A super duper Crescent City Duathlon Type of day!

Today was a race day....my fellow ex-(but always...) UCSB rowers know what race day is about. Race day post college and post baby is an entirely different beast...though it is still the "wake up at the butt crack of dark thirty-have butterflies in your stomach-have to pee at least 4 times-adreneline surge" type of morning.

This morning I competed in a local Duathlon in Crescent City, way in North NORTH Cali. It was just a sprint distance, a 1.25 mile run, 12.5 mile bike, and 5K run....but was plenty to get the competitive juices, and BURN flowing.

A last minute addition to my race experience was my super nurse friend Teri. She is an awesome athlete, in her late 40's, and thoroughly pushed me and kicked my little 30 year old butt running. This amazing woman held 7 minute miles all through the running portion of the race...and had more to spare! It's nice to find such a positive and kick butt training partner even if I can only find time to ride with her every couple weeks.

Needless to say, when the racing was finished, the calf cramps worked out, and the wrong turns corrected, (a whoops on my part....ugggh,) I managed to squeak out a 2nd place in my age group and my friend, super duper duathlete Teri, took 2nd overall. WOWEEE!

Teri, second overall and 1st Master's woman....You rock!

I was proud of my effort, as my major goal was to try and make the last 5K run NOT hurt like hell. And....the first mile of that last 5K DID hurt like hell, but it's kind of supposed to, I've learned, (from the 7 minute miler herself....)
And then those kinks worked out and I was feeling the groove....
Regardless, for my moderate training, (as my 2-3 weekly workouts were far overshadowed by my competitors daily workouts,) payed off and I had an excellent race...in sunny conditions...which in itself is a  miracle on this super foggy Cali coast.

I do have to say that this has got my race bug going.....

My 2nd place podium stand....my first place competitor had a 2 year old! Made me miss Forrest and feel proud to be with a fellow racing mama....:-)