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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

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

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