 |
| Team Rev3! Those Pearl Izumi Kits look good!! |
Team Rev3 Summit was incredibly awesome! I met so many new people who instantly felt like family. Everyone has experienced that awkward "first day of school" feeling where you're not sure where to sit in the cafeteria. That was me the first morning. I drove through the night after my students performed their self-written and directed works. I got to Mannassa, VA around 1:30am and went straight to bed. I woke up the next morning knowing the guys who I bunked up with and went to breakfast looking for a place to sit. Instead of, "Can't sit here." Oiler immediately opened up the table and provided me a place to sit and eat. The uncomfortableness was gone and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The day was spent listening to the nuts and bolts of Rev3 and hearing from our various sponsors. I think I know more about PowerBar than I have ever even needed to know. SBR Sports rounded out the day with an amazing presentation about their products that keep us show fresh and clean after swimming. (The smell of chlorine can really put a damper on a person's dating life... wait do triathletes even have time for that??)
There are so many amazing things that happened during the weekend I can't even provide a great summary in a blog post. I do know this, I have lost a lot of my "special fraternity powers" and take a much longer time to recover, but WORTH IT! On a more serious note, thank you Momma Bear, Carole Sharpless, for choosing me out of the hundreds who could have been on the team. I know that it has been a whirlwind of change for you lately, but I couldn't be prouder of the strength, courage and vulnerability you have shown over the past few months.
Race Time
 |
| This is a proof. CC Bird's Eye View |
What should a person do who is itching to race and has put in a huge block of training do... RACE OF COURSE! Last weekend I suited up after having a crazy week of training and decided to jump in the Belews Creek International Triathlon. The water was rather frigid and the air was brisk. My legs were fatigued from a week of track workouts and hill repeats; running and biking, respectively. But, I have been itching to race (especially since the Team Rev3 Kit looks fricking AWESOME!) I woke up EARLY Saturday morning and trudged out to the race site.
Swim
The swim was freezing, but a small victory is that even though I haven't been extremely diligent about morning swim practices, I managed to freestyle most of the way and only have my contact slip once. The young lady on the kayak said, "We're hear if you're tired." I politely responded, "Thanks, but my contact has just slipped back in my eye." Not to mention the zipper on the back of the wetsuit became unhinged. (So much for completely smooth sailing.)
Bike
I got out of transition and the chain on my bike fell off... it fell off... it fell the _______ OFF! Jeremy Yoemans, I think you can relate to how this situation made me feel! (For everyone else, Ron White for you viewing and listening pleasure!)
(The clip above about sums up how I felt about the chain falling off. DISCLOSURE: There is usage of profanity in the clip.)
Fortunately, a kind volunteer helped me get the chain back on. This took what felt like an eternity. If the chain was not going to cooperate I was about to bag the entire race. It went back on after much finagling. Off I went up the first hill. I started to pick people off and move through the field. This course was rolling! There was a point where I was in no-man's land and then WHOOSH I was past going up hill and as if I was going backwards! I managed to average just over 20mph, but the lost time from the chain had occurred so any thought of "racing" was gone. This had turned into an evaluation of where I currently stood physically.
Run
 |
| This is a proof. CC Bird's Eye View Photography |
Bike transition was slow, but done. It was time to fly in my brand new Pearl Izumi T2s! I had just received them the day before, but if Andy Potts can try something new every race why not me?!?! (Not to mention one of the people I swim with says I look like him. Wish I could swim like him!) The double loop 10K was HILLY! (Thanks for the big cheer on the way out, Matt Clancy!) It felt as if I was moving through mud. I looked down at my Garmin and I was cruising at 6:40s-7:30s! Training for a marathon and then reintroducing speedwork after recovery has truly helped my run. There was one issue on course and I had to walk to take care of it. Yep, folks, I peed during the run and felt so much lighter afterwards. (Triathletes don't have much same and there is nothing sexy about salt streaked faces and farmer's blowing!)
As I was rounding the turn towards the turnaround, I saw Jordan McAmmond aka "The Swan" crushing her second loop! She was sailing!
The entire race took my 2:53:44! This was my slowest Oly tri, but I'll take it because it was so fun to be back out there racing! Over the winter I have done a few half marathons and a marathon, but nothing compares to triathlon! A major shout out to local race organizers Jones Racing Company. Benji it is amazing that you are following your passion and putting on great events throughout North Carolina!
Rock'n Roll Raleigh
 |
| And his hair was perfect! Slapbet Stage one Complete! |
 |
| Mike Vance hamming it up! |
Congratulations to all who raced Rock'n Roll Raleigh. It was an amazing event. I had a blast providing support at the PowerBar tent at the finish line. Greg Karpinski and I slapbet each other that he would complete a Raleigh this year and not only did he complete it, he finished his first half just above 2:00:00! I truly enjoyed a training with Greg and his amazing girlfriend, Katie, a few times this winter. (We even ran in the snow!) Greg has been my best "bro" for nearly three years and it is simply great that he has started running and racing. (It might help a little that Katie is a bit of a stud runner.)
There were 12,500 runners, respectively and most of them ran the half marathon. It was an incredibly hilly course. Michael Vance (ha! I knew I could get you in this posting!) paced Bill Lamb. Bill has some unfortunate IT issues, but he had quite a kick at the finish despite it all. Mike was simply being his usual self hamming it up giving people high and low fives throughout the race as he helped pace Bill through the half. Mike's wife Lauren finished the race as well... well she and the child she is carrying inside of her! Those Vance's are just crazy and awesome!
 |
| Stevven Anderson 2nd Place See all that PowerBar! Fleet Feet Sports REPRESENT! |
Stevven Anderson of Greensboro, NC came in second! He crushed the course in just over seventy-one minutes!! I glimpsed him coming up to the finish line and began to scream my head off! He saw me and we were both ecstatic about his result. (There might have been a sweaty man-hug that occurred. There is no photo journalism of that event.) Stevven is one of the nicest guys a person will meet and a humble runner. He is willing to run with everyone and slow down to meet their pace. With this said though, the kid can crush a half, 10K, or 5K any day of the week. Stevven had his plaque at the Fleet Feet Sports in High Point the next day. I'm sure some shoes or recovery products were sold that day!!!
What Does the Future Hold??
I am looking forward to racing more this season and working a few Rev3 events! Maybe some change is on the horizon, who knows. As I tell my students each day, "The only constant in the Universe is change." Train smart, race hard and recover well!!
