TRY Outing #2

Reminder - Tomorrow we will not be meeting at the park, but instead will be having an outing at our house.  If you want to run, the gang will be leaving at 5:30ish.  If you don't have the information, please contact Terry, Aaron or I for the details.

This past weekend a bunch of people participated in the Boilermaker.  I wasn't there, so I'll let Terry give a recap next week.  It looks like everyone had a great day on a brutal day.  Congratulations to Malinda, Erin T., Duerr, Bermans, Sue, Erin S., and Terry!  Looks like Brob and Ron also had a fun time celebrating :)  Did I miss anyone? [Terry: Jake overlapped with several of us throughout the day.  I did not see Janna, but I see she put up a good time.  There were also overlaps with some fringy TRYers - Eric V. and Diego S. helped Escalade and I get through the first couple miles, and Bob S. of Centipediatrician fame crossed paths with us twice.  Plus several of the LM gang stopped by to visit some under the trees.]

Team Beef/Carrot having a good time post-race.

Aaron and I did the Double Mussel at the Musselman Triathlon this week.  That is a sprint on Saturday (800m swim, 16 mile bike, 5k run), and a half Ironman on Sunday (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run).  We both had fun and did very well.  I learned a lot this weekend, and I wanted to share some reminders.

1. Complete your own race.  On Saturday, I was trying to do what everyone else was doing and had a rough swim.  Sunday I did my own thing and felt great.
2. Stick with it.  I swallowed water on the swim yesterday and got sick on the bike.  I thought about dropping out before the run.  I found some nutrition that eventually didn't make me feel worse and decided to try the run.  I felt great on the run and was strong on a tough course.  I'm so happy I stuck with it.
3. Adjust your plans.  See bullet #2.  When things went south, all my plans went out the window (including nutrition).  I started making adjustments immediately and was able to tough it out.
4. Don't be afraid to walk through aid stations (especially on a hot day), but keep moving.  I spent around 6 hours out on the course yesterday, and the last 2 hours were hot and humid.  I decided to walk through the aid stations to make sure I got enough water and to keep my body temperature down.  I put ice in my shirt and took in fuel.  It kept me from overheating and let me push hard when I was running.
5. Don't risk your life for a race.  It isn't worth it.
6. Keep your head up.  Pay attention to what is going on around you on the roads.  You can prevent accidents by paying attention and taking less risks.
7. A positive attitude and a smile goes a long way.  At 11am I was starting a hilly, unshaded run.  Coming off a rough bike, I smiled and thought about how lucky I was to be there.  It helped!
8.  Be tough and go after what you want.  There is a brutal rock road that is nearly a mile uphill where everyone walks.  Aaron and I both had it in our heads that we were going to run up that hill this year.  We both had to push hard and stay tough getting up there, but we both did it.  I am proud of us for hanging tough!
9. Talking to people makes the time go by faster and makes the stories more interesting.  I met some great people yesterday.
10. Tell your story.  It is ok to share your embarassing moments in a race.  Everyone has them :)
11. It is a privilege to be able to do crazy races.  Be thankful for every part of the journey, good or bad.
12. Thank your volunteers!  In many races, they are manning their stations for longer than you are out there, and they stand there for hours (in our case, 5+ hours).  Make sure they understand that you appreciate them, and they will remember that!

--Kelly :)