Hard Work Pays Off when you least suspect it

So a week ago I decided to participate in the Tour Des Fleurs on Saturday 9/20/08. My only intention was to use this run as a training run on saturday morning. Many times running by yourself for 20K or 12.4 miles can be boring, so I figured why not do it with some 2000 others. So I signed up for the race on Friday 9/19/08. I went to the race and my only goal was to go even pace for the entire way or around 8min/mile. I went out and felt good from the start. The morning was cool and the air fresh. My splits are as follows:

1 -- 8:05

2 -- 7:56

3 -- 7:38

4 -- 7:45

5 -- 7:47

6 -- 7:45

7 -- 8:15 (I walked thru the aid station and took my Gel)

8 -- 7:53

9 -- 7:47

10 -- 7:38

11 -- 7:19

12 --7:38

.41 -- 2:58

So nothing too fancy or fast. I averaged 7:46/mile. So I get home and look at the results and low and behold I placed 3rd in my Age group. I was happy with that and I didn't even try. Apparently no one my age came to race that day, because 7:46/mile is not fast.

I now have to see if I got an award somehow.

On Saturday after the 20K I signed up for a sprint triathlon on saturday at 3pm the race was on sunday at 7:30am. I was only doing it for fun and a interval training day. The race was a 500m, 18mi, 5k. I was out of the in about 7:39. I knew there were 2 people in front of me because one was leaving transition and one was slightly ahead of him is what the volunteers said. So I said to myself, "F*%K it, lets hammer and see if you can win this race the entire thing!!

SO I hammered on the bike. I quickly passed the first guy ahead of me within the first mile and the other guy within the 3rd mile. I was riding my bike like I stole it. It was actually really cool to have a motorcycle escort and a lead car the entire race. I got off the bike with over a minute lead on the entire pack, or so I thought. I got passed on the run after mile 2, by a 35 yr old. Needless to say he is fast because his swim wave started 5min after me!!! I was still pleased with my run splits of 7:38, 7:08, 6:40. I thought since I finished 2nd across the line, but no. I go to look at the results and come to find out the 35 yr old, a 40yr old, and a 50 yr old all beat me by less than 3 min. O-well.. I still won my age group by over a minute.

It's interesting to think what I could have done if I hadn't spent the entire afternoon tailgating and drinking beers. My pre-race dinner consisted of beer, chips and dip, and hot wings. So fun days for me.

My total race time splits are as follows:

500m Swim: 7:39

T1 -- 1:42

18mi Bike -- 48:06 --averaged 22.0mph

T2 -- :35

5k Run -- 21:55 -- averaged 7:04/mile

So all in all a very productive weekend. I never thought I would have been able to achieve these things ever. Great Confidence Booster.