http://eteamz.active.com/GaryKirbyTriathlon/

Saturday morning. Race starts at eight. I'm walking around the transition area looking at my competition. I'm keeping an eye out for for two guys. They finished this race last year first and second.

I get my numbers marked on my arms and get my bike and shoes ready in the transtion area. I then go to talk to some friends who are doing the race and trying to keep the prerace jitters from taking over. We shake hands and say good luck and I walk back to my bike. The irregation sprinklers had turned on and all my stuff is now soaked. My bike, bike shoes, RUNNING SHOES are now SOAKED. This isn't good. I get everthing moved and hope my running shoes will be dry by the time I get to that part of the race. And now its time for the prerace meeting.

We join up, say a little prayer and then we line up at the pool. Its a staggered start set up by swim times. I'm a quick swimmer so I start forth. This is when I learned number 1 and 3 are no shows(which is great because they finished first and second last year). The guy behind me told me"if I catch you, i'll just pass you on the turns". "Yeah right. This is the closest you'll ever get to me" I think to myself. I just nodded at him.

GO!

Off I go. Since I've swam competitavely for the last 20 years of my life, I never train for the swim. I have always treated it as a warm up for the race. I guess the thought of that guy passing me pissed me off and I took off too fast. My lats were BURNING by the midlle. But I calmed down and made sure to keep my strokes long and pretty. I get done and off to the transition area.

I had been practicing and I leave my bike shoes mounted on the peddles. I get the shoes on while peddling on the bike and off I go. I got cut off by a moving truck and had to pass him on the right. Then a car cut me off on a key down hill(this is where I get up to 45mph...now 18mph...grrrrrr. I'm yelling at the car to MOVE!!!! He finally did and I'm flying. I made it to the transition area and there I learned tht I am the first one there. Great....now its going to feel like someone's trying to catch me the whole race.

Off I go running. Shoes were dry and I am in pain. Its hot and my legs are exhausted. I went out too hard on the bike. Now I'm in for a torture chamber for the next 20 minutes. It sucks being in the front because the volunteers aren't ready for you. I was counting on three water stations. The first one wasn't set up for runners yet so I missed out. I keep running out and come back and pass the same water station now on the other side of the road and a volunteer walked across traffic with a cup just for me. What an angel. The second was on the inside of a court and about 25 yards away from the road. As I came by a mom and her 2 year old were slowly walking twords me with a cup. I saw they weren't even going to be close so I waved them on. There was no third water station and i'm dying. One hill to go and this stupid race is over. People are cheering and I'm just trying to make it. I finally make it to the top and finish. I keep running to my transition and start inhaling my gatoraid. I went way too hard.

Came in second place and got a $40 gift certificate to the local running store. Missed first by thrity seconds. I blame the car.

Next race is next weekend. Who wants to go?