2006 Gulf Man Festival in Galveston

More like a impromptu practice tri than a real race....


I think I was the only one that had not heard the news, of how the
race was given up by one race director and picked up by another, just
weeks before the event. There was somewhere in the realm of 50 people
that did not show because they heard it was going to be a TOTAL
CLUSTER.
The day before the race nobody knew
1. how many laps around the lagoon we would have to do. It looked like
a mile, with the bouys, but we heard it was 2 laps around. We were
scared.
2. where the race dinner was. We ended up at some bar that didn't even
serve food. Wrong advice or a bad April Fool's joke.
3. How the transistions were going to work. We had to place our bike
at T2 with the expectation of riding our bikes, the next morning, with
all of our wetsuits, goggles, helmet, sunglasses, race number, shoes,
to T1, 2 miles away. (I didn't bring a bag so had to use a trashbag). swim/run
Day of race
They are running behind. I ask the race director (THE DIRECTOR) how
many laps around the lagoon. He still doesn't know. I don't find out
till I am about to enter the water that it is 1 lap. whew!
We ride our bikes, me with my trashbag, everyone else with duffles,
trashbags, semi-suitcases...whatever they could find to stuff their
crap in, to T1. I stuff myself into my wetsuit while they are sending
the 1/2 group off on the swim. We are running about 30 minutes late.
(which you think is no big deal but you have to realize the longer you
wait to start the hotter you can guarantee the finish to be)
I notice that the 1/2 group is struggling to swim the first 50 meters
because the water is so shallow. So, when I get in and the horn goes to bike transition
off, I run the first 50 meters. Let me just say I was almost in first
place when I finally started swimming. I have never almost been in
first place in any swim. (of course it didn't last long) It was funny
to be running alongside the chick who was swimming out front.
The swim went great. (Thanks Ryan and Lauren).
Got out of the water, stripped down to my tri-suit, shoved everything
back into the bag and took off on the bike. Crappy thing bout this
race is they add the transisiton times to the swim and run so I won't
really know how I did on my swim.
The bike was great. The wind was more from the side, so I never got a
head or tailwind and the roads were smooth and flat. The only thing of
note was the turn around. We had to ride off the road, onto Beach run
kinda-sorta sand, under a bridge, where there was standing water, and
then back onto the road. My back tire slid out twice. I kept
repeating..."don't fall little bike...don't fall little bike".
Got off the bike feeling great and took off on the run. That is when I
found out, for the first time, it was a beach run. Beach runs are only
romantic and cool in books. In reality, the sand is too soft for good
purchase, there are sandcastles and children building sandcastles, to
dodge and holes (dug by those same kids) to jump over. Oh...and there
was no water. They had water stops ever 1.8 miles. That aint much on a
hot beach. We did run off the beach, through the RV park and then back
onto the beach. There was one waterstop the whole time. I looked at my
watch and it was sitting at 12 minutes, when I hit the first water
stop. I asked one of the volunteers what mile he was and I got
back..."oh 3 or 4". Wow! I was flying! (yeah right)
Heading back to the beach, one kid had told me to go over the bridge
and take a left (or was it a right). I run up to this girl, who is
going in the opposite direction, and ask her....have you seen any
runners going this way. She assured me that, "yes, she had". I took
off again. At minute 22 I see the finish line and I am thinking...ok
we run past it and up the beach and then will turn back around. This
guy is waving to me....Your done! Your done! I run up to him and stop
and tell him, "I can't be done...I missed a turn"! I am so upset. He
then informs me that they decided to turn it into a 5k. ugh
I finish and then use all of my mental will power to turn around and
go do the loop, again, so that I get the right distances for my
training tri. (Ruth...I hope you are proud of me for that)
I spend the next 5k playing Santa Clause and telling all the tired
people that, instead of a 10k, they are only having to run a 5k. I
have never been the cause of so much happiness.
There was hardly any water at the finish and a few bananas and
oranges. I want everyone to say thanks for the many well run tris,
here in Austin, that we might take for granted (and the beers, and
bands and hoopla that can make em so much fun)
Results were posted a month later and they were iffy at best. I won 2nd woman overall and was told I would receive my medal in the mail. I'm still waiting.