undecided

This weekend I continued my summer tour living the life of a full-time grad student / wannabe professional triathlete. Pratap, Ryan and I flew out to California for Wildflower. We spent a few days cruising around the bay area,

then headed out to what seemed like the middle of nowhere for the race. The whole weekend was so beautiful - the weather, the course, the scenery, the atmosphere. Even our bikes seemed to be happier in the warm CA sun.

When we got to the campsite, we tried to hurry and get the tent set up and a fire going before dark, but our novice skills showed right through our camping bravado. Our total lack of preparation and experience seemed to

provide our interim neighbors with a great deal of amusement. We finished setting up just before sunset only to realize that we didn’t have a functional flashlight or a reasonable way to strain the pasta we brought for dinner, but we had a great time and made do. We woke up to a 40 degree morning (we didn’t have warm enough clothes either), but after we ate breakfast in our sleeping bags and the sun came up, it was time to race.

The race was hard, maybe the most difficult course I’ve ever done, but I felt like I raced well. There was a strong head wind during the swim, the bike was hilly (as advertised), and the (nearly all uphill) run was so hot that at each aid station I dumped a cup of water on my head and was dry again within a mile. During the run, a deer just off the running path gave me a look that seemed to say, “What the hell are you doing out here?” I can’t wait to go back next year.

Last weekend, the CU tri team (plus a new friend from Penn who raced for Colorado) packed up our all our gear and drove to Tuscaloosa, AL. The 17 hour drive (each way) had all the excitement you’d expect from a college road trip. The race went pretty well considering it was the first time I’ve run this year, but this was by far the most fun I’ve ever had at a race given the environment and the company.

Be careful not to look at the race photos below for too long. You may go blind from the reflection off my pale North-Eastern skin.

After the race, there was plenty of time to indulge in less athletic activities.

I’m off to Wildflower this weekend… more race stories to come.