Fun Beaver Tri

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The Beaver Tail tri this weekend was a great success and fun event. Kent puts the race on for club members and he puts a lot of work into the event. I helped with some course marking before the event and had a little to much fun with the spray paint. With only 22 racers, there was plenty of room in the small transition area. I participated in the race to get a good open water swim and practice getting out of the wetsuit. A lowkey event is the place to practice. The weather was perfect - sunny, warm, and no wind. That made the swim really easy. Just for fun, Kent made us swim around a trampoline in the middle of the lake. After the first bouy, I pulled away from the rest of the field. I still had some issues with the darn wetsuit, but headed out onto the bike in the lead. That wouldn't last. Kyle and Nic caught me on the road. This bike was a dirt road, ATV trail course with lots of water crossings and deep sand. The sand made the descent tricky. I wiped out on the descent and was sporting some lovely rashes. My mistake - poor bike handling. I came into T2 in third with Neal right on my heels. He actually caught me on the bike, but I passed him back in the deep sand climb. My T2 was not rushed. I gave the timers something to laugh at with my laces. Yes, I did have to tie them. I knew Neal would catch me on the run. He is an excellent runner and had the best run of the day. I finished in fourth and had a great time. After the race, everyone hung out, swapping stories and comparing war wounds. There was carnage in the sand this year. Kent made sure that there was plenty of food and drink for everyone. This was one of the best club events I've participated in. Just sitting around with fellow triathletes was a perfect way to spend my saturday. Here is a link to some photos from the race - http://picasaweb.google.com/TracyThelen.triathlete/BeaverTailTri#

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