Cedars of Lebanon Race Report

I got up Saturday morning at 4:20am and got ready for the race. I could hear the rain on the skylight and just hoped that it would stop soon. I drove next door to pick up Kim and her sister, Lisa. Kim came running out a few minutes after 5 and said “I will be just a minute, my alarm didn't go off and I just got up”. Just a few minutes and we were on our way.
It continued to rain most of the way to Lebanon and at one point really poured down. Once we got to the park the rain had stopped and we picked up our race packets, timing chips, got body marked, and set up transition.
It started to sprinkle again. The race started right on schedule at 7:30. It was an interval start based on estimated swim time but they were putting us in extra fast in hopes that they could get everyone in and out of the pool before any lightening started. It made it more crowded and I passed a bunch of people in the pool, I did not get passed by anyone. My new goggles were wonderfully non-fogged. Swim Time 6:03 (last year’s swim time was 6:21)
Last year as a first timer I wasn’t thinking about transition time and the fact that it adds up really quickly so I walked to T1 and talked to people and was in no real hurry. I knew this year that I could really make up some time here. I jogged from the pool to T1 and got my helmet on checking 3 times to make sure the chin strap was fastened. Got shoes on and grabbed my bike. No sunglasses needed since it was still raining. T1 time 2:04 (last year’s T1 time 3:02)
I have NEVER ridden my bike in the rain, it is always an excuse not to ride, so I was very nervous riding for the first time in a race. I felt great despite the rain. The turns really made me nervous, I took them extra wide. It wasn’t raining hard but it was enough that I stayed wet and my shoes got sloshy. I battled back and forth with 3 other riders. One was an 18 year old on a hybrid, another was a little skinny 15 year old and the other was the guy who started right in front of me in the pool. The course was very hilly and we passed back and forth over and over again. In the end we all came into T2 together. The last 3 miles of the bike the road was VERY rough. They were supposed to have gotten it paved but never did and instead it was just graded. It was like riding on rumble strips for 3 miles. I was glad that I didn’t get a flat or wipe out. Bike time 55:33 (last year’s bike time 1:00:55).
The 15 year old kid was just ahead of me running into T2 with our bikes and he missed his bike rack then cut me off to get to it. The ground was wet and those bike shoes are slick, I almost wiped out. I got changed for the run and headed out. T2 time 1:16 (last year’s T2 time 1:32)
My legs felt surprising well heading out for the run, maybe it was all that rough riding shaking them out. The rain had stopped at some point on the ride but since we were under trees it still felt like it was raining and I didn’t notice the lack of rain until I was running. The run started with a short up hill and had a big hill at the turn around. There were some other hills in there too but I was busy watching the clock so I don’t remember. Run time 24:53 (last year’s run time 26:15).
We stayed for the awards and I got another coffee mug. In addition, this time I got Hammer Gels in my favorite flavor and a Hammer Bar inside the mug.








Casey party was also a success. I got my camera working and the weather was fine.

Lisa took pictures at the race and Kim is going to email them to me. I will post them when I get them.