Transitions...

First off, we got out race kits in the mail last week, check these bad boys out!

So the multi-sport season for Steve and I has officially begun!  We both raced at the Wrentham Duathlon this past Sunday, 3 mile run, 11 mile bike and 2 mile run.  The weather was outstanding, it did get a bit hot, but it was such a short race, that it didn't get too bad at all.  Steve got 4th in his AG and 1st in Clydesdale, which is for men over 200 lbs.  I got 2nd in my AG!  It was a great day with fantastic weather!  Sam, of course, was there and loves hanging out at races, since he gets lots of belly rubs.

So, what's with transitions you ask?  Well, well, well... Steve and I will have an on going bet the entire season for whoever has the fastest cumulative time for transitions.  We do this, because let's face it, I'm not nearly as fast as him at this point, and this makes for transitions to be quite interesting.  Not only does the swim, bike and run count towards your time, but the transitions from swim to bike and then bike to run.  T1 and T2.  Last year and Timberman, we had this bet, I beat him by 7 seconds!  I did this by completey forgetting all my nutrition for the bike (have a bento box this year though), so on the bike I had to suffer and get PowerBar vanilla flavored gels.  That stuff is so nasty, tastes like vanilla cake, yuck!  So to make it a bit more interesting this year, we are going to add our T times for all the races to see who has the fastest time.  At the end, whoever wins, will have the loser do something that is completely embarrassing to the loser.  We will have the loser pay up on this bet while we are in Miami in October.  For example, if I win, Steve will have to sing karaokee, I will of course pick some fantastic establishment to do this at.  I on the other hand... have no shame.  There's not much I will not do.  If I can get a laugh out of it, why not?!  Life is about having fun, and if that includes singing excellent 80's tunes with my fantastic horrible voice, then so be it! 

The only race we will not count is Bassman in THREE WEEKS, since I'm doing the Sprint and Steve is doing the half.  We're not sure how transition will be set up since the races are on the same day at the same site.  Then, it'll start back up again at Rev3 Quassy Half, yeaaaa!  I'm very disapointed to report that Steve is currently ahead by 27 seconds.  I think I took a nap in transition at Wrentham, 27 SECONDS?!  What in the heck was I doing?!  Doh!  I have alot of ground to make up, but I'm confident I'll pull ahead.  Placid should be interesting since T1 is about a 7 mile run from the water to the transition area.  I may be exaggerating that a bit, but the race itself should probably be increased from 140.6 to at least 141 with the distance of T1. 

Two weeks ago, I finally had my first race of the season with the Great Bay Half Marathon.  What a great course that was, rolling hills the entire time.  Up and down, up and down.  Then, almost 2.5 miles of it was on a dirt road, hmmm, ok... that was interesting to say the least.  By 2 miles into the dirt road section, I was begging for hard pavement again... and it came, ahhhh!!  My legs took a beating, but I loved it.  I had an 8 minute PR, which I was ecstatic about.  My runs in training and sticking to zones have been getting faster, but it's so hard to tell what you're capable of in a road race where you have the freedom to go all out for 13.1 miles, when I haven't gone past Z2 at all.  I did have two speed work sessions the two weeks leading up to the race, and the first week was mile repeats, which I nailed, then a 5K.  A 5K on your own is probably the most difficult thing I could do, it's tough.  No one out there pushing you.  For great bay, I passed the pace I was aiming for by 13 seconds per mile, yes!  All that time on the trainer has really been paying off for my running.  On the bike, ehhh, I'm still painfully slow, but I know it takes a few years to build cycling muscles, endurance and fitness.  I have patience, although at the end of a race when I look at my bike splits, I'll probably still be disapointed, but I know that it takes time.  I also have more confidence in my running, not that I'm as fast as Cait Snow off the bike, but I know I will pass some people out there on the run, and that is more than I could ask for.  Hard work pays off.  QT2 is legit, it's fantastic.

Another PR!

Steve had another PR at the Quincy Half Marathon two weeks ago with a 1:30!  Wow!  He's been working really hard all winter and it's been paying off!  His next race will be at the Wrentha Duathlon in two weeks, which will be the official kick off to the multi-sport season for both of us.  I think we are both excited to get outside on the bikes!  The trainers are begging us to put them away, as well as our butts (yes, our butts, there, I said it). 

Speaking of rubber hitting the road, I was able to get outside for a quick 45 minute recovery ride when we had a couple of weeks of SUPERB weather here in NH.  70's and 80's.  Sadly, it was only that one ride though,  after that, the weekday rides went back to interval training, some tabata's, speed work, BST's, weeee!  So, on the weekends for long rides, mother nature, decided to go back into the 30's and 40's, and well, why be freezing outside when we could be on the trainer (as painful as it is), much more comforable (that's a complete oxymoron of a statement, comfortable and trainer do NOT belong together), watching TV, with March Madness, movies, etc.

March Madness, ahhhh, the most exciting 3 weeks of basketball all year.  This of course includes the NBA playoffs, because if you're a basketball fan, then you know how much of a joke the NBA tends to be.  That's a different topic that could go on and on though.  So, for March Madness, if you are able to participate in a bracket pool, and if it's not the one I participate in, then you're truly missing out (thank you, Erin Rosati for getting me into this 4 years ago)!  One of her coworkers has this insane pool, this year with over 800 entries and only $10 a bracket.  No limit on how many you can fill out.  He makes it a ton of fun with money going to the top winners of course, but also random prizes for coming in last, coming in the same position that comes in right before some dude who I don't know.  This year he also will be giving money to the person whose position is equivilant to the money earnings of one of the movies that came out, so if the movie made 157 million, if you came in 157th place, you're $50 richer!  If you're with every other person in the nation, then your bracket got completely busted after the first weekend with Duke losing, then again when UNC decided to blow the game.  My only hope was last night for OSU to win, because I like Aaron Kraft and I think he loves the game of basketball and is a true team player.  Buuut, they lost.  So, let's go Kentucky (I had them losing in the elite 8, but what the hell, right?!).

I and no one I know won Mega Millions, I woke up all sad on Saturday morning.  Sigh.

There were two 70.3 races this weekend, Oceanside and Texas.   Texas had a ton of QT2 athletes, all from what we saw online performed really well!  Amber Ferreira, local pro, finished in a solid 9th place for the first race of the season!

It's officially my birthday and a race week all wrapped up in one!  I'm bursting with excitement!