It's time to tri something new, at least that's what CT tells me. Maybe a tattoo? Must say, think I look good in ink! Just like everything else, it starts with a blonde. Her first Tri was a few weeks ago. She did really well for it being her first one, but it also left her wanting more, then this opportunity presented itself. Next thing I know, I find myself part of a relay team. She successfully talked me into doing a Tri, without really doing a Tri (I'm learning).
The race is a small, as far as participation is concerned. It consists of a 750 meter swim, twelve mile bike, and a 5K run, apply named a Sprint Tri-Athlon. The team, obviously CT and I, but we added a third leg as our swimmer, introducing the Mad Dog! The Mad Dog is second generation Superstar and also participated in CT's first Tri. One of the moments I'll never forget is the the scowl on the Mad Dog's face as she went by on the bike, reminded me of a dog going to the vet. Clearly, the Mad Dog's place is in the water, so a team relay makes sense.
Fully admit, I found myself looking at last year's times and projecting our finishing time. CT must have infected me, now I'm doing it too. By my estimation, the Mad Dogs would have a great chance to not only place, but could quite possibly win overall. How fun would it be to roll up and beat a guys team with two crazy girls, I mean rabid dogs?
Morning of prior to check in, take a sneak peak of the race board to see a grand total of six teams in the relay division. Like I said, not a big event, but can't control who signs up. With only six teams, our chances when from good, to in the bag in my book. With three divisions, male, female, and mixed teams it's practically a sure thing that we'll place. Even if all the teams are in our division, with our team, we are walking away with an award.
Prior to start, begin to eye up the competition. Ugh, the first team in view is one of three seventeen year old boys, all lean and in great shape. There it is, that's the team I wanted to beat and by the looks of it we have no chance, dammit! Couple of the other teams don't look like a threat, one of all guys and the other of all women. Heck, we might be the only mixed team, winning by default. Not exactly the way I'd like it, but it certainly takes some pressure off, but still really want to win. Much the same as the youngster men's team, there's also a youngster female team.
The race goes swim, bike, run, so the Mad Dog is first up. At this point, I'd like to point out they start the relay teams with the men's tri-athletes, so here's our 90 pound fourteen year old swimmer battling it out with full sized guys. Once out of the water, the Mad Dog then had to run up a pretty good size hill before handing the timing chip to CT. In a way she had to do two events. I bring this up because prior to the race, the director brought up that the youngster female team had an injury and their swimmer couldn't run, so they would be allowed to have another team member get her chip and make the hand-off. I'm not competitive enough to care before the gun goes off, but in the heat of the moment watching, it matters! Watching fresh legs run up a hill versus the Mad Dog's tired legs, makes a difference. This is no cake walk, this is a race now.
Heading in the bike, we were in third place. The boys had a good two minutes on us, the girls probably a minute. This is where the calm before the storm happens, in this relay world. CT is doing her thing and now it's time for me to find my zone and get ready. Took some practice laps in the parking lot. It wasn't long before youngster girl is following me doing the same loop. Hmmm, is she trying intimidate me? Youngster boy clearly doesn't care, he's just standing talking with friends. With my warm-up completed, now comes the hard part, waiting. Unlike the set start time of a race, now it's a guessing game for when CT is going to come in. Figure I'll really start getting ready when the youngster boy comes in.
Put me down for shocked! First in, youngster girl, I watch their transition and like a shot there goes their runner. Waiting. Next in youngster boy, off he goes. At this point youngster girl has a good two minute lead, which in running seems HUGE! There's CT! She's tired, the way she's coughing, I almost wondered if she was going to puke on me as I attacked her timing chip. Here's where I'll break the story with today's lesson, practice! Getting our numbers and gear, the Mad Dog had our timing chip the whole time, makes sense since she was starting. In the heat of the moment, getting the chip off with the velco strap was a disaster, wasted valuable seconds working on getting it transferred. Down a good two minutes to first and another to second, mentally didn't know if I had enough in me, third place is going to stink.
The goal was to put down a nineteen minute and something 5K. Haven't done anything close to speed work lately and had no real idea if that was even possible, but also knew I couldn't let the adrenaline of being behind causing me to go out too fast and burn out. Knowing there was such a gap between the first two teams and myself, probably helped, mentally didn't give myself any real chance to catch them. Then it happened.
First turn, I saw the bright shirt youngster boy was sporting. I feel sorry for the solo tri-athlete I happened to be passing at the time because I muttered "it's on motha-fer" under my breath! He had a good minute head start, but the fact I could see him, meant there was a chance. He wasn't throwing down five minute miles, like I expected. At the mile mark, I estimated he was thirty seconds ahead of me. Just before the turn around at a mile and a half, I spotted youngster girl and he was close to catching her. At two miles, he was still about thirty seconds ahead. Getting tired, there'd be no way I'd be able to close the gap on him. Any chance we could make this a half marathon? The girl on the other hand, I was right on her heels, got her in the last turn.
Knowing we were so close to giving the boys a run for the money, felt good. Wish I had a little more down the stretch. Probably didn't help that I ran thirteen miles the day before, but still pulled off a PR 5K for myself (though think the course was a little short), a 19:11! While I'm proud of that, I'm more proud of beating my counterpart youngster guy in the run by thirteen seconds. Keep getting older, but also keep getting faster.
Team Mad Dog rocked! Doubt anybody will notice, but it was one hell of a good race between the three of teams. The final results had us all within forty seconds of each other. While I'm super proud of it, think the moral here is girls are no joke, you better watch out guys! CT made up some serious ground with her biking. Had to bite my tongue a little after watching the cocky youngster boys high five and showboat some after looking at their posted times. Really wanted to hit them with the reality check of the situation that two of them got beat by an old guy runner, a girl on a bike, and only really accomplished beating a fourteen year old girl in the water, but remembering how invincible I felt at that age and decided, ahhhh we'll just let life bust them down in a few years. There's the real Yoda life lesson.
Won't lie, really wanted to win the whole thing. It would have made for a really great memory for the Mad Dog. As it turns out I'm rather bitter about it, not for coming in second, but for what happened next. Turns out even though the race advertised two deep awards for each division, they only gave out one award for the relay, so the boys got that. Not sure if that was because lack of teams or poor race organization, but won't move that event anywhere close to the must do again list. Maybe that's what turns a dog into a Mad Dog, but here to say the Mad Dogs will race again, meaner and better! Beware of the Dogs!
