tsali challenge

this weekend i finally raced in the NOC's Tsali Challenge, an off-road triathlon held near bryson city, nc. the race, a 4mi paddle, 5mi trail run, and 12mi mtn bike, is a solo event on saturday, then can be done as a relay on sunday (although we didn't stay for this).

i took off work early friday to beat traffic a bit, arriving at nantahala village around 7. i grabbed a quick run to get the blood moving after sitting in the car, then ate some dinner on the back porch of the cabin next door while the sun set. dan, jim, carol & ted arrived around 10 and we hit the sack not long after.

saturday morning we arrived an hour before the start and set up. women and both masters divisions started at 9am (guys started at 1pm). boats were given a handicap based on their width & length. the boat dan borrowed from the simrils for us, dubbed "The Potato" by carol, was considered one of the slowest and started in the first of 7 waves of boats. we all lined up in a cove on fontana lake and the race began. i think 5 boats started in my wave and i led the way for awhile. it was pretty cool paddling through the morning mist with no one ahead, although i didn't know exactly where i was going. i yelled back to the guy behind me and he said he didn't know either. as we were getting up to the island that signaled the turnaround, 2 guys in canoes passed me, so i got to play follower finally. after circling the island, i think my arms started to get a little tired, as i had a bit of trouble keeping the boat straight. it seemed to want to veer right. it could be the boat, or just poor form (likely since i'm not exactly an experienced paddler). i had to dig in with my left blade a few times to straighten course, causing me to lose a few positions i think. overall i was pretty happy with my paddle though, as not too many women passed me.

as i got to the take out, volunteers were there to help with my exit. dan handed me a bottle of amino vital, then i headed up the steep access trail to the trail run portion. there were 2 short very steep climbs at the start that i walked to get blood flowing to my legs again (the paddle to run transition is a tough one!) i slowly got into my groove and had a solid run (i checked my pace afterwards; it was listed at 8:37min/mile, which for me i think was fab). i passed a few women at the start and had a few speed demons pass me (including monica and my mtn bike friend kate who is just getting hooked on adv race type events).

i came off the run feeling great and transitioned to the final leg, biking. this was the leg i thought might be my weakest. i had only ridden the left loop once before and knew of a few spots that would trip me up. i passed one girl early on and played yo yo with a few guys. then came some rocky areas on the trail with a steep drop down to the lake. as expected, i tensed up and got off to walk. sadly though there were people close behind that i'm sure weren't too happy with me then. 'course i wasn't too happy with myself either, as i know i should be able to get through these areas fine. with the rough areas behind me, the rest of my ride went great until i hit the wall at the bridge crossing. not a literal wall, but the figurative one... my energy level totally dropped. i sucked down a gel and walked a hill for some fresh muscle efforts and felt better soon. i had also felt my right calf tense up a few times and was worried it would seize into cramps. (luckily it never did.) i was happy to see some volunteers staffed at the base of a hill, saying there were about 2 miles left. i hoped that was true and peddled on. unfortunately one girl passed me halfway up, but that was it. soon i hit the gravel road that would take me to the finish and i let it fly (funny how during a race, i go a ton faster/harder than i normally ride. i'm convinced if i race more, i'll try more things while under the influence of adrenaline, and thus become a better biker. now to find the money for this training process!)

i finished feeling strong, thanks to the fact the finish was at the bottom of a hill. i was happy to be there and overall don't know if i could have gone much faster (maybe a 5min gain if i had done just a bit better on the bike). i was happy with my efforts and pretty psyched to finish 9th overall in the women's open division... not too far behind some incredible athletes i look up to, and in front of others that i greatly respect.

Sadly I dunked my digital camera in the water helping some guy get in his boat (their race started after ours ended), so I might not have new pictures up for awhile (as it seems to have died).