IronGirl Bloomington 2008

This is my 4th year doing this race. The first year ( and there are some of you out there that know what i am talking about) it was inter-esting. Started at the MOA and the bike course was an out and back with no passing along the 494 bridge. Uh-huh. My vivid memory of that race was 1) I didnt really bike. 2) I could run 3) I was playing competitive tennis and so this was my one event in the summer that didnt include balls and rackets.
So you can guess who was the one holding things up along that no passing lane? ME! Nothing like a fast run leg only to hold up those that can bike faster. And I remind you we have our names on our bibs.

" GO JULIA!" this year was so much more enthusiastic than when it came from my fellow competitors who wanted oh so dearly to just pass me on that stretch of bike path! Kinda funny in hindsight and likely another reason that about 2 years ago i decided i needed to get biker legs. or pretend to. or at least try.

The 2nd year was better, last year was even better and this year the field was stacked! I was also amazed at how AWESOME the volunteers were. Maybe i am just not used to people cheering for me at races. Not saying that is bad or that I am needy, it just isnt something that happens to this magnitude when you are racing your bike up in St. Cloud in a Road race and there is nobody around other than a few "tick" fearing relatives.
Or maybe it doesnt help that i am not too fond of Crits. You do get folks cheering there.

But yesterday it was amazing! I have to say it felt so good to come into transition and have people really really cheering for you, LOUD! And remind you I dont know most those folks. So that is just really neat.
I didnt smile as much on the 2nd run bc i was in a bit of discomfort and I felt like I needed my inhaler, but i did
Crack a Huge Smile at the water stop on the second run when a volunteer started doing some sort of dance! I was alone so she was doing it for me. I couldnt help but crack up and she saw me. Mission accomplished.

So results are results and I think I got 15th overall. Considering last year i was 9th I was a kinda sad about that but when i stood in line to see the results the lady behind me quickly set my head straight when she said "I would be HAPPY with 15th.." kinda in that "get a clue sister!" tone. So i got a clue and I am quite honored to be racing in this event. MY runs were solidly fast ( 13:16 first run and 13:32 after the bike)my bike was not as fast as i had hoped. But I am thrilled to be able to put these discilpines together and chase those people that I know are such solid contributors to the multisport world...Julie Hull ( i kept her in sight on the first run! Lost her on the bike OBVIOUSLY!) and to think that when the gun went off..ok the duck screamed AFLAC! I was ahead of Margo for about 100 feet! 100 yard dash, I took her:)! And meeting new people, and conversing with old friends i havent seen as much since i started just biking. So sometime, not sure when, there is some more of this ahead. And yes that means less dawdling and having a tea party in the T's.

Here are some pictures that tell it all.

Leslie drove all the way from Kansas! MN nice said to her "hey you are shorter than I thought you would be." Nice Julia :( I think she took it in stride and we tried to even it out in the pics, she on her tippy toes and me in my slouched posture. I had the guts to introduce myself to Leslie as a blog stalker and she was cool enough to tell me she has some great energy drink called VERVE for us to try! Cant wait! She, by the way got 3rd overall. Quite the speedy gal!



Elizabeth and I are all smiles!Fan Numero Uno, honey, was out of town so i was on my own with self portraits.
Amy Klos won her age group 45-49 and continued to have a super season in the Multisport world.
And ... Smiley herself, Amy K, was loving the post race rub down. Both Amy's are such solid competitors and lovely to be around. So thanks gals, for a great day and hope to see you at more events in 2009.
PS: Ok have to admit my Anterior Tibs are crying "mother" for those runs. As some of you know i snuck a few 1-2 milers in after the last BlackDog and TNTT but my legs DO NOT have much mileage in them. So they are letting me know that. Or maybe it is that I actually LIFTED my legs up for Jen H. I think that was it.