Wool Capital Olympic Distance San Angelo, Texas
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Member
1308 days
RV posted 1 year ago.
Congrats on the race - sounds like a good one.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
764
Member
733 days
cayman posted 1 year ago.
congrats on the race. way to tough it out on the run, sounds like a tough one. you'd think that would be where the buzzards were circling.;)
john
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
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Member
825 days
mdittfurth posted 1 year ago.
I was a back of the pack person. My guess is that by the time I got to the run the buzzards were sufficiently gourged on the faster runners who had already cratered on the course. That is probably why I didn't see any circling buzzards on the run. :)
marvin
This was the 20 anniversity for this event and it has not appreciably changed since its inception when Reagan was President. There have been no course changes in about 18 years. A great venue with the transition area right on the river's edge; yeah the water is always murky but I didn't come to snorkel or scuba.
The river is not real wide and it down the river just short of the old bridge and back. On the way out on the swim I see this large bird overhead which I think is a buzzard. Was I swimming that badly? Then I notice that this bird is bigger than a buzzard. It lights in the top of tall bare tree on the river's edge and watches us swim.....hopefully not trying to pick out the weakest swimmer for breakfast. Later, I found out it is a bald eagle.
The bike was almost windless and I just couldn't help but put the hammer down. Had a great bike leg (for me, that is) but about 2 miles into the run on that "dirt road from hell" I began to feel a little hulled out. It was west Texas. There was no wind to speak of. There was a red sandy road in the bald open with sun blaring. It was survival time. I began walking the aid stations. The Marines who ran them were the absolute best; helpful, courteous, efficient...made you proud to be an American. At the turnaround, I seemed to have some of stuff back and jogged it on in without stopping that much. It was a tough day but what a great day. The race has a lot of tradition and a sort of "old school" tradition to it. They have had the same host hotel for 20 years.
The awards ceremony was back at the host hotel after everyone had a chance to clean up. The times were amazing. There were some top athletes there to be sure. But one guy got more appause than the rest of us put together...He was first in his age group. He was 80 years old and he had completed this course on a tough day. He said he would do these things as long as he doesn't finish last...and no, he wasn't last this time. Great event and it is scheduled for August 10th next year. The race director says as long as he is "verticle" he will try to put this event on.