Always Something New

In the tiny state of Rhode Island and in the tiny town of Newport, you are surrounded by water. On one side is the ocean and on the other is the river. Because of yet another storm, the swim portion of the Amica triathlon was moved from the ocean to the river, to make for a more calm 1st leg. This meant there was a split transition....a first for me. A split transition means your bike starts in one place and your run starts in another place. It also means a little bit more planning as you have to divide your gear. We swam at Third Beach and started our bike leg from there. We finished the bike leg and started the run at Second Beach and ended the event there as well.
Here's where I messed up. When I layed out my running gear, there were no bikes in transition. Remember, they were all over at Third Beach. Because transition was a huge beach parking lot, there weren't really any landmarks (trees, signs etc). I counted and noted I was in the second row. When I returned with my bike, almost everyone else's bike was already there (I was in the last wave) and it looked different. I got confused! I counted to the second row but I counted from the wrong side, as we entered into transition a different way than I expected.
"This is not my row; these are not my numbers", I shouted. So for a whopping (wasted) 45+ seconds I traversed the rows looking for #107 and my run gear. Split transition area, confused entry, misplaced gear and loss of time for no good reason except my own.... all firsts for me. I love that after 50+ races in 31 states, there is still a learning curve.
On the bright side, it was supposed to pour rain and we didn't have a drop. I completed state #31 and had the support of my mom, her friend Kathy and her mom, Eleanor. Thanks for making the trip ladies and thanks for hosting me Eleanor! I placed 5th in age which is great, considering the top 3 spots went to some serious ringers. I spoke to at least two dozen women about early detection, many of whom were surprised a pap smear doesn't detect it. And I had a very enjoyable weekend in the lovely town of Newport.

The Tiniest State

Just because it is a small state doesn't make it any less significant. Plenty of women in Rhode Island will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and most of them will die. It's a fact and is confirmed by the CDC. In case you're interested, you can click here to learn about statistics in your state. The numbers are terrible....all the more reason for this campaign.
I will travel to Newport this weekend to race in state #31. Luckily this one is close to home and does not involve air travel. If you've followed my blog at all, you know the traveling component of my campaign has been challenging this year. So although weather forecasts are iffy for the weekend, I have the comfort of my Prius and open road. Now if the rains can hold off, it'll be perfect.

Winding Down

I am thrilled to report with two races left in the 2011 season, I am relatively uninjured and still love the sport of triathlon. Neither of these has anything to do with my campaign but it is an important goal for me to stay healthy and still enjoy my "hobby".
I will save the year in review report until the season is officially over but I am quite pleased with the direction the campaign is taking. Next year looks to be even more exciting.
Rhode Island will be state #31 and Bermuda is just for fun and a lovely way to end the season. My husband even gets to come along on that one.
So while there are still many days left on the calendar before the 2011 season wraps up (November to be exact), I am already seeing the end in sight. It's actually kind of sad.

Tell Every Amazing Lady

Tomorrow is the 3rd Annual TEAL walk in Brooklyn. This is very special event and growing larger every year. Started by Louisa McGregor and her sister, Pamela Esposito, these women worked tirelessly to bring vital information and awareness to the ovarian cancer platform.

Unfortunately after a four years, Louisa lost her battle to ovarian cancer. This year's walk will be in honor of her memory.

Another courageous woman who will be honored this year is Gisella Peverada. She too lost her battle this year. Gisella's daughter, also my friend Linda, and her family from Boston will be joining me to walk tomorrow. I am thrilled to be able to participate with them in this event.

So if you happen to be in Brooklyn and near Prospect Park, join us in the TEAL walk. It promises to be a very special event. For more information, go to www.tealwalk.org.

So Beautiful

State #30, Montana, was one of the most beautiful places I have been in this country. Called the state of the Big Sky, it was just that. Blue sky as far as the eye could see, dotted with puffy white clouds, clean air and abundant sunshine. 37 degree start to race day provided an unexpected chill but it quickly warmed to 70s. Luckily the water temp hovered around 68 degrees so it was comfortable. I rented a bike so didn't have my usual ride, but the guys at Bike Sky Cycle hooked me up with a solid road bike. And for the first time in years, I had wings on my feet on the run. I credit a cooler core temperature compared to my 100 degree races of this season. All in all a solid race with a 3rd place finish.
Especially exciting was my friend Ann from Washington state drove to meet me for the weekend. We had so much fun and got the opportunity to have conversations that lasted days, instead of hours or minutes. We figured we've known each other for almost 30 years and with the luxury of time and history, we covered a lot of ground in our chats. It fueled my soul. Thanks Ann for making the trip. xoxo
The season is tapering and I have two weeks off before my last state, Rhode Island. I am looking forward to some downtime (if there is such a thing) and am excited about planning next year's calendar.