TriSupporter

Ironman Wisconsin 2009 Recap - really long

What a weekend! We arrived in Madison on Friday evening and settled in our hotel, The Edgewater (not bad but not close enough for me) and headed out to dinner a Sardine - highly recommended, make sure you check it out the next time you're in Madison.

The Day Before

On Saturday we headed over to Monona Terrace for our volunteer meeting at 8am. If you recall, Rianman, Jodie (TriSupporter extraordinaire), and I choose to body mark (more about that later). We and 3400 other volunteers met to get our instructions, get our t-shirts, and for those who wanted to register for 2010, a wristband. Our volunteer captain reminded us in a not-too-friendly way that she too was a volunteer and she was up early when one of the group started wise-cracking. Ouch. She also insisted that we were to only write actual ages on both arms and the calf--many of us questioned this but she insisted. Okay, what can you do when the captain says jump...you jump.  The final blow came when she told us there was a mix up in the tshirts and there weren't enough large and extra larges. This of course meant people wanted to start grabbing at shirts and she lost total control when she said she had to save some sizes for those who couldn't make the meeting. Huh? They don't have to come but they get first choice? That did not fly with the two Ironman brothers from Illinois. They shot back and the promptly took their shirts. At which point I grabbed a Large  for me and Medium for Jodie. Rianman got an Extra Small. Hot huh?

 

After we left our orientation, we hit Marigold Kitchen our favorite breakfast spot in Madison; I NEVER leave Madison without visiting at least once. We then split up for most of the day so we could see our friends. We finally met up late in the afternoon with Joel, Steve, and Joel's daughter Kaitlyn. Saturday might meant sharing an Italian dinner with Kat and Stacy for Kat's pre-race dinner. Can I just say, Kat had a beer! Really. Rianman hardly had a beer all summer before IMOO 2008. Who's the stud? After dinner, we all headed back to our respective rooms for some good sleep before our 4 am wake up calls.

Race Day

4 am again. We're up, showered and at the body marking station by 4:40. No, Rianman did NOT wear the extra small shirt. He wore the large and I pinned the XS to my shirt--the green didn't match the only shorts I brought--a kelly green pair--I wasn't going to wear any size in that color shirt! There were a lot of volunteers and at first, I thought, too many of us as athletes only trickled in. But then, then crush of athletes arrived and there were definitely enough of us. Oh, I have to say this...remember when we all questioned why were writing the age in 3 locations when NO other tri does this? Well, after about 10 athletes were marked, the captain informed us that in fact we were to write the bib number on the arms and the age or P for Pro on the calf. DUH!! So, sorry to the handful of athletes that will never find their photos.

Things I learned body marking

Let me just say that body marking is the BEST. First, it's early and you're free to watch the swim start. Second, you get to use a really big Sharpie. Finally, you HAVE to touch some very, very well-toned, no, strong arms.

• Men are easier than women - there is just more real estate to write big numbers on
• Shaving is a real plus--writing on hairy shoulders or legs is tough
• It is NOT possible to write clearly without holding onto the person--really. I swear. 
• Some bodies are easier to write on than others and the biggest muscles are NOT easiest cause they are too well-developed. Smooth skin and toned arms is the key. 
• No matter what they tell you, most are nervous because many of them have a hard time telling your their age--it's like they just forget.
• A Pro does not want his or her age on his or her leg, a P will do nicely, thank you very much!
• You make a connection with some athletes and you end up cheering them on all day and you feel for those who didn't make it, at least on this attempt

TriSupporting

Once Rianman, Jodie and I finished our volunteer obligations which I must say I LOVED, we tried to find a spot to watch the swim. We headed to the top of the Monona Terrace garden and squeezed ourselves between others; Joel and his two daughters came out to cheer. It was of course a blast and invigorating and inspiring. It was made all the better when I reflected on how much less stressed I was than the previous year when Rianman was in that mass of arms and legs.

 

Jodie had her athletes to cheer so while she did a little cheering at T1, Rianman and I went to breakfast then the three of us took off for Mt. Horeb High School. Our whole day was essentially a redux of last year. Once there, we saw Monty, Chelsea, Kat, Trish, Laura, Beth and the memorable athletes we marked.  It was warm so we felt for the athletes; there was no breeze and few clouds. It was a good 10 degrees warmer than last year and I think it made a difference. We had one guy stop and ask for salt tabs. He ended up laying down for 20 minutes. We were nervous for him but he said he felt better and started back on the bike. Rianman took down his number just to follow up.  Add one more to cheer for.

Once we saw our athletes pass us twice on the bike, we headed back to Madison to sit ourselves at the Union--it's a great spot because you see your athlete twice in about 15 minutes and then again on their 2nd loop when they really need to see you. And, it is not so crowded (don't y'all go there next year). We did get to see Hillary Biscay pass by - she won last year and came in third this year. Very exciting. We saw our athletes pass by and all looked good. Monty was taking it easy but had a great attitude. Chelsea was kicking some serious ass while Kat and Trish ran together and met - how fun is that? We also saw the guy from earlier who needed the salt tabs--he was running and he recognized us! He looked great and we learned he finished!! We also cheered on a couple other KC Multisporters including Todd who I body marked.

(Kat and Trish running - I tried to get a better shot)

Once we saw Trish pass with her brother Tim running along side (Tim is a super supporter - holy cow, he ran all over town for Chelsea and Trish and when I say ran, I mean he actually ran. He needs to bring a bike next time.), we made our way back to the finish line to see them all cross. We also heard the unfortunate news that Monty had to pull out at 13.1 miles. He was cramping and eventually ended up at the ER on Sunday night. Lest anyone think becoming an Ironman isn't hard or dangerous or should be taken lightly is just wrong. This shit is hard. We witnessed the results of crashes, a guy vomiting just 20 yards from us, men and women crying, people limping and grabbing at leg cramps and side stitches, and the lonely looks on many faces as they walked by with 6 long miles to go.

At the finish line, we watched in anticipation and heard Mike Reilly announcing each Ironman. Let me tell you, that NEVER gets old. People are so happy to come into that chute and spectators are screaming and cheering happily and relieved to see their athlete achieve a dream; the lights are bright and the music is loud. We watched as Laura, Kat and Trish crossed as well as so many we watched and cheered all day. It was a great day and hope next year will be another great year, now that Rianman has signed up. Yup, we'll do it all again.

Congratulations to all the athletes--don't forget to thank your TriSupporters!

 

TriSupporter for Andrea and TNT

I know you all know of Team in Training and you may have even run or tri'd or ridden for TNT. Team in Training supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has also gotten a lot of people into endurance sports for a great cause.

Earlier this year my good friend Andrea decided she would do her first tri for TNT in honor of her father who died in 2006 from multiple myeloma. Once decided, Andrea jumped right into turning herself into a triathlete without a background in any of the sports. Her tri is September 13th just two weeks away. So while we'll be at IMOO volunteering, she'll be competing and doing a great job at the Tri for Sight in Lexington, Kentucky.

Meet Andrea

 

Andrea has been creative and effective at raising money for TNT but she's just a few dollars short of her $3,000 goal. Please check out her site and read her story and if you can help, even just a few dollars, you'd be helping her meet her goal but more importantly, you'd be helping a great cause.

Good luck Andrea--you're gonna do great!!

ding, ding.

Friends Don't Let Friends TriSupport Alone

On Sunday, Rianman and I went out to Longview Lake for the 2009 Jackson Country Triathlon to cheer on Marcus and Joe, first time Long Distance triathletes.

Here they are before at about 6:20 am. Joe is on the left.

 

Rianman and I got to the race site just as the sun was breaking through. We've had unusually cool temps in KC the last week and it was one of the prettiest sites in a long time. Cool start, low humidity, no winds...perfect day for a triathlon.

 

As we walked from our car (intentionally parked along the road for easy out), Rianman said how happy he was he wasn't racing. I guess it is relaxing going to a race when you don't have to be in it. I have to say it was easier for me too (well the waking up early part is never easy.) We came across Joe as he was laying in the middle of the road stretching. All three of us went over to find Marcus and Christy (TriSupporter to Marcus), chatted and joked until it was time to clear out the transition.

As Christy, Rianman and I were watching the swimmers take off, we realized we didn't know what wave Joe was in...we pretty much waited till the last long course swimmer came out before admitting we missed him. We saw Marcus out of the water looking good.

The bike portion went really well as did the run. The guys looked good and fast and there was no doubt a good day was going to be had.

Here they are after: it is sunnier, they are sweatier, and lookin' happier. Congrats guys!!

As the guys finished and the morning wrapped up, we looked down at our watches and it was only 10 am--I love the Long Distance/Olympic races!

In just 3 weeks we head to Madison...where 10 am is going to feel like 2pm. Bring it on!!

Ironman Kansas 70.3 Pre Race

KS70.3 packet pick up line

Tomorrow is the second annual IMKS 70.3 in Lawrence, Kansas. We spent about 3 hours at Clinton Lake doing quite a bit of walking and waiting. Walking from the althete parking to the Expo site. Waiting in line for almost an hour for packet pickup. Walking another 1/2 mile or so to the T1 to rack the bike, then walking all the way back to the car. Today was a gold medal TriSupporter day.

As for the race, this year the race is still at Clinton Lake but it is different in many ways and not different in one.

While the tri is at Clinton Lake, it is at a different part of the lake, has a different bike and run and includes two transition areas about 1/3 mile apart.

As you can see in the photo, the weather is threatening thunderstorms which is what cut short the race last year. Let's hope the weather holds out till the last athlete crosses the finish line.

Good luck to all of you racing tomorrow!!

Ding, ding

KC Triathlon Recap

Due to some technical difficulties, I wrote much of this yesterday but couldn't post till today.

Yesterday was the first annual KC Triathlon. Kudos to those who worked tirelessly to make a race that was great for triathletes and TriSupporters. It was easy to watch the swim, bike, and run without having to haul all over the place.

Rianman and I got a bit of a late start when we both hit snooze a few too many times. Despite that we got to the race site by about 5:20 AM and Rianman was able to get an excellent inside, end spot on a rack close to the bike in/out. The end gives you the benefit of spreading out your transition set up without being squeezed in by others.

As usual, I took a picture of the dawn breaking. I think I do this because I so rarely see the sun rise and must capture it for evidence—yes, I can wake up early if I need to.

As Rianman was setting up, the clouds from the overnight thunderstorm passed and a rainbow appeared…it was a sign of the great race day to come.

Once Rianman was set up, Christy and Marcus called to say they arrived to cheer and thankfully they were nice enough to bring me a much needed caffeine hit…why isn't there coffee at these races? You know how many people would pay a lot for coffee at a tri? Hmmm…there's a thought.

At 7 am, I sprayed Rianman down with TriSlide and he put on his wetsuit and walked to the swim start. There were 4 waves, male and female each for the Olympic and sprint to start at 7:30am.

At 7:30 the boom was heard and all Olympic men were in the water. 5 minutes later the women were off and after about 20 minutes or so the first woman came in only after a handful of men….she caught up and passed probably 100 or more men…what a rock star!

Once Rianman ran by us after about 31 minutes (not his best swim by a long shot but it was his first open water in 8 months), we were off to see him at T1. He had a nice time coming in under 2 minutes (woo hoo) and was off on the bike. At that point, we headed to Raytown Road so we could watch as the riders would pass us twice. I forgot my cow bell so it was a lot of clapping. Rianman looked good on the bike and based on our watch, he was having a good ride. He did end up averaging 19.6 so he's really happy…that's a big improvement over last year's averages even on fast courses.

 

Once he was off on his run, we found a shady spot near the finish line. We watched and cheered and were very impressed by the men who wore Speedos and not much else…ouch?!?!

Rianman came by us to round into the finish with a time of 2:41:26. He felt good and was happy with his transition times, bike and run. The swim will come with some open water practice which is to start this week.

We had a great first race of the season and in just 2 weeks we'll be in Lawrence for the 70.3…can't wait!! All kinds of triathlete stars will be there and many of our friends. It's going to be another great cheering day.

Again great job to all those we know who raced, volunteered, and put on the first KC Tri.

Bass Pro Shop Marathon Recap

We're back home from Springfield, MO just north of Branson. The good news is Rianman did it...he finished with an unofficial time of 4:24. We're hoping the official time will show 4:22 which is a 10 minute mile...his goal. As usual his goal is to always finish feeling good and he felt good at the end.

Here's the best part...check out that medal!

 

Packet Pickup

The Bass Pro Shop Conservation Marathon is only 2 years old and we were impressed. We arrived Saturday afternoon with our friends Marcus and Christy after a 2.5 hour drive. After checking into our respective hotels both a short walk to the Bass Pro Shop, we went to packet pick up. We pulled into the lot and were were amazed by the size of this Bass Pro Shop. I've seen them before but this was about double the size of a regular one. It held several conference centers with catering facilities in addition to the store, a Starbucks, a museum, and an aquarium! Unreal!

After pickup which included a nice New Balance long sleeve tech tee, we drove over to check out the local football stadium that at 6pm was going to open its doors to an Obama rally. We all thought, "This is Springfield, how many could be here." Well holy cow...there were a ton of people already. We decided we would eat dinner first. We drove across town (3 miles) to one of a gazillion Japanese restaurants for such a small city. We had a terrific dinner of sushi in a restaurant that could easily have been in Chicago. Very hip and cool. What kind of town is Springfield?

Obama Rally

Anyway, after dinner around 7 pm, Rianman drove us back to the hotel, just half a mile to the stadium. Marcus, Chrsity and I went to the Obama rally while Rian stayed in to rest. It was a good idea because we didn't get back from the rally till 10:15 and we stood the whole time. The rally was amazing. There were about 40,000 people in a part of Springfield that is generally pretty Red. Both Michelle and Barack spoke. And when he finished, we made our way back to the hotel to a sleeping Rianman.

Sunday Morning

With the "Fall Back" we benefited from the extra hour of sleep. Rianman woke at 4:30 to eat a little food, then fell back to sleep. The nice thing about a marathon is the little prep needed. In a triathlon you have to get to the transition to set everything up but with a marathon you just get dressed and walk over to the starting area. Of course it is never that easy for Rianman. He had to make his Perpetuem leaving the hotel room sink a mess. He then weighed himself down with three filled bottles in his Fuelbelt along with Gu packets and some AntiFatigue and Endurolyte pills. He also took 1 pill of a 2 pill dose of DayQuil because he (and I) are sick and although I'm much worse off, he was starting to feel pretty bad last night.

We're still not sure how many people ran the marathon but we saw bibs in the 500s. The half-marathon started at the same time, 7 am. There probably weren't more than 2000 people. As the runners started, the three of us took to the car to head over to a great point at mile 6 and 11. We got there with plenty of time to cheer on many runners and see the lead male fly past us at mile 11. Rianman got to us and he was looking good running a sub-10 which was great. This is him coming toward us.

 

After he passed us coming back around a loop, we took off...to McDonalds for some breakfast. We ate in and after a short visit, we took off to mile 17 where we could see him twice (out and back point). We got there with only about 10 minutes to spare...maybe too much time at Mickey D's??

Marcus ran with Rianman and both looked good (Marcus wasn't running this marathon). He will still at a sub-10 but that would change. We decided after he passed that if waited to see him come back we would get to the finish in time so we decided to head back to the finish. We just missed seeing the winner finish under 3 hours but we did see the first female and of course the remaining runners till Rianman came by around 11:24 as we cheered him on. It was great to see him look so good at the end. When we met him at the finish with his finishers cap and medal, he was beat but pretty good. Marcus was good about walking with Rianman to get him to keep moving and prevent the lactic acid buildup.

We ended up going to the Finisher's party where they had beer, soda, wine, fruit, eggs, and biscuits and gravy not only for participants but friends and family!!! When do you see that ever??? Food for the family too? WOW. Bass Pro Shops put some money into this race.

We took some photos and then were on our way...Rianman to a shower and then we were off to Lamberts Cafe near Branson...home of the "Throwed Rolls" where they throw hot rolls to waiting patrons. Fun comfort food!

All in all a great first marathon weekend. Thanks to Marcus and Christy for coming along...they really made it so much more of an event. Not just any event...his first marathon and the last event of 2008. Woo hoo...vacation here we come!!!

 

Happy Halloween!!

I love when Halloween falls on a weekend. For this year, we plan on hanging out with our neighbors in the front yard with a fire and some wine. I wonder if some parents will want some...maybe we'll have some extra cups out there.

As for this weekend, it is the last big event for Rianman. He's running his first marathon (not including the Ironman). We leave tomorrow for Springfield, Missouri so Rianman can run in the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Marathon. Check out the finishers medal....very cool.

The weather will be perfect..warmer than normal...sunny and in the low 70s by afternoon. The race starts at 7 am so the runners will have cool weather to start in.

Our friends Marcus and Christy will be coming along to cheer. You may recall that Marcus ran in the Chicago Marathon recently and had to suffer through another hot October day in Chicago. Rianman's thankful that he'll have decent weather.

The cool thing about this weekend is that Obama will be in Springfield tomorrow...we're going to try to see him...wish us luck cause if it is anything like the rally here in KC...it'll be packed!!

We'll update you on Rianman's race...he's hoping for 4:20...eeks...I hope that won't jinx him.

Chicago Marathon

(This post is dedicated to Bonnie...I hope you get this.)

Well Rianman didn't run the marathon but we went to support our friends Jodie, Mallika, and Marcus--each experienced marathoners. We arrived on Saturday to Chicago, the place we consider home. We started our visit with an el ride to Belmont so we could get pastries at Bittersweet, the bakery from which we got our wedding cake 8 years ago.

Carbo load meal 1

We followed that with a tasty carbo loading lunch at Pompei Little Italyon Sheffield. Yeah, I know....we didn't need to carbo load but hey it was a good excuse.

We then took the red line down to Chinatown to walk to McCormick place for the marathon expo. I didn't know what to expect but I guess a marathon with 45,000 participants is going to have one heck of an expo. And it didn't disappoint. It was awesome! We got all kinds of goodies, tried different nutrition samples, and got a free CTA card from Bank of America. It really was impressive.

Carbo load meal 2

After the expo, we went back to Belmont and met Marcus, Christy and Darla for the carbo load dinner at Leona's. We were happy Marcus et al wanted to meet there..a nice local place that is low key and in a real neighborhood. Now I've seen some endurance athletes eat some crazy stuff before a race (see Steve in a Speedo) but Marcus had a glass of wine and pasta and a meatball and garlic bread. Impressive! Rianman would never temp his stomach in such a way.

After dinner we headed to Nike Town to meet Jodie and her family. It was great to see her again. I was just worried that her stomach was upset. But nerves can happen. Jodie handed us the Red Hot support crew bag filled with maps and all kinds of goodies including Slim Jims....love Slim Jims. Thanks Jodie!!

Finally we headed back to the hotel room and set the alarm for 6 am. Our room had a dead center terrific view of Buckingham Fountain and more importantly the start corrals for the race. As we woke on Sunday morning, we saw endless people getting ready for the race. WOW. There isn't a lot to say about it...45,000 runners and exponentially more supporters. It's like nothing I've ever seen.

Race Start

At 8 am we met Christy at State and Wacker to watch for our runners at mile 1.5. The wheelchair racers came first...so inspirational. I couldn't imagine the determination it must take to overcome or live within their constraints and surpass what others believe they can do. We then watched as the elite runners flew by us...we would never see them again.

After the 5:45 pace group passed we realized we missed seeing Mallika, Marcus, and Kari. We had to move north to Lakeview. We hopped on the brown line to Belmont and walked to Broadway and met with Michelle to cheer our runners on. We saw Sally, Marcus, and Jodie. It was so exhilarating cheering them and all the strangers on.

Mile 21: Chinatown

After Jodie passed, we headed south on the red line to Chinatown. We had time so we went to Three Happiness for dim sum...oh my god was that most perfect part of our plan. While our friends were running their hearts our in the heat and sun of an unseasonably warm day, we were munching away on shrimp dumplings, turnip cakes, shu mai, and more. Once finished, we made our way west to an open spot and cheered everyone we could. Recommendation for future runners - put your name on your shirt...it really helps the fans.

Sally and Marcus passed us and they looked good but the weather was taking a bit of a toll. We were sure they'd finish though. We waited though for Jodie. We knew she might be hurting from her stomach issues. After some time we saw her. I commented that she was dry--everyone else had been soaked in sweat. She said she has vomited and sat out for 10 minutes. She was far behind pace but we convinced her she would finish and try to give her tips that worked for Rianman...just get to the next aid station. Just one aid station at a time.

Finish

As a group we now needed to get to Grant Park. Michelle returned home, Rianman and I went to check out at the hotel, and Christy went to the 27th Mile to wait for Marcus. After we checked out we met Christy at the 'Z' section and saw that Marcus had just made his way there. What a great sight! He was happy and sweaty. He did it!! We said our congrats then went to the 'B' section to wait for Jodie. Unfortunately we had to get to the airport but we left having heard Jodie finished...with minutes to spare. No she didn't have a great race but she finished and she stuck is out where others wouldn't have. She walked much of the last miles but in the last 1.5...she ran it in and because she did, she finished. She's a champ!! We're so proud of her and Marcus and Mallika - who also maintained a great 3:40 pace for most of the race. You rock Mallika.

Rianman now thinks he may want to do Chicago next year. It's chaotic but a pretty cool race so maybe I'll support that. One thing I'm glad about...Rianman now knows how hard it is to be a supporter. It's physically exhausting but emotionally enriching. I'm glad he knows now what I go through being TriSupporter.

I'll post pictures later....I'm away on biz and don't have my camera.

Keep on training friends.

Jackson County Tri Recap

Let's get the results out of the way: 2:20:08. He was 17th out of 33 in his age group and 8th for the swim, 26th bike, and 9th run...what needs work?

Now...about the day...yesterday we left the house at 5:15am to drive the 25 minutes to Longview Lake. As we approached we found a long line of red brake lights. That's never a good sight. But, we stayed in place and slowly rolled along to the parking. When we got within sight of the turn to the lake, I watched as the man in the Camry in front of us reached to the passenger side...maybe he double-checking that he had his bib? As he continued to reach and dig around, I started to worry...he was rolling, slowly, but rolling...but the car in front of him was not. "Oh crap...stop!" Too late, all we could see was the Felt Tri bike swinging from its hitch mounted rack.

"Oh crap" again...Camry guy got out of his car and then Felt guy. They checked it out, shook hands, and returned to their cars. Whew! crisis averted...for both guys: Camry guy who could have ruined a nice bike and the Felt guy who didn't have to return home before even starting the race. It was very cool of the Felt guy. Luckily the little bump didn't cause too much of a delay in our effort to get parked.

Once parked, Ri-guy pumped up the tires and we made our way over to transition. It was chilly and I was not prepared; I was just wearing my TriSupporter t-shirt. I need to get a sweatshirt. But this is the last Tri around here for the season.

As we entered the transition area, Coach Ken was there was his headlamp shining like a beacon...he was volunteering. It was my first time meeting him...finally, right? I mean I make sure this guy gets paid every month and I'm only just meeting him??? He was funny...he did a 'we're not worthy' bow to Ri-guy's new bike. Actually, I think Ri-guy was happy to see him. He's been so pleased with his coaching and impressed with how hands on he's been. We'll owe him a lot when Ri-guy finishes Ironman Wisconsin.

After getting set up at an end spot of the rack (lucky find), I took some pictures of the bike and his set up since it was Lola's first race (yeah, I think he's naming the bike Lola after the Kinks song but it is still to be decided). I went and filled his water bottles and saw that Epic Bike Shop was on site--you may recall that's where Ri-guy got Lola. It was so nice to see Scott and his guys there. We went over to say HI and they wished Ri-guy luck.

As the crowd grew (900 participants), the first five heats lined up. Ri-guy was in heat 2 which was huge as usual. Heat 1 took off at 7 am and as the group swam past the third buoy, a guy started running towards the water...he was late. The other guys were giving him some grief. Not only was he late, but then he started swimming to the left of the first buoy - getting more grief from the crowd. He finally got straightened out but I'm not sure what happened to his time. It had to throw him off cause he was working really hard to catch up to his heat.

Tip: don't be late for your heat.

As Ri-guy entered the water, I heard someone call my name--that never happens...we hardly know anyone here. I looked over and saw Carlene and Carl...and he was not racing! They came out to cheer on Ri-guy. They really are great couple and huge supporters of the triathlon community.

 

As Ri-guy came out of the swim, Carlene got some pictures...she has a great camera and a good eye...she even got Ri-guy smiling. We saw him take off for the bike but didn't get to see him try mounting the bike with his shoes clipped in. He's never done that before and so we tried the rubber band technique - he tied it the loop on the shoe then hooked it to the quick release on the left and the bottle rack on the right. We hoped it would break off. The report from Ri-guy - it worked! Snapped off no problem.

As Carlene and I made our way to the bike route at the u-turn point, Carl left for a 7 mile run...impressive or crazy...you decide. We saw Ri-guy twice and Carlene got more pictures...he sure looked happy to be racing Lola for the first time. Finally we waited on the run course but we were on the short run course so we never saw Ri-guy...oh well. We rang cowbells for a lot of other people. After estimating that Ri-guy had been running 5 miles in 50 minutes...I finally went to look to see if we missed him...sure enough he was changed, drinking water, and talking to a triathlete (Trish) that is also coached by Ken. We found out he'd been done for quite awhile Oh well...we tried!

It was a great day...beautiful blue skies, cool breeze, lots of happy people, good result, and I had fun hanging out with friends. And now, it's just 13 days to IMoo...I think we're ready!!

Jackson County Triathlon

Tonight we're prepping for Ri-guy's last race before Ironman Wisconsin. He'll be doing tomorrow's Jackson County Long Course Triathlon...it's not quite an Oly but close. It's being held at Longview Lake in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Thankfully, it's only a 25 minute drive!!! Since moving to the KC area, we haven't been to a race that is that close. We'll actually be able to sleep in...well as much as one can the morning of a triathlon.

Ri-guy is threading the Yankz through his new running shoes (they match too)...he's already broken them in a bit and should be good to go for IMoo but he may still use his other ones because he knows those won't give him a problem whereas these new ones haven't seen long runs.

While he's doing that the Puppy Games are on...Animal Planet's Olympics-inspired televised puppy play...it so cute and yet so ridiculous. I guess I'd better switch back to the real Olympics for men's diving...the view is much better ;-)

Good luck to all the althetes at tomorrow's race. Hope to see some of our friends out there. If you see a TriSupporter out there...say Hi, it's likely me.

Ding, ding.