Part 4 Nation's ~ Final Thoughts

Location: DC is a fun place for a visit. A lot of my team did touristy things. I did not. My leg wouldn't stand a race and touring. The Hilton Hotel was very posh and comfortable. The maid service came while I was napping and I told her, I didn't need her to clean my room or give me fresh towels. This was post race. I left the room for a few minutes to pick up my bike and when I got back she'd cleaned the room, made the bed and left me fresh towels-- dedicated, takes pride in her job and on the sneaky side. I approve :D

Course: Swim: The Potomac gets a bad rap I think. The water was warm, the visibility was nil, but that's what I expected from a river being churned by thousands of bodies. I really wish I could have gotten in the water on Saturday so I could have gotten a feel for it. There was some chop, but no foul odors. The course was the best marked I've swum. However, the corrals need some rethinking. I know the intent of planning things the way they did. While the idea was good the execution wasn't great. The race really needs to get outside the box to make the swim newbie friendly.

Bike: There is no confusion about where to ride on this course. It had cones almost the entire way. There were a couple of pot holes that weren't marked that I wish had been, but most were and I've done races where none were marked. While, I'm still complaining and pondering how a course can be uphill both ways, I thought it was a fun ride. I wanted some downhills with technical turns and there was none of that, but if you're scared of hills and downhills, this is a course for you.

Run: Easy peasy. No hills, stops every mile, lots of spectators. I enjoyed it. :D

Swag: I'd have preferred a visor or hat over the lunch bag and the medal was just okay. The T-shirt was UT orange which would rock if I was still a UT fan and the shirt was men's and women's specific. Wish I'd know that when I'd ordered as I'd have gotten a different size. This isn't a swag race; it's a purpose race so no worries. It was fairly good overall.

Expo: You know what would have really made the expo perfect? If I'd won the $7,000 bike Dox-shots was giving away. There were some great deals on gear and ART people were there-- greatest peeps ever and there are none close to me. It was a nice expo. I got a TNT cycling jersey for $20 and some great compression socks for less than $30. I saw one t-shirt I really wanted, but didn't get as I'm on a T-shirt diet.

Should you do this race? Of course you should! It benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's newbie friendly even with it's massive size. The only part of the course that needs work is the swim and I think that's a dilemma only a logistical pro with UPS can solve.

The biggest thing I take away from the Nation's Triathlon to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is I control the spirit of quit. It does not control me. All the plans in the world are useless if I don't remain flexible enough to work around an obstacle. That most horrible, terrible, mean swim that almost made me cry was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. It wasn't easy. It took me way outside my comfort zone. It humbled my spirit and made me stronger to remember faith.

I've started my rehab training plan: lighter workouts focused on aerobic heart rate training with absolutely no running. This is terribly frustrating, but I have faith that this slow rebuilding will heal my body and make me stronger for next year.  There can be no spirit of quit, only patience, diligence, and faith. My challenges are lesser than many people I got to speak with over this weekend. To everyone who told me a story of survival or loss, you are in my prayers. Your stories inspire me to be stronger. Thank you. And GO TEAM!

Oh, and I never did get that doughnut...