Race Pics and post-race report

Four Pics from the race -- passing #1065 on the run, coming across the finish Line w/ time, biking with the Wisconsin capitol in the background, and changing gears in a curve on the bike.

After the race, B went to look for his car -- but, in his haste to get to the race start that morning, he had neglected to mentally note which garage he had parked in. Now, after you've done 9 1/2 hours of intense exercise is not the best time to have to go traipsing through the myriad parking garages which might fit the bill of being within 2 blocks of the capitol and the race start/finish. M, J, & I hung out with the bikes and gear on a street corner, waiting for B to return with the car. And waiting. And waiting -- finally, 90 minutes later, I sent M & J to go get food, and 45 minutes after that, I told them to take the rest of my cash, get in a cab, and go back to their hotel.

I, on the other hand, continued to wait with the bikes. It turns out that B had enlisted the help of three lovely co-eds, all grad students at UW who were helping him by searching the parking lot while he sat on the ground. So, I am lying on the sidewalk, curled on my side, with the bikes and all our gear for about 3 hours total. I was surprised by the number of people who didn't stop and see if I was ok, 'cause I figure I must have looked pretty wrecked. Several people did ask if I needed anything, and I even got a thermal blanket from one family around about 9:30.

Still No Joy. Another hour goes by, and B’s ladies decide they have to get on with their lives. B, deciding that his car has likely been stolen, gets a cabbie to take drive him through the parking garages. No luck. Finally, he puts me in the cab with the bikes, and sends me back to our hotel room, while he goes back out to meet the ladies and buy them a beer. Finally back at the room I get some food, (peanut butter and jelly time!) and about two hours later B arrives, having secured some phone numbers for the next time he goes to Madison.

The next morning he gets a rental, and we go downtown, finding the car in the first garage we look in -- not one of the five garages he searched the night before, but the first one we look in come the AM. Of course. M & J are on a plane back home, we head to the awards brunch, B signs up for Kona for 2010, gets his first place trophy, and we hit the road for home. Two days later, we're back. B went and swam Tuesday night -- I'm thinking I'm going for an easy swim on Friday. I'm not limping any more, and got caught up on a lot of mail and schoolwork, but I'm still hella fatigued, and am having trouble sustaining energy. Go fig! I'm tired!

Lots of folks have asked when the next time I plan on doing an Ironman – some have asked how M has taken to the whole process, and everyone has been very congratulatory. (Woot!)

Not next year, and she really digs it. I am on the job hunt, and with luck will be starting a new position at a research 1 university in 11 months, so I think a full IM is out for 2010. I am signed up for Eagleman, a 70.3 race in June, and that’s going to be my A race for the year I expect. M has really cottoned to the changes the training has wrought, even if she isn’t entirely thrilled about the schedule and the demands of juggling the training and life. We will continue to strive for balance, but I think I will be continuing with triathlon as a sport/hobby for some time to come. I would like to be on a 4/5 year plan to qualify for Kona myself, taking 15/20 minutes of my time each year (heck, B suggests that I could take 10 minutes off my time just by throwing money at a decent bike!) until I am going around 10 hours – which, while it isn’t going to win any prize money, should be enough to get me a spot at the big dance come 2013 or 14.

I'll knock out some more thoughts, lessons learned, reminisce, and maybe break down the whole season in my next post.