Just DU it.......

Stats that I know right now: 8th overall female, 3rd age group, 1:12 time- its a start, not bad for cold and rain and being the first race of the season.

So I would first like to say that it was so much fun to have my coach and his wife at our race today cheering us on, giving us splits and telling us what place we were in, given the bad conditions ( cold and rain) for them to be standing outside for 4 hours plus for us was awesome.

So the race: So Coach Janda had about 10 athletes representing him today, me, keri, bob, greg, dawn, spencer, franco, and a few others I think that I'm forgetting, but anyway, we all got to meet up and get ready this morning in the 39 degree weather and rain and do our dyanmic warm ups and stride outs, it was fairly relaxing. I didn't get into my nervous mojo since I had my friend Keri there with me and we have never raced together and she is just coming along amazing in her training and I knew I would be trying to catch her all day in the race ( came a <>

1st run 3 miles- fairly flat- averaged about 7:23 per mile ( Coachie wanted me to go out at 10k pace and hold it for the run to get warmed up for the bike) I felt pretty good, I didn't like having so many people pass me, but I was hoping that if I held back a bit I would have more on the bike and the final run.

Bike- 11 miles- a rolling course with a couple of punchy hills. Its a bit different to ride after running then riding after swimming, my legs didn't get into a groove until about mile 8 and then it was going to be over in 3 miles. People were crowding on the roads being very tentative on their bikes given the wet conditions and rain, there was lots of traffic that slowed us down and lots of turns, which on a rainy day make you slow down a ton and have to regroup, so it was a bummer not to get into a groove and really be able to see what I can do. I actually felt like I was riding a 3hr ride today, my HR was not getting spiked because I just wasn't able to get the effort out. What was good was that I passed a lot of people and no woman passed me on the bike. I believe I averaged 20mph so based on this performance I certainly was in 1/2 ironman mode.

run #2- probably averaged in the mid 7's would be my guess, we didn't get our splits of our bike and second run at the race so I'm not sure what I did but I at least felt pretty good coming off the bike, I didn't feel too tight and my gait was okay. Unfortunately one woman past me with 30 yards to go to the finish line so I came in 8th overall female, oh well.

Anyway, it was fun to get 3rd in my age group ( the 2nd and 3rd overall female winners were in my age group so I did pretty well), my other teammates Dawn got 5th overall female, Keri got 6th overall female and I got 8th overall female, so I feel we represented Team Janda very wel today. Our other teammates Bob Carrol finished 14th overall with an amazing time of 1hr, how one can run sub 6's and then crush the bike and the second run I'll never know, also a young gun by the name of spencer placed either 3rd or 4th overall male with a scorchin I believe 55 or 57 minutes ( oh to be young again) so really impressive work there, Greg did amazing as well, finishing in the tops of his age group and Franco was awesome passing me at the finish as well. " I'll get you later Franco, I just need a longer race" ( hee hee)

Anyway, it was a good day, definitely a training day for me, I feel to good to feel like I really raced it, I think if the conditions were better I might of gone for it a bit more but it is what it is and its only April, lots of training ahead for me and probably more duathlons in my future. I can see how different muscles get engaged gettting on the bike after the run and how I had to work harder on the second run to do well. Its a learning curve for sure but I'm getting there. Anyway, I'm sending out some pictures of all my good friends and of my amazing coach Janda and wife Michelle who came out today to route for us. Thanks again Coachie, your the best.