Long overdue indeed.
I love this race. Lots of TNM participants, low-key, very well organized (Thank you Raise the Bar), and my favorite sport, really can't ask for much more.
We left super-early to beat traffic to Kent on a Friday night.
Which gave me plenty of time to “think” about the race, I’ll admit, B and C races I don’t put too
much thought into, just go in and give it all I got…or something of that
sort. But there is something about the
smaller races that also make me more nervous than the bigger ones. So in “thinking” out
loud to Mark I had a lot to go over:
Positive thinking:
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| Hawaii swimming days! |
*I had put in a ton
of swimming in Hawaii (Linsey you rock)and beyond and was feeling strong in the
water.
*I love swimming.
*Great practice race.
*I love racing!
Race Strategy:
*Start out conservative
*Pace myself with the
group/people I am comfortable swimming with.
*Build and then “hang
on”
*"If it is super close, you sprint to the finish" (that was Mark’s advice!).
I lined up for the
start with the New TYR Freak of Nature. So comfy! I was alongside my husband
and 3 other soon to be TNM Ironman CDA finishers. I knew there was a strong field in the group.
Mike who attends the swim classes I teach at Seattle Athletic Club downtown and my
friend/teammate Linsey who is one tough cookie.
When the going gets tough this girl can dig deep like no one I have ever
seen. She just happened to swim 3 (yes 3!)
open water swim miles that morning in prep for her upcoming 11 mile swim race.
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| Mike and Linsey post-race |
I am never one to
start out sprinting, make me incredibly nauseous, so I put up with people
yanking at my feet while they sprint the first 100 or 200 or whatever
yards. About mid-way through the first
straight-a-way through a two loop course the petting of my feet stopped and I
could see someone ahead, whom had picked a
totally different route of swimming the course.
I stayed directly in line with the buoys. I figured at this point that swimmers would
be on my feet and I kept it conservative trying to stay in my comfortable place
so I could use my matchsticks for later. Rounding the first turn buoy I did a quick
check and could see some swimmers behind, but none right on my feet. Phew…this
helped settle me a bit so I could swim at my own pace without the pressure of others.
I kept my sights on the one swimmer ahead.
I knew the stroke but I swore it was Linsey. 1st loop I checked my watch around
26’. Never super accurate as I always start my watch early to be ready for the
gun to go off AND I can’t do math and race at the same time. But this is where
I had “estimated” I would be so knew I was swimming solid. Loop two I started
making ground on the swimmer ahead and had small vision of possibly winning. After
the final turn buoy I really gave it what all I had left and could feel my face
burning hot and my fingertips going tingly numb.
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| Laura and I. |
I popped out of the
water as second swimmer, and found the first swimmer was Mike the whole
time. I had won overall women
afterall. I know if Miss Linsey were not
swimming over 16 miles that week that this would have been a much closer race
and I am excited to see her flourish in just a few short weeks at her big
event!
I was lucky to meet Laura who is a fabulously strong swimmer
and triathlete, but it was her kindness and sweet smile that stuck me the
most. She had an awesome swim winning
herself a cinnamon roll that looks to-die for!
Thanks to RTB for the fabulous fun event and the super yummy
40 pound pie! With Mark a few weeks away
from CDA it didn’t disappear within 2 days like last year!
