Hillsborough Race Report

This race had me more nervous than I was two years ago for my first 1/2 IM. Literally, I had butterflies....all because I dislike hills. I was up every hour to either use the bathroom or get Brayden because he was not resting well due to the crappy croup crud. My goal for this race was to break 1:15. It's only 100m longer than the Kirby sprint we did earlier in the season but it's a tougher course.

This swim was a pool swim and I didn't start till 8:20. What was nice is that this is one of the very few races that I did that Tim did not race with me, so he timed my swim splits for me. 1:42, 2:00 (trying to pass some who wouldn't stop), 2:12 (got lazy and ran into some guy backstroking a pool swim and got my goggles knocked off and had to stop at the wall...dumb me) 2:00. Needless to say, I've GOT to get faster in the water. I've got to make this a focus of mine...seriously there are no more excuses.

The bike is a nice course with some moderate hills that go on forever. You climb for a 1/2 mile up a hill then you've got a false flat for another 1/2 mile. Yuk! I dislike hills, have I said that. I thought I was pushing really well until the cateye told me I was at 42 minutes for 12 miles...what the heck, seriously? I've been averaging close to 19 on my 2 hour long rides on hill comparable to these. What happened?? Oh well.

The run is a two loop course. I had passed a ton of people on the bike so my goal was to not have them pass me back on the run. I was slow getting started and knew it was going to be mental. I finished the first loop to hear and see the boys cheering for me as I headed out for the last lap. I felt like I was barely moving. I got to one very slight mole hill and slowed down, I wasn't walking, but I wouldn't call it running. Actually I think I would say it was a speed walk. After that I saw someone pass me that I didn't think should have and then I saw the little 14 year old girl that inched me out on the run at Kirby and I said "Ah heck no, not again." The thing is that she didn't have her pacer with her this time! As I was making the turn to the finish, I heard Tim yell..."you're right at 1:15" Ah crap, run faster.

I didn't make it...1:15:15. Stinking speed walking...I knew I shouldn't have done that crap. And I did beat that 14 year old this time. It's the little stupid things that give me pleasure.

After seeing the results, my bike split was actually 38:30. I guess I didn't reset my cateye before the race. So that was more like it...18.7 mph I think. I can live with that. My run wasn't as bad as I thought (26:40) but it was about a minute slower than I would have liked, especially since I train at a faster pace than that. My efforts were good enough for 15th OA and 3rd in my age group. I missed second AG by about a minute...again the run and probably the swim. I was too far out of first that girl just blew it all out.

(Due to hurricane Bill and Tim's being sick, we didn't go to the beach for his race. Although I was trying to get them to let me take his spot. Two in one weekend. That's good right?)