A Monumental Finish!: Nation's Triathlon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 9, 2012!

Chris and Pol post-race, celebrating the close of an epic tri season!

And so it concludes--the 2012 triathlon season is now in the books with Nation's Tri marking the end of a fantastic and memorable year.  After completing Marine Corp Marathon last fall, it was great to be back in D.C. for yet another "monumental" event!  There's just something special about racing in our nation's capitol. No matter which direction you look, the monuments, history and beauty of this city paint a spectacular picture to swim, bike and run through!  O.k., maybe swimming in the Potomac was a little less than glamorous, but for the most part, this race really delivers.

With over 4,000 registrants, Nation's Tri has set the record as the largest olympic-distance triathlon in the country.  Pretty cool to be racing amongst such an epic crowd, but the numbers also make for a lot of swim waves.  I started in wave #27, which was well over an hour after Chris got in the water!  Navigating the crowds out there became sort-of an obstacle course, but after recalling that Ironman swim start, nothing is impossible!!

2nd in AG & awarded with a beer mug!  Great day!

After the 1500m swim, came a super-fast 40k bike leg, mostly on the closed Clara Barton Parkway.  With a flat course and smooth sailing, Chris and I both posted our speediest bike splits ever!  Most of the scenery was a blur, but I did manage to take in some views of the C&O Canal as I flew by...for at least a moment or two!  Then it was on to the 10k run, which was highlighted by the Washington Monument, familiar parts of the marathon course and lovely views of the Tidal Basin and Potomac.  Throughout the run, thoughts of all of our 2012 races swirled through my head and I kept thinking, "This is it...make it count!"

Overall, I was really pleased with the race, though Chris bested me by a mere 30 seconds!!  Here is the breakdown of our results:
Polly:
Swim: 30:48; T1: 2:18; Bike: 1:12:43; T2: 1:23; Run: 42:35; Total time: 2:29:44

Chris:
Swim: 36:33; T1: 1:57; Bike: 1:06:20; T2: 1:13; Run: 43:10; Total time: 2:29:11

Mmmm...donuts!! Donut Derby, Sept. 3, 2012

The tasty treats await the riders!

In the words of the great donut aficionado, Homer Simpson, "Donuts...is there anything they can't do?"  Fuel a bike race?  Heck yeah!!  What's not to love?!

Off to get me some donuts!!

The parameters are quite simple:  bike 12 miles...eat donuts...bike 12 miles...eat donuts...bike 12 miles.  For every donut consumed, you get 3 minutes taken off your total time, aka your DAT (Donut Adjusted Time)!

"Got donuts in my belly!" says Alex.  "Donuts...please stay down!" says Chris.

This spectacular event is hosed annually by the Lehigh Valley Wheelmen in Trexlertown, PA.  Starting at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome, the ride winds through beautiful farm land and country roads where the locals no doubt get a chuckle out of the 250 spandex-clad racers all hammering it in the name of Krispy Kreme!

"Had me 10 donuts!" says Noah.  "Keep blocking the wind,  Donut Boy!" says Judy.

The best part was sharing this experience with friends, Noah, Judy, Anthony and Alex, especially since it was a draft-legal event on a particularly windy day!  Chris and Noah were the champs of our merry group with 10 donuts each!  I managed to put away 4, utilizing the recommended technique of squishing two donuts together for more efficient consumption.  This was nowhere near the winner who defended his title for a fourth straight year with 32 donuts!  Simply amazing!

Round two means two more donuts for me!!

All in all, it was a great day and we managed to get the race in before the weather turned soggy.  With 4 donuts, my DAT for the 36-mile race was 1:53:35, enough for 5th in my age group.  Chris turned in a solid performance with his 10 donuts and managed a DAT of 1:35:30, finishing 7th in his age group.  Next year we need to come up with a donut training plan to build up to that coveted donut PR!  Mmmm...now that's a goal worth committing to!

Wissahickon Wanderers Distance Track Meets Aug. 21 & 28, 2012

"Fast-Cat" Fred put us all to work calling out bib #'s and timing for the events

The end of August always marks the Wissahickon Wanderers Distance Track Meet.  This year, the event was divided into two meets, one to raise money for the Back On My Feet organization http://www.backonmyfeet.org/ and the other to involve all area running clubs.  Chris & I enjoyed volunteering at both and participating in the medley relay for the running club meet – Go Wanderers!  Here are the links to the reports on both events:

Job well done!!

Back On My Feet Meet:
http://www.wanderersrunningclub.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261:heroics-performed-at-wanderers-bomf-track-meet&catid=1:news&Itemid=4

Tracking the finishing orders required several pairs of eyes!

Running Clubs Meet:
http://wanderersrunningclub.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262:germantown-high-a-bryn-mawr-rc-big-winners-at-regional-track-meet&catid=1:news&Itemid=4

Chris was the Master Starter of the events!