ended up passing me on the run. Damn them all to hell! I did manage to keep running the entire time and that was really my only goal for the run portion. Last year I had to walk quite a bit because I had cramps in my legs. This year, my legs felt great and full of life:smile: Oh, and the volunteers are all liars. Every single one of them said "you're almost there!" for three straight miles!

Big Smile at Finish Line!
It's actually somewhere around 88% okay that I don't place in races because this is pure fun for me. Nothing in my life depends on whether I win a triathlon. But there is the competitive gene in me that wants it. It wants other things more....like a college education...and that's where my time priorities are at the moment:)

Thanks for reading, have yourselves a great season;)

Link to Treeathlon photos