It FINALLY all came together..

I had my best race of the season today in Socorro at the Chile Harvest Sprint. Maybe it is because it was calamity free this time! No taking Hartley's bike out of T-1 by mistake, no falls on the bike, no flats..Amazing! H & I practiced transitions yesterday during which a very loud screech was coming from my breaks or somewhere in the rear of my bike. Well, I think I am a mechanic because I can change a tire AND put the white goop in it myself. This problem called for an EXPERT! So i called Mark, my personal bike guru friend extraordinaire. He gave me some good suggestions. I proceeded to try another swift transition with the shoes on the bike thing and promptly fell and road rash/bruised my hip and elbow. Oh well, my body is getting use to it. After fiddling with the bike some more, Hartley (who knows as much as I do but is a MAN and they have fix it genes) fixed/adjusted something in the back and all sounds went away and bike running smoothly. At this point, I told H that I really did not want to race the next day. i was tired, hadn't slept well and unmotivated. Well, we ended up going-left at 5:00 this AM for the short hour ride to Socorro. The swim was held in a 25 yd pool and they have a time trial start. The swim was cut to 300 yds, which doesn't really help me cause that is my best leg! I started near the front. My friend Mark, who so readily helped me the night before with the bike noise passed me-I think it was his evil competitive twin-I said "bastard" to him jokingly as he passed. He thought I said "faster" so wasn't offended at all and proceeded to kick my ass. I had a pretty good swim-I don't have exact times but around 5:45. T-1 is where I finally got it together and the shoes on bike, jumping on and sliding feet in thingy worked-I think I had a 40 second T-1. The bike was kind of hilly up the first 6 miles then downhill. I felt slow, saw my competition behind me but she was seeded later so who knows where we were in relationship to each other in reality. My goal was to NOT let that gal pass me, no matter what (she always does on the bike or run). I know this was only psychological but it worked. I think my bike time was around 41 min. T-2-another fast one for me-50 seconds. i figure what I lose on the run, I can make up on good transitions if they go right and I grab the right bike! The run was a very HOT out and back. I don't wear a watch, could have sworn I was doing a 9 min/mile pace but alas ended up either A.the run course was longer than advertised or B. I really did have a 32 min time. I think my overall time was 1:21 and my opponent never caught me but beat me by TWO minutes. I am closing the gap! Then she informed me she is aging up next year-bummer! Oh well, I am sure there are some 49 year olds just waiting to age up and kick my butt.

I got 2nd place-yes I did beat one gal (the one on the mountain bike that beat me in Farmington race from hell). hartley got 1st AGAIN! He looks about 20 years younger than the guys he beats-they probly all think he is cheating.

Was great to see all the Outlaws there. i love the comeraderie. Oh and I won a little Camelbak for biking in the door prizes. Great win!

We all went to the Socorro brewry and pigged out afterwards. That was the best part!

So here is the secret to a good race:

1. get beat up the day before while practicing

2. Not give a sh&^t if you even make it through the race.

3. Pretend that your main competition is about to pass you any minute, even if it doesn't make any sense.

4. Now this is my husband's explanation of my faster time-he says it is because now that I have lost 5 lbs that I am faster. Actually he said since I wasn't "lugging" that extra weight around, my times are getting better. Now you can imagine how the "lugging" comment went over. I told him never to use the words "chunky" "lugging" or "extra weight around your waist" or anything basically about my weight except, "My honey, you look like you have lost weight! So thin!" These are words of wisdom to any man who thinks it is a good idea to describe your wife's body in any of those unflattering terms. OK-I am a bit sensitive about this!

We ended up having a good laugh about it as i tried to grab his love handles while he was driving..

Up again at the crack of dawn in the AM to hike up the mountain with friends-more training for Peru. I swear-we have the greatest life and are so blessed!

No more racing until the end of September-YEA!