Time for another 70.3 race? You don’t say!
She’d scoped out the venue three weeks before
After a successful Tour de Fred metric century - score
The drive was a smidge long but overall wasn’t too bad
Arrived in time to hit up the Ironman Village - pretty rad
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| Triathlon Explosion! |
First she’d checked in her hotel and unloaded the car
The venue was just up around the corner- not too far
After visiting the Ironman store and knocking out athlete check-in
Was able to attend one of the athlete briefings for the win!
Did something a little different during the wait
She drank an ABC beer for goodness sake!
She also took time to get a Berkey Creamery treat
Ginormous vanilla ice cream cone can’t be beat!
The next day she had loads to do
Get Trixie cleaned up was one thing it’s true
She did a partial preview of the run course by bike
Then dropped off her T2 bag - starting to get psyched
Next it was time to drive Trixie to T1
Then a very early dinner picked up from the Olive Garden
Race day of course came earlier than she’d liked
But was out of her room headed to the venue lickety split. Yikes!
Got to the parking lot over by T2
Managed to catch the second shuttle bus, it’s true.
Got to ride with Meg, a soon to be pro
Who said ‘Pennsylvania - where the hills have hills’, don’t you know?
Waiting for the start passed pretty quickly.
And gave up a water bottle for a karma boost you see!
Lined up in her normal rolling start place
Sans wetsuits even though the swim was wetsuit legal in his case.
She dropped off her glasses at the handy table
The swim volunteer captain was very helpful!
The water felt perfect and she sighted quite well
Felt like she could’ve swam all day - swell
After exiting the water she remembered her specs
No turning back like at IMChoo - what the heck?
Her transition 1 was particularly long and slow
Between the porta potty and glasses situation don’t you know
Finally made it out on the course
Short out and back in the park to warm up first
As she started to make her way to the main road
That’s when she saw Stilt and Marcy - hold the phone!
They really gave her a fun little boost
Helped her up the silly short incline, too!
Once on the main road things moved along nicely.
Before she knew it 15 miles had flown by
At some point she got to see Stilt and Marcy again
It really was so great they traveled partway across the state of Penn
The next time she saw them on the bike course
Was the start of THE really big climb - the second - it would be adverse
It seemed to go on and on and on
But she did reach the top - she was feeling strong!
Then had a downhill with a speed limit restriction
Feathered her brakes the whole way down without opposition!
She must make a note about all of the bike course spectator support
There was a crazy amount - especially for a new race she must report!
There were lots of Amish families out to spectate - literally throngs
And in Mill Hall among other things a lady walking her cat - is that wrong?
Finally made her way back to the PSU campus
And one more stupid climb - at least it was shorter but - no fuss?
Finally rolled on into T2
And they were there again - it’s true!
A slightly faster change into run gear
Porta potty stop then in 13.1 the end would be near!
Off on a two loop course around the campus ground
Some hills and a visit to the Nittany Lion shrine that you had to go around
A sighting or two of her Sherpa friends again
One step closer to the end
Finally it was time to run through the tunnel to Beaver Stadium
Then down to the 50 yard line - unlike game day no real pandemonium!
The announcer definitely liked her bunny ears
Best hat of the day - never fear!
BBun says it’s probably the hardest bike course she’s ever done
Made it all in the nick of time, son of a gun!
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| The official climbs! |
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| Cool shot of the swim from the Facebook page! |
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| Photo cred: @swimbeckrun |
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| Hilarious post on the Facebook group! |
