Triathlon in Steamboat

Last weekend, Ed and I drove to Steamboat Springs to join some other members of the Boulder Triathlon Club for a race. There were both sprint and olympic distance races, and Ed was signed up for the olympic distance (1500 meter swim, 23.5-mile bike, and a 6-mile run) for one more chance to race before competing in Austria. We'd assumed, for no good reason, that the drive would be about two hours, but, in fact, it was more like three-and-a-half, made even slower by the road maintenance that seems particularly endless in Colorado. We were very happy to arrive. I checked out the farmers' market and bought some huge peaches while Ed rode the course. Then we joined some of our condo-mates for an Italian dinner downtown before bed. 

Usually, Ed's half-Ironman starts are nauseatingly early. This time, though, the gun wasn't scheduled to go off until a luxurious 8:00, so we didn't need to leave the condo until a little before 7:00. I'm training for a half-marathon and needed to get my long run in, so instead of hanging around and waiting for Ed to finish like I usually do, I was ready to do a little sweating myself. The area was beautiful, and turning my back on all the athletes stretching, sucking down energy gels and drinks, slathering on sunscreen, and squeezing in to wetsuits, it was rather idyllic. Beneath the surface, however, we'd heard that pondweed lurked in abundance, and we could see people wrestling with thick hunks of it as they warmed up in the water. 

I watched Ed start the swim, then headed out on a segment of my long run, heading down the road a bit, then coming back in plenty of time to watch him get out of the water. It was pretty amusing to watch the athletes emerge from the water dripping and adorned with garlands of green weeds. Ed said later that at one point he got so tangled toward the end of the swim that he had to stop swimming and push off the bottom with both feet to get free.  

Ed's heat reaches the first buoy in the distance. The scene is less idyllic but certainly more exciting. 

I set off again after Ed took off on the bike, explored the road a little, then turned around and did the run course that the athletes would do after the bike. I couldn't have asked for a prettier run, but I could have asked for a flatter one. The course itself featured plenty of rolling hills, and the sadist who laid out the route put the turnaround point midway up a steep hill. I was glad I wasn't racing and could take the ascent a little slower. 

As I ran back toward the transition area to wait for Ed to finish the race, I started to pass athletes jogging in the opposite direction who'd started the run course. I yelled encouragement to them as they ran by me and a lot of them cheered for me, too; I guess they thought I was racing myself, which meant they thought I was winning! Back at the transition area, I enjoyed one of the farmers' market peaches and hung out in the shade until I saw a speck in the distance that looked vaguely like Ed. It was. 

In the end, he finished 9th overall and took 2nd place in his age group. Perhaps more exciting, he won a raffle and got a free pair of sunglasses! He was pleased with his bike and run times but furious about his slow swim; we heard this complaint enough that we figured the course must have been a little too long (and the pondweed couldn't have helped either). After collecting his plaque at the awards ceremony, we showered and piled back in the car for the drive home. About half the group was staying another night and I wished we were, too; if we attend this race again next year, I'll vote for that option.

The excitement continued into the next day when we learned that Ed's picture ended up in Steamboat Today, the local paper!

He was a little embarrassed that they got a shot of him right at the end of the bike after he'd already taken his feet out of his shoes, but I still think he looks cool.