WIN for KC Women's Triathlon

I decided last week that I should do this race. I didn't realize it was on a Saturday, and since Epic is a sponsor too...pretty much a no-brainer! Well, it might have been important that I haven't trained for short distance efforts, but - hey, it's a race, right?
The day started pretty early. I finished packing up my stuff, drank coffee, ate and headed up to Smithville. I wanted to get up there early, since I know there's just one road heading in toward the race site. I figured it might get fairly congested. I had a great parking spot, pretty much as close to the race site as I could get, so I unloaded my stuff and walked it up to transition. It was still dark, and all I could see was the big light ahead where they were doing body marking. A lady asked if there was a path to walk on up ahead...I replied, "I have no idea". Then I heard someone call my name. It was Paul (from Epic) and his wife, Sara. Today is Sara's first triathlon! I introduced myself and told her if she needed anything to let me know.
I stopped, got marked, got my chip (which they actually HAD to personally place on my ankle...just thought that was funny!), and was headed to transition. As I was pegging my spot on the bike rack, I spotted Leslie Curley...I guess I'm stalking her these days. :-) It was fun seeing her out there, and knowing there were at least two of us from DFT racing. This is a race that, really, many more of our KC base should've attended!
I was all set in transition, so I went up to the Epic tent to see if I could help out. They looked fairly busy. Mainly, I aired up tires and put bar ends on bikes. Good times! I got to see lots of gals I know out there - Lori T. from AmCen, Courtney (former DFT member) and a couple of her friends, Candice, the Ladies from Lane 3 at the pool!...alright, so on to race time.
They lined us up by estimated swim time. I estimated just under 10:00 minutes, which I TOTALLY should've been able to do! It was a time trial start, meaning they sent a girl in the water every 3 seconds. Honestly, I think it's less stressful starting in smaller heats. This way, we were lined up behind the timing mats, and every 3 seconds the guy yells..."GO!". You had to run across the mat and down into the lake, which by the way was extremely shallow for a bit. So, I ran in and hit the water, trying to find a rhythm. I don't know what my problem was, but it just wasn't happening! I swung out fairly wide too, which seemed to be a mistake in this race. I'm not sure why I didn't just stay on the line of the buoys, but I didn't. Anyway, I hit the first turn and made my way towards the second. At some point I took in a huge mouthful of lake water and started choking/coughing...couldn't keep swimming at the time and had to get the choking under control. I felt like a dork, 'cause the rescue folks out there were asking if I was ok. Sure...if I could stop coughing. Geez! I started swimming again and hit that 2nd turn, into the finish. It wasn't until then that I actually felt ok, and in somewhat of a zone - FAR too late! This swim that should've taken me 9:30 or so, ended up taking 12+ minutes!!! Up the mud, out of the lake and up the long ramp into transition I went, running most of the way. I grabbed all my bike stuff and headed out on the bike.
It was a good sign for me that I got on the clips right at the start and just hit the pedaling. I immediately started passing people. Before you think I'm cocky - allow me this moment - it will all change again on the run. This...the bike...is my thing! I just wish this one was longer. It was a 10 mile, out and back, with a very tight U-turn for the turnaround. I quickly fell into a rhythm on the bike and was feeling great. It was a fairly flat course, with a few "rolling" hills, but mostly a good course for me. I continued passing women, trying to gain some of the ground I knew I "sunk" in the swim.
The turnaround was bad - like I said...very tight U-turn...where you obviously lose a lot of speed. And now, we're heading back to the finish. I wasn't positive what my average was, 'cause I wasn't watching my Garmin. I was really just tried to ride fairly hard, saving a bit for the run. I knew I was back in transition in less than 30 minutes, so that was a pretty decent ride. My transition was pretty slow. Unfortunately, I have to run with socks - I've done it without, and the end result isn't worth the few seconds I save in transition.
Alright, so important note here - I took off my sunglasses and set them on my transition mat, with my helmet, shoes and other gear. I grabbed my visor and race belt and took off toward the run exit. Scott was taking a picture (which I'm sure I won't want to see), and I saw Ann and James cheering as I ran out the path and into the woods. I had to walk for a minute just to get my shoes adjusted - something wasn't sitting quite right in there and it was really bothering the bones in my right foot. That didn't last very long and I was off running again. So, remember when I said, let me just have the bike moment, where I pass lots of people? Riiiight...that's because this is where they all pass me back up! ;-) I finally got in a groove on the run, just after the mile mark. It was a great paved trail that was shaded by trees. There was a turnaround here too, so you could see all the women coming back towards you. I saw Leslie coming my way...there was no one even close to her. I was excited that she was winning, and cheered as she came my way! I saw Courtney as I neared the turnaround too. Shortly after that, Candice passed me...then Mary - go girls, go! I was pretty happy to see the .5 to go mark, chalked on the pavement! I was ready to be done. I wasn't so happy to reach the sharp right turn, up the grass and into the finish. I didn't have much zip left to get up that terrain.
As I crossed the finish line, Chris and Don (former Spinning participants, and now Vemma advocates) came up and congratulated me! I haven't seen them in a long time, so it was good seeing them. And, bonus, they hooked me up with a can of Verve! Thanks guys!
I congratulated Leslie on winning the race, walked around the finish area for a little bit, and then went to pack up my stuff.

Here's where the day gets ugly - I get back into transition (where, by the way, only race participants are allowed) and to my spot at the end of the rack. I am looking at my mat, picking up my stuff, and almost immediately notice that my very nice Oakley sunglasses are missing. Yes, these are the glasses I *just* purchased before the Ironman, so I've had them all of 2 months! Hmmm. I look all through my stuff - several times - ensuring that I haven't overlooked them. I cannot find them. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Would someone actually STEAL something in a transition area at a race?!?! I checked with the volunteers, monitoring the entrance/exit, and they hadn't seen anything. I checked at the pavilion (headquarters) for the race and no one had turned them in. All I can say is that I'm completely APPALLED, and (though maybe it shouldn't have) it totally ruined this race experience. This is an all-women, supposedly very welcoming to newbies, triathlon event. A community where you feel like people are all of the same mindset. The transition area is sort of a "sacred" ground - just an unwritten rule that people are obviously leaving pretty valuable things there - you just don't touch, move, tamper with anything in there - unless it's your own.
I was hoping I was wrong about this, but it really seems they were stolen right off my mat! I cannot imagine taking something like that, not belonging to me, and feeling good about it every time I put those on my face.

After loading my stuff in the car, I went back over for the awards ceremony. I wanted to cheer for Leslie and Tiernan, first and third in the overall standings! I met Tiernan at the brick workout I did up at Epic a few weeks ago. She and James are neighbors/friends of Scott and Ann. She did really well in this race last year, and wanted to take an overall spot this year - which she did! Congratulations to all the winners - and to those out there taking a stab at their first triathlon!