I know others have said this, but great job on your first tri. You are an inspiration to all of us to try new things and to persevere under less-than-ideal conditions. You finished it, despite all the frustrations along the way.
know you're already processed your tri, but I'd like to mention all the good things about it anyway:
--New, soft Nike top! New gear is good.
--Man, you got inked. That's hard-core athlete cool
--Your getting to the race early, and telling us about it, is one of those experienced-racer strategies. Thanks for sharing its benefits.
--Being in a race with Team Triumph at their first event. So cool to experience others' firsts, too. And this group deserves a special shout-out.
--Your swim: 5 minutes faster than in practice. 5 minutes!! And you beat two people in the swim.
--A faster-than-practice p-o-j transition. (The need-to-pee info made me laugh, a bonus!)
--Being DLF and knowing there's no shame in that. You embody WISH!
--Being able to even be peppy when you see Scott on the course. Wow!
--Mental toughness. You have that, in spades.
--Meeting such cool volunteers, especially the biking dude. Double cool points for getting information about getting a new bike for your next tri.
--You picked up your pace in the last 3/4 miles on the bike. Negative splits!
--Doing your first tri in such a supportive environment (in terms of volunteers, participants, and spectators).
--NOT jack-slapping the police officer. I'm pretty sure that would have been an arrestable offense, no matter how justified.
--I don't think you were a cranky race participant at all. You were understandably frustrated by the lack of direction on the course. But your recognition of your frustration, and your apologies, showed you are a true class act. And you're such a kind-hearted person that you felt guilt for what I'm sure wasn't a sneer at all.
--You were able to appreciate all the efforts the spectators, like the singing teens, put into the event. Not everyone can.
--You picked up your pace AND ran 5.01 miles (not 4.5). That's staying the course.
--After being thrown off course, you finished ONLY 2-3 minutes behind other participants AND you did better than 3 other participants. That means, in fact, you were not DLF in the standings. (Not that there is any shame in doing so. Heck, I could not finish a tri at all.)
--NEXT TIME. By the time you finished your RR, you'd started talking about next time.
--And this is a big, big one. Your concern, care, and pride in each other's accomplishments is palpable. Your RR really revealed how supportive you and Scott are of each other. What a great couple, in training and in life, you are.
I think you had a great tri--or rather, you made the most out of a bad tri and turned it around. I'm in awe of your strength and determination, Carrie, and proud to say I know you. You are a friend, a WISHmate, a runner, and a TRIATHLETE!
That's right...we weren't invited to our hometown event.
