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Race Result

Racer: Amanda Shuman
Race: Charlottesville Sprint Triathlon
Date: Sunday, June 19, 2005
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Race Type: Triathlon - Sprint
Age Group: Female 20 - 24
Time: 1:30:09
Overall Place: 29 / 275
Age Group Place: 2 / 113
Comment: What it's like to be FOP, even if for only one race!



Race Report:



Swim (.3 miles in 78degree lake water): 11:40
Bike (15.5miles, mostly hilly): 54:18
Run (5k trail run, fun off road adventure): 24:13
Overall time: 1:30:09

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Preface:
I've never done a sprint triathlon before, nor have I ever done a low-key triathlon of any sort. (My first tri ever was the Lifetime fitness tri in minnesota covered by nbc - you know, the one where Simon Whitfield and Barb Lindquist show up to make the money that will last them the rest of the year.)

Anyways, I signed up for this tri because I wanted to add something else to my schedule before heading off to China...so, this was a last minute sort of thing.

Race:
I drove down to c'ville Sunday morning and was bored to tears, but glad there was virtually no traffic. Made it to race site around 6:45 and checked the water - warmer than the GMU comp pool! No wetsuit needed.

Race start:
I felt very relaxed as I slipped in the loose mud and fell into the water. All the 29 and under girls going at once; someone said "gross, mud!" so I told everyone my dead fish saga from Columbia, that brought some groans and laughter :) And we're off!

Swim: 11:40
Felt fine. Water was perfect, my stroke was... well it still sucks, but at least I felt comfortable and didn't swallow too much water. And only 1/3 of a mile, yay!

T1: Ran by at least 3 people as I was exiting the water. Why were people walking already? Very quick at T1, I felt great. Ditched my watch. Who cares what time I finish in? It's more fun when you don't know how you're doing...

Bike: 54:18
Passed a lot of people. In fact, no one passed me. I felt very strong and pushed past a lot of people. In the first 10 minutes or so I passed a lot of people. This never happens in longer events... about 10 miles into the bike, I passed this guy who said "you got two ahead of you". Two what? Women? Only two?! Eh?

Passed another girl soon thereafter. Didn't see any other women in the last 5 miles... is this possible??

T2: As I slow my bike near the final turn into the park a volunteer cheers wildly, and I pull into the second transition and hop off my bike running, more people cheer "let her through!" I hear people yelling "keep it up 94! 2nd lady!" what's this?! I pull my sneakers on and race belt on in what must be < 30 seconds and I'm out again - to more cheers and people shouting at me - I still feel terrific.

Run:
First water stop is soon after, I pass by a girl clapping and some guy asks her a question, she responds to him and then turns back to me "by the way, you're the second woman!" No way. This is too unbelievable. I pick up the pace. This is a trail run, and I'm glad I did that 10 mile off road trail run two weeks ago because I'm super confident I can something 7 miles less a lot faster. I see a RATs jersey up ahead... as I pass I say "You Brad?" "Yep" "I'm Amanda, you know from the listserv" "Hey Amanda" and I keep going. Several men let me pass and shout at me to keep it up and catch the other girl, one guy paces me for about 1.5 miles yelling at me to keep going fast, that helped a lot.

I get out of the woods and there's the finish! People are shouting and cheering again, I kick it up and sprint the last couple hundred yards to the finish. DONE! :)

Overall:
I saw Brad Payne again at the end, apparently he was the guy I was chatting with in the water before the start of the race. Nice to see at least one other RAT out there, and with family in tow :)

Got a gift certificate and some nutrition supplement as my 2nd place overall prize; it was very cool being recognized and having people come up and congratulating me afterwards... :)

So, the competition may not have been stiff in C'ville but it was still incredibly awesome to be FOP, at least for one race, I mean this may never happen to me ever again... especially if I keep doing things like Eagleman and Columbia!!!

Next race: DITR!

Amanda