^{PLACE & TIME:}  Troy 3rd - 2:10:58

Previous PRs or Personal Records:

      Troy - 2:05:15, 03'

(Click on Pictures to make larger)

Up at 5am.  Wow, I'm excited to do the Lake of the Pines Triathlon in Grass Valley, my home town!  It's 20min away.

This is my first race in a while.  Exciting and a little scary.  With only light training I know the run will feel tough even though the distances (.75mi swim, 15mi Bike, and 4mi Run) are short.  I'm glad I've been biking with Robin lately.  Every Tues we compete around our neighborhood streets in what we call the Eagles Nest Crit.  It's very hilly and technical which simulates today's course through the manicured community of LOP.

Robin & Anna are supporting me today.  We arrive at a good time, get good parking.  I've done this event 3 times, it feels really good to see the water-side Country Club again.  I'm excited that Leonie is racing today.  She's a great swimmer and everyone starts together so I can try to keep up with her.  The lake is always nice so most won't wear wetsuits, but I can get 1 or 2 min. advantage with it which I'll need to catch Leonie.

Anna helps me quickly set up my transition site.  I start my warm-up by running.  My foot is really hurting so I take it real slow and stop a lot to stretch.  I see Amanda Helmuth is doing the race.  She's married to Brad, a friend of mine from High School and church.  We recently got to hang out together at our 20th HS reunion.  Amanda's sister was my Jr. High Youth Leader!  And Katie Wenzel, from my High School, is also here watching. It's great racing in your home town.

I warm-up on the bike with 1 loop around the 3-loop course.  Pretty challenging but a great closed circuit.  The final hill from the front gate is tough.  We connect with Leonie and her friend, Rich, doing his first tri.  We also run into Dave Tarkington from the Bay Area, Justin, an old student of Robin's and Rachel Manktelow from our new Masters Swim club in Rocklin.  Anna is having a blast and seems anxious for the race to start.

We all sing the National Anthem.  The singer makes mention that local LOP resident, Dave Campbell (and friend of ours from Rocklin Masters) is ready to start the Amateur Triathlon World Championships taking place right now in Germany. Our friend Lincoln Murdoch is also there.

About 200 people head to the water's edge.  The water is 80 deg!  Only 2 people are wearing wetsuits (including me).  I warm-up with 200 yd and realize I'm going to be hot in this suit.  With a few minutes to the start I line up in the front row but race directors tell me the wetsuit division goes 10min behind everyone.  I quickly find the head race director and ask if I can change divisions.  Robin helps me out of my wetsuit fast, I tuck my race number into my speedo, and now I'm back with the main group with only seconds to spare..

Go!  Wow, it's always cool starting in the first group in a triathlon.  The water is perfectly clear ahead of you.  There are arms flailing as far as you can see on both sides of you.  And everyone's sprinting to get away from the crowd and around the buoy first!  I started far right.  I look to the left and see a tight front-line of about 50 swimmers.  I can't believe there's so many strong swimmers in this race.. it's going to be crazy at the buoy!  But after 150yds, suddenly there are only about 5 of us.  The others are either off the front or have dropped back.  Rounding the buoy goes fine and immediately the 2nd buoy comes into view.  It's a perfectly angled course.  The water is great.  I don't see Leonie and hope everything is ok.  I'm really working my arms.  Swim's going well.  Heading back towards the beach I give it my all.  I see a swimmer way up ahead.  I think maybe I'm in 2nd but I know it often looks like that even though there are often swimmers that just can't be seen.  I come out in 6th place.

Without a wetsuit I make a quick transition to the bike.  Robin & Anna cheer for me, "Go Daddy!"  Glad to be on the bike.  I pass a couple racers.  Hey, it's Rich!  He's smiling and biking well for his first race on a bike.  He's a good swimmer and must have been one of the first out.  At the big hill I finally get by a guy (Chad) I've been going back and forth with.  After the 1st loop I'm now in 2nd place overall.  But I'm getting tired already.  On the 2nd loop I see many racers starting the bike.  I see Amanda, also smiling, having a nice ride.  On the downhill back stretch, I tuck and try to make up time.  But a young rider (Justin) in an aero-helmet goes flying by. I'm 3rd after the 2nd loop.  On the final loop I'm unable to stay ahead of Chad. I underestimated him thinking he wouldn't be able to keep up the pace but it was me that lacked the endurance.  Just one more big hill.  It hurts.  I can barely breathe.  Now we sail into the transition area.  I'm in 4th, just barely behind Chad.

The run is 1 loop around the lake.  I see Chad (3rd) going after Todd (2nd).  Justin is leading and no where to be seen.  I'm struggling to keep pace but try to remember anything can happen.  Just keep them in sight and maybe I'll catch up somehow.  The miles are going by so slowly.  Even though there's only 4 of them.  Some residents are out cheering and spraying water.  Kids are volunteering at the aid stations.  My body wants to stop but I try to focus on just a little farther ahead.  Chad and Todd are increasing their gap on me.  I can no longer see them.  But I still remind myself that they could reappear after any corner.  I look forward to rounding the corners.  Finally I make it to the dam across the lake.  It's a flat straight shot across and I give it everything I got.  I can see the finish line across the water.  But there's one huge hill still left.  At least it's in the shade as it's getting hot.  My breathing is redlining.  I keep the baby steps going.. just a little farther.  At the top, yay!  Now everything I got.. around the final turn and there's Robin and Anna and the finish line.  Wow, that was fun! and hard!

It turned out that Justin was Robin's former cross-country athlete when she coached at Davis High School.  He's now a terrific triathlete.  Robin and him spent a while catching up.  He's a long-time Christian whereas Robin wasn't a Christian when she was his coach.  They can better relate now knowing that God is everything and good racing is something He makes possible.  Justin told Robin, "I'm glad we're racing on the same team now".

Leonie and Rich did great.  Even though Leonie had some trouble in the swim.  Anna kept running laps near the finish area till all our friends were done.  We all got awards and then went to Awful Annie's in Auburn for brunch.  It was a very special day for all of us!

Justin

Rich

David

Leonie

Rachel

Yeah, all done and getting the goods!