Friday night, my Dad and Kathy took Deana, Kingsley and I to Fogo de Chao in Baltimore for a meat orgy. It was amazing. Highly recommended.
Saturday, I went and volunteered at packet pickup handing out timing chips. Who do I see?? MACCA!!!!!!!!!! I see lots of celebrities in NYC but I don't think I've ever geeked out that hard at someone. I was like jumping around and probably would have thrown myself at his feet if I didn't have a line of people waiting to get their chips.
After volunteering, I ran over to Centennial Park to get my bike and helmet checked and rack it. Racing Columbia is fun but it's also a chance for me to catch with so many people. I got distracted in bike racking and put my helmet on the handle bars of someone else's bike, 2 bikes down and left! I realized about 8 PM and ran back over to the park and begged the security people to let me back in so someone didn't pitch it off their bike in the morning. Then I came home and found my mom's chihuahua puppy chewing on my chip! Way to be prepared, Erin!
So, Sunday race day. The weather reports were calling for 65 degrees and 90% chance of thunderstorms. Not ideal racing conditions to say the least. I woke up around 4:30 and the sky was clear and it really wasn't very cold. So, I was feeling better. I do not like to ride in the rain. Got to the race, pumped up my tires, talked some shit in the transition area and headed down to the swim start.
Swim: The water was damn cold. Coldest water I've ever had in Centennial Lake. But got off to a good start and thought I was making good time. I didn't even get swam over by the wave behind me until a couple buoys past the second turn. I felt ok, but my swim time was one minute slower than last year. Boo. (31:57)
T1: Pretty quick and easy. Threw on my Team KY jersey and got out of there. (3:57)
Bike: Started out quick, passed a bunch of people on 108 and flew down the first downhill on Homewood. I really felt good and strong for a while. I've realized I need to hook my cat eye back up to my bike and stop riding with no computer. It's not doing any good and I think I need the constant reminder to pick up the pace. The rain drops started at around mile 15. I slowed the pace down and tried to ride smart on the wet roads. I went down the big downhill leading up to the shitty climb up Greenridge and there was a massive clusterfuck of bikes, cars and ambulances at the bottom. Everyone is screaming to slow down and I ride by and see the guy who fell. He was laid out on the ground, no helmet and his whole entire head and face were covered in blood. It was really a terrifying sight. I've never seen anything like that in real life. Maybe on Grey's Anatomy but not a real person and a fellow competitor. I didn't even realize that I was climbing Greenridge because I was so shaken up. So between that and the rain, my last 10 miles were alot slower than they should have been. Still a minute faster than last year, so I can't complain too much. (1:30:10)
T2: Pretty quick dismount off the bike into a muddy transition. Threw on my shoes and IM visor and race belt and hit the run course. (1:51)
Run: The Columbia run course is just mean. It's expected but it still hits you hard. The first hill is so steep and sickening. I stuck to my 4 and 1's and kept a 9:02 pace. I wanted to be under 9, so not great but ok. The aid station in the neighborhood was Dolly Parton themed this year and so funny. Everyone (men, women and children) had blonde wigs, glitter and fake boobs on. It was really funny. The weather was perfect for the run, not too hot, the rain stopped and I felt ok. One minute faster than last year (56:05).
Overall: 3:03:48 Good, but not great. Maybe next year I will make sub 3.
Yesterday, Matt and I rode 64 miles around the Mt. Hebron course. We climbed Spout Hill (death) and Sand Hill and a bunch of other hateful hills. I was tired but I'm glad I did it and I'm glad Matt rode so slow for me!!! Good training weekend.
Next up...the dreaded Bay Swim.
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