Chilly Cheeks Du #2 1.21.6

Unlike last month when the high was only 17*, it was nearly 20* when ! arrived. 40 minutes later when it was time for a warm-up run it was nearly 30* and climbing. In attendance were Tanner even though he is injured. A pair of torn calves. !’m not a doctor, but if ! had a back seat ! would play one there (not w/ Tanner). With those credentials ! would recommend having them replaced w/ flubber. Micah, who usually races under the alias “James” @ least according to Karl Rove, made an appearance also. As you can see here http://www.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=4570&picture=650986#thumbs he has a little trouble keeping his tongue in his mouth. ! won’t even speculate on his wife’s opinion about that. Except to say they came in separate cars. Micah is not allowed in the sweet new mini van. He’s driving the car his grandparents gave him. They bought it used after they returned from their honeymoon. Charley didn’t make it, but his arch-nemesis Al Marvin came out to play. Al takes his recovery seriously. Even though it is only 100’ from his front porch to Wash. Park he drives to the rec. center to swim. There were another 93 competitors out there w/ us. Format for this race was 1.7 mile run, 4 mile bike, 2.75 mile run from another transition area and then a 6 mile ride back to the first transition area to rack and sprint 50 yds to the finish. Six randomly seeded waves went off in 2 minute intervals. ! was in wave D(oug!!) so ½ the field had a 2-6 minute head start on me. Most of both runs was on packed snow. The bike legs were on pavement w/ multiple ice patches. There were a few crashes, but ! missed them all. Damn. ! set a good (7:51) pace on the first run………….Now that you are done laughing, (! hope you got a hernia, so there) it was on snow and it was “good” for me. ! had difficulties getting my running shoes to stay in the jersey pockets. Tanner left transition a bit before me. ! passed him soon after toodling along gossiping. Into T2 ! did a quick change and was off running again. The second run was supposed to be 2.5 miles and Darin changed it for construction avoidance. He said it was a little shorter and got great cheers. ! would have incited a riot afterwards if ! had been able to walk and/or breath. The first 4 tenths mile of the run backtracked on the bike course before turning onto the trail. ! didn’t see Tanner. Soon after ! saw Micah from the first wave heading back. Guess where his tongue was. He flashed a “hang 10” sign @ me and then didn’t fall down like ! had hoped. About half way out Al got by me after the really fast girl passed us both. Tanner appeared after ! hit the turn-around and decided that ! was dangerously fast and anyone who tried to match my pace would probably not finish. He held back. Then the ride back around the tower loop before the sprint finish. So many of the racers came in and neatly racked their rides before the run. ! got mine in the vicinity of the rack and took off. !’m surprised she wasn’t laying on the ground. ! talked to one girl who claimed to have attempted to push Tanner up the hill. She relented and ran on alone. ! didn’t talk to her because she knew Tanner. ! talked to her because she is tall and cute. 1:12:30 for 38th this time. ! was only beaten by one girl. Micah (aka James) 1:02:53 for 10th. Al 1:06:42 for 18th and the injured Tanner 1:16:13 for 58th. The next race is Feb. 18 when it will be in the mid 50s.