It always comes down to the last event. It’s the Acadia Triathlon and we just think it’s a blast. I guess for a few reasons. Number one, it’s in Acadia! Number 2, it benefits the Lions Club of Acadia. My grandfather was a Lyon and my cousins are current Lyons. Don’t ask me what they do, I couldn’t tell you, but it’s a male family tradition (the Lioness Club seems to have gone by the wayside!). Number 3, it involves kayaking. Number 4, the run is first, yes, first. It’s a run, bike, kayak. Oh, and afterward, it’s Oktoberfest in Southwest Harbor.
The first year we did it, 2005, it was in the aftermath of a hurricane. When we arrived Long Pond was white capping! I was sure they were going to cancel, but no! Race was on and we did it in the crazy weather, the volunteers working at least as hard as we did! I got a first place, so did Rob, my infamous husband.
Per usual, this trip is a multitasking event for me, I have to close up my home here for the winter and then focus on the race….so I’m rather distracted, and typical for me, at the last minute, I think I have to work late, but I finally get out of the office and we arrive the night before with plenty of time to be race ready. I did talk us out of bringing race wheels, too much of a hassle. I sort of mistakenly take this race for granted, a small town race without the need for the highest end gear. I was almost embarrassed the last time we did this race with our high tech stuff. But, we show up and a few ringers are present, disc wheels and serious racing boats! This race may have changed a bit! But, it is such a nice casual atmosphere and the weather is so glorious, I relax a bit. I haven’t trained enough (perennial issue!) and didn’t ever lose that extra 5 pounds this season. My husband knows it’s the wine I just can’t give up….We sign up and 3 of my cousins are present, making me feel at home.
One of them organizes this event!
The first year we did it, 2005, it was in the aftermath of a hurricane. When we arrived Long Pond was white capping! I was sure they were going to cancel, but no! Race was on and we did it in the crazy weather, the volunteers working at least as hard as we did! I got a first place, so did Rob, my infamous husband.
Per usual, this trip is a multitasking event for me, I have to close up my home here for the winter and then focus on the race….so I’m rather distracted, and typical for me, at the last minute, I think I have to work late, but I finally get out of the office and we arrive the night before with plenty of time to be race ready. I did talk us out of bringing race wheels, too much of a hassle. I sort of mistakenly take this race for granted, a small town race without the need for the highest end gear. I was almost embarrassed the last time we did this race with our high tech stuff. But, we show up and a few ringers are present, disc wheels and serious racing boats! This race may have changed a bit! But, it is such a nice casual atmosphere and the weather is so glorious, I relax a bit. I haven’t trained enough (perennial issue!) and didn’t ever lose that extra 5 pounds this season. My husband knows it’s the wine I just can’t give up….We sign up and 3 of my cousins are present, making me feel at home.
One of them organizes this event!Here is my cousin Tom, with part of the members of the soccer team he coaches, they don't have a game today, so he enlists them to volunteer! Nice coach!
Long Pond is like glass and the leaves are just about at peak color, the sky a perfect blue. Well, its 2007, the weather is balmy, I think it’s almost 70 degrees. Not only is that odd for October, it hardly gets that warm here in August! It’s just a perfect day and I am more relaxed than I have ever been at a race start. I have checked out my competition and later will learn that I was close in my prediction, but not totally! I didn’t check out the boats, just the bikes and the clothing. The woman I am focused on is in a tri-suit, like myself, the only other woman wearing one. I’m sure she’s going to be tough to beat. Rob says, relax, as I have a great record with sprints involving kayaks, I’m 3 and 0! Undefeated! I have won this race and 2 Sea to Summit sprints. No pressure now.....
The horn goes off and the 50 of us at the mass start line go off. There will be a split given at the first mile. I am so relaxed I didn’t even bother with my heart rate monitor, so I have no idea of my heart rate or time. Well, I feel great, as I run up the hill, yes, the start is at the base of a hill! A woman passes me wearing a camisole! Her long braids moving with her rhythm. I have my husband in sight, he must be going a bit slow. The other year I had done it I lost sight of him immediately! Well, the first mile split, and I’m in trouble! My mile is a 7:01. It’s been uphill and I’m screwed! I am not kidding when I say I haven’t been training, I haven’t done a 7 minute mile for a long time! Mile 2 and I get passed by the next woman. She looks like a total runner, perfect stride and a pace that never falters. I’m huffing and puffing, in a lot of pain! Why do I do this to myself? Halfway point and the woman I had been eyeing is just behind me. I heard breathing, I didn’t want to look, but I had to, yes, it’s her! She passes me as I slow my pace, I just can’t keep going that hard! The opposite of my goal of negative splitting the run, I just hope to make it to the bike! Mile 3 a woman passes me in a skirt. Ok, this is the third time this season a woman in a skirt is going to beat me. The last one was at an X-Terra, and before that at a 30 mile mountain bike race. I’ve learned now not to judge woman by her skirt, almost…it’s still hard! I have them all in sight…and figure, the ones except the one in the tri-suit, are not going to be good on the bike or the kayak. Ha. Finally, in just under 32 minutes, I get to T1. My heart rate is so high, the run is soooo hilly, that I’m worried about getting it down in order to get my pace on the bike. It’s only 12 miles, so I don’t have much of a choice, I’m trying to catch my competition. I pass one woman right away, the woman in the skirt is now just in bike shorts, I pass her on the 2nd hill. One issue I’m having is one I’ve yet to encounter, the dreaded muscle cramps; when I stand on the climbs my calves seize up. Wow, now I know what people are talking about, this must be because of the run. I’m finally on a flat and totally aero, and then the camisole girl is next. I pass her counting down, three down, one to go. I finally see her at mile 7. This is one race where I don’t pull my usual self sabotage; instead of giving up, I actually do chase her. I fly by her, but this only causes her to speed up. We jockey back and forth and pass a few men, boy they hate that! Then there is a dump truck in our path. This stinks! We are almost at the same pace and cannot get past the truck, the roads are too narrow. I try to draft off the truck! It seems to be working as the woman I’d been chasing seems to have dropped back as well as the guy who tried to stay with us. But, it doesn’t totally make sense…she was very strong when we were riding together. I make it to T2 and am totally thrown off, they had moved T2, sort of, the bike rack is across the street but my water, hat and gel are where I left them. I lose my focus a bit and a lot of time. I get to my boat with my competitor right behind me. I ask her what had happened and she had dropped her chain. We get in the water at the same time and I ask if she had done this race before, yes, last year she says. I state that she must have won, no she says, her friend a paddler won, beating her by 7 minutes on the kayak, she’ll catch us she predicts. Now I paddle as hard as possible. I have kayaked 4x this year, I’m not sandbagging, I really haven’t trained! But, I have been swimming…just not 4 miles, the distance of this paddle. Head down, I just work as hard as possible. I start catching a few guys and seem to be losing my competitor. Maybe I won't get caught by this infamous paddler. I don’t know who she is, so I have no idea where she is in the race. Again, head down, I’m just working the paddle. It’s a tail wind and pretty nice. The water is crystal clear and I can see the bottom as I skim along. A big black boat with 2 paddlers passes me and we trade greetings. (There are a few boat categories, one of them being the canoe, this canoe looks more like a Darth Vador weapon.) I’m parallel to a guy now, I can’t quite pass him and so far I’ve evaded this mysterious paddler that is pegged to catch me. We are heading toward the portage and then I see her, she passes me on my left, looking really strong. Her boat looks completely race worthy with flames around her cockpit. Then I see her winged paddles. I’m screwed. She gets to the portage and out of her boat easily crossing the road. I get to shore and out of my boat. But, as I go to pick it up, I forget it is 18’ and I haven’t been picking it up lately! My calves seize and I’m frozen. I drop my paddle, the end of the boat hits the rocks and I am paralyzed. The volunteers, who aren’t allowed to help us, cheer me, they must be wondering why I’m not moving! Finally, I get the boat on my shoulders and basically limp across the road and toss the thing in the water, nevermind the carbon composite I’ve been protecting every other time I paddle! The woman that passed me is way ahead, traveling to the finish line. Now, I just have to look over my shoulder at the portage, 3 paddlers are heading my way, jump in the boat and paddle! if I can’t catch the woman ahead of me, I have to secure 2nd place!
I get to the finish area and remember that we had to get out of our boats one year, but there are boats everywhere and I’m yelling, where do I finish, what do I do? A guy on the dock says, you’re done! So, I’m second and after standing in the water to get my calves to relax I wait for my ‘competition’ to come in and capture 3rd place. So….the woman that won….was the one in the skirt! I go up to her to meet her and talk and find out that not only is she a good paddler, and she is the one that passed me on the run, she lobsters for a living in Tenants Harbor. Awesome! The woman who got 3rd is in a nice boat and had ridden a very nice bike. She is new to Portland and I hope to run into her in the future, I think! Well, as it always comes down to the last event, let’s go to Oktoberfest!
Long Pond is like glass and the leaves are just about at peak color, the sky a perfect blue. Well, its 2007, the weather is balmy, I think it’s almost 70 degrees. Not only is that odd for October, it hardly gets that warm here in August! It’s just a perfect day and I am more relaxed than I have ever been at a race start. I have checked out my competition and later will learn that I was close in my prediction, but not totally! I didn’t check out the boats, just the bikes and the clothing. The woman I am focused on is in a tri-suit, like myself, the only other woman wearing one. I’m sure she’s going to be tough to beat. Rob says, relax, as I have a great record with sprints involving kayaks, I’m 3 and 0! Undefeated! I have won this race and 2 Sea to Summit sprints. No pressure now.....
The horn goes off and the 50 of us at the mass start line go off. There will be a split given at the first mile. I am so relaxed I didn’t even bother with my heart rate monitor, so I have no idea of my heart rate or time. Well, I feel great, as I run up the hill, yes, the start is at the base of a hill! A woman passes me wearing a camisole! Her long braids moving with her rhythm. I have my husband in sight, he must be going a bit slow. The other year I had done it I lost sight of him immediately! Well, the first mile split, and I’m in trouble! My mile is a 7:01. It’s been uphill and I’m screwed! I am not kidding when I say I haven’t been training, I haven’t done a 7 minute mile for a long time! Mile 2 and I get passed by the next woman. She looks like a total runner, perfect stride and a pace that never falters. I’m huffing and puffing, in a lot of pain! Why do I do this to myself? Halfway point and the woman I had been eyeing is just behind me. I heard breathing, I didn’t want to look, but I had to, yes, it’s her! She passes me as I slow my pace, I just can’t keep going that hard! The opposite of my goal of negative splitting the run, I just hope to make it to the bike! Mile 3 a woman passes me in a skirt. Ok, this is the third time this season a woman in a skirt is going to beat me. The last one was at an X-Terra, and before that at a 30 mile mountain bike race. I’ve learned now not to judge woman by her skirt, almost…it’s still hard! I have them all in sight…and figure, the ones except the one in the tri-suit, are not going to be good on the bike or the kayak. Ha. Finally, in just under 32 minutes, I get to T1. My heart rate is so high, the run is soooo hilly, that I’m worried about getting it down in order to get my pace on the bike. It’s only 12 miles, so I don’t have much of a choice, I’m trying to catch my competition. I pass one woman right away, the woman in the skirt is now just in bike shorts, I pass her on the 2nd hill. One issue I’m having is one I’ve yet to encounter, the dreaded muscle cramps; when I stand on the climbs my calves seize up. Wow, now I know what people are talking about, this must be because of the run. I’m finally on a flat and totally aero, and then the camisole girl is next. I pass her counting down, three down, one to go. I finally see her at mile 7. This is one race where I don’t pull my usual self sabotage; instead of giving up, I actually do chase her. I fly by her, but this only causes her to speed up. We jockey back and forth and pass a few men, boy they hate that! Then there is a dump truck in our path. This stinks! We are almost at the same pace and cannot get past the truck, the roads are too narrow. I try to draft off the truck! It seems to be working as the woman I’d been chasing seems to have dropped back as well as the guy who tried to stay with us. But, it doesn’t totally make sense…she was very strong when we were riding together. I make it to T2 and am totally thrown off, they had moved T2, sort of, the bike rack is across the street but my water, hat and gel are where I left them. I lose my focus a bit and a lot of time. I get to my boat with my competitor right behind me. I ask her what had happened and she had dropped her chain. We get in the water at the same time and I ask if she had done this race before, yes, last year she says. I state that she must have won, no she says, her friend a paddler won, beating her by 7 minutes on the kayak, she’ll catch us she predicts. Now I paddle as hard as possible. I have kayaked 4x this year, I’m not sandbagging, I really haven’t trained! But, I have been swimming…just not 4 miles, the distance of this paddle. Head down, I just work as hard as possible. I start catching a few guys and seem to be losing my competitor. Maybe I won't get caught by this infamous paddler. I don’t know who she is, so I have no idea where she is in the race. Again, head down, I’m just working the paddle. It’s a tail wind and pretty nice. The water is crystal clear and I can see the bottom as I skim along. A big black boat with 2 paddlers passes me and we trade greetings. (There are a few boat categories, one of them being the canoe, this canoe looks more like a Darth Vador weapon.) I’m parallel to a guy now, I can’t quite pass him and so far I’ve evaded this mysterious paddler that is pegged to catch me. We are heading toward the portage and then I see her, she passes me on my left, looking really strong. Her boat looks completely race worthy with flames around her cockpit. Then I see her winged paddles. I’m screwed. She gets to the portage and out of her boat easily crossing the road. I get to shore and out of my boat. But, as I go to pick it up, I forget it is 18’ and I haven’t been picking it up lately! My calves seize and I’m frozen. I drop my paddle, the end of the boat hits the rocks and I am paralyzed. The volunteers, who aren’t allowed to help us, cheer me, they must be wondering why I’m not moving! Finally, I get the boat on my shoulders and basically limp across the road and toss the thing in the water, nevermind the carbon composite I’ve been protecting every other time I paddle! The woman that passed me is way ahead, traveling to the finish line. Now, I just have to look over my shoulder at the portage, 3 paddlers are heading my way, jump in the boat and paddle! if I can’t catch the woman ahead of me, I have to secure 2nd place!
I get to the finish area and remember that we had to get out of our boats one year, but there are boats everywhere and I’m yelling, where do I finish, what do I do? A guy on the dock says, you’re done! So, I’m second and after standing in the water to get my calves to relax I wait for my ‘competition’ to come in and capture 3rd place. So….the woman that won….was the one in the skirt! I go up to her to meet her and talk and find out that not only is she a good paddler, and she is the one that passed me on the run, she lobsters for a living in Tenants Harbor. Awesome! The woman who got 3rd is in a nice boat and had ridden a very nice bike. She is new to Portland and I hope to run into her in the future, I think! Well, as it always comes down to the last event, let’s go to Oktoberfest!
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