Eagle Point race report

Race report: Eagle Point Triathlon
600/20/5: 1:42:56
Stone motherless last by 16 minutes
Rating: Very Pleased

You will recall that I showed up to this race for one reason: becuase I was convinced I was Too Fat to go out and sweat in public with a whole lot of skinnyfasts. Well, we here at LBTEPA Operational HQ might be assailed by these thoughts from time to time (damn you PMS and Christmas kgs) but rest assured, my five faithful readers, we NEVER let them win. I felt like throwing up as I filled in my entry form at the kitchen table, but I put my bike on the rack, set off, signed up and set up. It was a gorgeous morning with not a ripple on the lake. I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.Another older slightly lardy lady set up her hybrid bike next to mine on the main race rack. Bwahahaha thought evil shallow LBTEPA, I'm SURE I can beat HER.
She had set up on the wrong rack and did the mini tri. *pout*
The main race started an hour after the mini tri. I spent the time cheering the backmarkers and breathing very carefully...calm in...fear out... don't get that the wrong way around! Finally it was time to go. I'd already decided that I would enjoy the swim and hate the rest - hey, don't knock it, it works for me!. The water was warm and there was no wind so it was glorious, apart from PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SIGHT FFS LEARN TO SWIM IN A STRAIGHT LINE MATE OR GET OUT OF THE F&*^ING WAY. And cut your bloody toenails! (Hang on, remark my five faithful (and observant) readers I thought you were planning to enjoy the swim?)
*hangs head in shame*
The bike leg was... well, the undertrained, significantly heavier than last time bike leg. I swore a lot. I kept going. I must tell you about this bit though. At one point on the course we turned on to a fairly main road. The marshall there was super-conscientious and very nice too. He must have thought I'd dropped out or something, as I rounded the last corner and he was about to drive off. Oh well, I thought, fair enough. But not he! No! He screeched his dark blue SUV with the tinted windows this is relevant, I promise to a dust-clouded halt, leapt out, grapped his "slow" sign and tore out onto the road. After I passed him he got back into his SUV...
and trailed along behind me at an absolute crawl, picking up the race safety signs as he went. It was too funny, slow old me wearily pushing on, with my big shiny security escort behind! It got even better - the marshalls at the next corner also had a dark SUV, and they fell in behind the first marshall collecting their signs as I pedalled and puffed slowly along. I had a convoy!
My goal for the run was to Not Walk the first loop. It was 28 degrees and about 10000% humidity. The LBTEPA Survival Taskforce quickly recalculated and came up with a new goal: don't throw up, cry or DNF. Too easy! Not. I did run a lot more than I walked. I knew I was last by miles - my old mantra they took my entry money, they can WAIT got another outing today - so as I steamed up the chute I did the whole arm-waving grandstanding thing and got a big cheer from the skinnyfasts. Maybe they thought I'd died.
But look! Look at this!
600m swim 0:08:23 - I knew I was having a good day!
20km bike 1:04:33 =18.59kph. This is good for me! Especially with three - count them, three, oh, life is so harsh -trips up a MFFB* pinch hill that had all the skinnyfasts out of their saddles, what hope did I have?
5km run 0:30:00=6:00min/km. If those numbers are even close to accurate that is an absolute BLINDER for me! Especially as I was Not In The Mood.
And look at this!
2nd 40-49F: LBTEPA!
Lessons for the day: courage is its own reward and showing up is half the battle - but bling is good too! And sometimes you're doing better than you think you are.
More anon, pressers-on!
*A very rude aggregation of very rude words that I used MANY TIMES (in my head, I've been well brought up) on the ride