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Race Result

Racer: Dona Lee
Race: Outback Big Lick Triathlon
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2003
Location: Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Race Type: Triathlon - International Distance
Age Group: Female 45 - 49



Race Report:



The Outback Big Lick triathlon went on as planned despite
some concerns due to Isabel impact. It was a great day. Sunny, hot (may have gotten past 80 deg by 1 pm), low humidity, only a light breeze, water temp of 72 deg. The race was well-organized and supported: enthusiastic volunteers, well-marked, nice prizes, classy long-sleeved shirts, and steak/grilled
chicken post-race. Since it was the designated 2003 USAT Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Championship and 2003 Virginia State Triathlon Championship, there were lots of young althletes. Army beat Navy for both mens and womens teams so I imagine Navy's got something to focus on for next year. My friend was completing in her first-ever tri and won in the Athena category for both the
tri and VA championship so I think she's hooked.

I'd been considering not doing the event after falling on Aug 1st and bruising my rotator cuff. I ended up losing 3 weeks of training while it healed. But I picked up again and after no problems biking 20 miles on the Canal Path up in Cumberland, MD, figured I'd just do my best. We drove down to Blacksburg the Thursday AM that Isabel was scheduled to blow through VA. Forty-eight hrs prior to the tri, I found myself bar-hopping and then in the rain for 3 hours watching VA Tech beat Texas A&M. Wasn't exactly what I would have expected to find myself doing, but I wasn't worrying about the race.

For those wondering about the name, Big Lick was the original name for city of Roanoke. When the town was settled in the mid-1700's, there were salt licks which attracted deer, etc. near the town's original site at the heart of the Roanoke Valley and so the name.