I got smacked! But I didn't go down.
Pouring rain when I awoke at 6:00 am this morning. But accuweather.com said "clouds" for the rest of the day. Liars.
The deal was: Haine's point, 3.0 mile run, 16 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.
It was warm (65-ish), and drizzling. About 20 people turned out; they waived the $5 fee cuz they said this was going to just be a training session, not so much a race.
There were only two other New Triathlete Program (NTP) members participating, but some other NTP-ers who were (smartly) volunteering.
Off we went on the run. I wore a light windbreaker over a long sleeved technical T, and was instantly hot. I had all kinds of crap in my pockets: keys, iPod, gu, energy bar. It was annoying.
Drizzling soon turned into pouring.
Finished the run in 29:17 (but later checked with my car and distance was actually 2.8 miles), which is 10:28 / mile. I felt OK. I was not DEAD last in run #1!
I changed into another jacket, hoping for some kinda DRY, and took care of some bizness behind a bush. Transition time: 5 min!
Off I went to do 5 loops of Haine's Point.
That's a lot of loops. In the rain. The pissing, pouring rain. While wearing glasses. Which get so wet and foggy, just so you know, that it's actually impossible to SEE.
Did I mention it started thundering? And lightning?
It took me 1:20 (12 mph). People were passing me like I was standing still. Somewhere in loop 3, a volunteer told me that run #2 had been canceled. I whooped. Even though I felt OK, I could NOT imagine another run.
As I started loop 4, people were already on the run. The CANCELED run. The poor, wet, cold volunteers asked me what loop I was on, desperately hoping I'd say "Five." Sorry to disappoint!
Finally started loop 5, totally soaked and unable to see, but other than that I felt OK (although I was tempted to call David and have him deliver my SAAB to me). I was the ONLY person still biking.
Finally finished loop five. As I pulled into the parking lot, the organizer said "no run #2", even though about half the folks there did finish run #2. But because I felt SO BAD for the volunteers, who were now waiting ONLY for me before they could leave, I cut them a break, and bagged run #2.
My first DNF!
You never saw so many people pack up and leave so fast.
I drove the course after I had wrangled the bike into the back seat of the car, and saw one valiant gal still out on the run. I toyed with the idea of waiting for her in the now-vacant transition area, but my head hurt and I was cold and wet, and I guess, let's face it, I'm just not that nice.
But you know who IS nice? Every single person who passed me (that would be everyone) either on foot or on bike and called out "Good job," every single time.
Now that's nice.
16 comments:
Good job! I'm thinking that you did not DNF, that the second run was actually cancelled and those people running it were the obssesive runner-types that had to make it official in their heads by running it anyway (do we know any runner-types like that? Lessee, how many runners do we know?). Because it was lightning this morning. Should not be on Haines Point in lightning!
I'm impressed you went out in this rain. That's hard core. Nice fast run too.
Congratulations! You are now a duathlete. You didn't DNF because run #2 was cancelled. You finished.
Sounds like a perfectly miserable day. Surely the next one will be better.
You didn't DNF - they cancelled your run. You SO would have done it.
You are a rock star - every duathlong and triathlon after this will be a piece of cake.
You left your waste products on federal property? Omigod.
Anyway, way to get out there and get the job done! It was lovely on the Eastern Shore until about... now.
Nice job! It was craptastic out there today. I was thinking about you guys during my ride. Wasn't sure if anybody might still be around when I swung by around 1PM. But nobody home.
I agree with others - you absolutely didn't DNF since they cancelled the 2nd run.
Congrats though on getting out of bed andinto the rain. You'll thank yourself during a race sometime when it's pouring.
Wow - and I thought my 15 mile bike ride today was a lot.
Congratulations!
And well done on getting your statistically extremely unlikely shite weather race out of the way so the rest of the season will be sunny and mild :)
Unless you live somewhere with generally shite weather of course.
Ana and 21CM are right - it wasn't a DNF, it was cancelled.
Nice job Jeanne! Totally not a DNF either.
The proverbial character building exercise once again ... good for you!
That good job thing, I have found that to be the case in every multisport event I have ever done. Sorry about the weather.
see!!!?! you done GOOD! and everyone was very supportive!!! you rocked your first DU major! 12 mph in pouring down rain beats 0 mph any day, so don't even sweat!
congrats duathlete!
... and after the Smackdown, how was the root canal?
I had the same experience in my first sprint tri...several bikers passed saying "GO mountain bike!"
Next rainy event, maybe riding with your Rx swim goggles would help?
Wow! That sounds like quite the race!!! Great job on sticking it out in the crap rain!!
and how were the arms?
Good job Jeanne!
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