Tri Carson Finisher!

The day started off early, at 3:30am. We got on the freeway by 5:15am. We got to Carson at 6:40, so really not bad time. It was raining hard and still very dark. I didn't have a good feeling about this! From the time we pulled in to the college I knew it was unorganized. No direction leading you to the right area, no parking instructions, nothing. I knew it was the first year for this event, so I just brushed it off.
When we found the area, I went and got my packet, and set up my bike in transition. It was set on a small patch of grass on a slight hill... sound awkward? It was. And muddy!! This race turned out to be a mud run. 3 porta potties for 300+ people as well.. nice. Okay so I am complaining a bit.
So we started the race. The 5K first. I'll just say, there were pros to running first, such as, don't have to worry about changing and being wet.. except I was wet due to the rain. And it's nice to get my weakest thing done first, but.. it also wore me out more than a swim would.

Run- I believe I did manage a PR. I am pretty sure, according to my watch, I finished the run in about 41 minuets. Didn't make my goal (39:50)... but still beat my last time. I ran quite a bit of it! On the last mile I ran about 2/3 the mile straight with out stopping and felt strong!! Starting out on the other hand was hard. I was cold and wet and my asthma was really bothering me. Thank God Jocelyn gave me an inhaler. And due to the porta potty issue, I was at the back, so really was in the kaboose the whole time. It's okay, I know I will do well on the bike... or so I thought.

Bike- Well, I finished in about 60 minuets, and did probably 3 extra miles, but spent a lot of time trying to find my way, stopping to ask the volunteers and CHP if I was going the right way. UGH! So at the "Meeting" before the race, no bike description was given except it's wet, and go slow. So when me and a several of us on the course see a turn, but no one tells us to turn and everyone else is going straight, we go straight. You follow the people. So that turn, was actually the way we were suppose to go. Right, and then do that loop 3 times THEN go straight, making your way back to the college. Again, no signs, no one saying "First lap turn Right!" nothing. And yes, of course they had a timing sensor at the right turn so they knew if you did 3 laps or not.
So a few of us made it back to the college and they were telling us to dismount at the cones. I'm thinking, "What? It's only been twenty minuets. That can't be right." Then I ask someone, "Do we do two laps?" "No you do four!" "Four?? What!! Where?!" And FYI it was 3 laps and the several miles when you go straight. No one knew anything. So we ask what to do, he points that we go across the campus, (where no one on bike are) and get back on the street and do the laps. Okay, so I find the street and the other bikers. The guy and girl I was with cut across the street, missing the timing sensor, and cut into the bike crowd and I didn't see them again. I see the sensor, go opposite way everyone is going to make a U Turn and go through sensor. A CHP stops me and asks me what I am doing. I tell him we got off track and what ask what we do and where we go. He said, make a u turn, you have to do 3 laps. By now it's been a good 3o mins into the bike leg of the race.... I am thinking, "If I do 3 lasp now it will take me at least 40 mins!" Ugh again. So I do the loop. On the way back to the TURN the same CHP saw me and said "Go straight this time!" I am like, "what? I have to do three laps!" "This is the 3rd time I have seen you!" as a volunteer agrees with him. Okay I know buddy but I got messed up! So I say, "can I just go through the sensor then turn around and go back?" He says, "Sure! I don't care." But I didn't want to give up. I would do one more lap, knowing I would be doing more than the 12 miles, but at least I could finish knowing I did the required amount. So now I am ALONE. All alone. Very lonely and discouraged. I wanted to just get to the college and give up. But I passed the CHP again and went all the way back to the college to transition area. I am not sure how far I went, all I know is I got messed up, along with MANY others, and they did not do any laps. So, I was upset.
The course was tough, several long gradual hills, nothing too extreme though. Oh and at one point my front brakes weren't working down hill (and it was wet). I managed to stop real quick to look and realized it wasn't connected :/ Yikes. I fixed it and was on my way.
It seemed I was last when I was coming in to T2. People were already leaving the event. I see Davey and Karissa and her friend and the boys, I express my frustration and they already knew I got off course, because many others came back and told everyone they messed up.

Swim- I grunted all the way to the pool through the muddy grass, as Davey and everyone came with me. I got in the water, surprised to see people still swimming. The pool was very warm. I was in and out in 5-6 min. No one was there to keep track of how many laps people did, and a volunteer kept telling me to move over which slowed me down. The exit was across the pool so I had to wait for swimmers to go by, then out of the pool and cross the finish line. I was happy to see that people were still coming in the pool sometime after me. So I wasn't dead last like I thought.

I spoke with someone right away, but got no answers. Then Davey showed me the lady running the event, I told her what happened, and she seemed real nice, but busy. So oh well. They results were up, and I wasn't on there, guessing it was because I didn't get scanned 3 times on the bike course. About an hour later I saw a Twitter message from her and she asked how I liked it, and I told her what happened and she said they will work on the timing. Oh Well, what can you do?! I guess every triathlete has a race like this once in their lives right? Below: About to start.

Below: Finishing the run

Starting the bike.
Here I am asking why I am back at the college so soon...

Finishing the bike.
Onto the swim now.

and here is my motivation..........

The end.