2006 Gulf Man Festival in Galveston

More like a impromptu practice tri than a real race....I think I was the only one that had not heard the news, of how therace was given up by one race director and picked up by another, justweeks before the event. There was somewhere in the realm of 50 peoplethat did not show because they heard it was going to be a TOTALCLUSTER.The day before the race nobody knew1. how many laps around the lagoon we would have to do. It looked likea mile, with the bouys, but we heard it was 2 laps around. We were scared.2. where the race dinner was. We ended up at some bar that didn't evenserve food. Wrong advice or a bad April Fool's joke.3. How the transistions were going to work. We had to place our bikeat T2 with the expectation of riding our bikes, the next morning, withall of our wetsuits, goggles, helmet, sunglasses, race number, shoes,to T1, 2 miles away. (I didn't bring a bag so had to use a trashbag). swim/runDay of raceThey are running behind. I ask the race director (THE DIRECTOR) howmany laps around the lagoon. He still doesn't know. I don't find out till I am about to enter the water that it is 1 lap. whew!We ride our bikes, me with my trashbag, everyone else with duffles,trashbags, semi-suitcases...whatever they could find to stuff theircrap in, to T1. I stuff myself into my wetsuit while they are sendingthe 1/2 group off on the swim. We are running about 30 minutes late.(which you think is no big deal but you have to realize the longer youwait to start the hotter you can guarantee the finish to be)I notice that the 1/2 group is struggling to swim the first 50 metersbecause the water is so shallow. So, when I get in and the horn goes to bike transitionoff, I run the first 50 meters. Let me just say I was almost in firstplace when I finally started swimming. I have never almost been infirst place in any swim. (of course it didn't last long) It was funnyto be running alongside the chick who was swimming out front. The swim went great. (Thanks Ryan and Lauren).Got out of the water, stripped down to my tri-suit, shoved everythingback into the bag and took off on the bike. Crappy thing bout thisrace is they add the transisiton times to the swim and run so I won'treally know how I did on my swim.The bike was great. The wind was more from the side, so I never got ahead or tailwind and the roads were smooth and flat. The only thing ofnote was the turn around. We had to ride off the road, onto Beach runkinda-sorta sand, under a bridge, where there was standing water, andthen back onto the road. My back tire slid out twice. I keptrepeating..."don't fall little bike...don't fall little bike".Got off the bike feeling great and took off on the run. That is when Ifound out, for the first time, it was a beach run. Beach runs are onlyromantic and cool in books. In reality, the sand is too soft for goodpurchase, there are sandcastles and children building sandcastles, tododge and holes (dug by those same kids) to jump over. Oh...and therewas no water. They had water stops ever 1.8 miles. That aint much on ahot beach. We did run off the beach, through the RV park and then backonto the beach. There was one waterstop the whole time. I looked at mywatch and it was sitting at 12 minutes, when I hit the first waterstop. I asked one of the volunteers what mile he was and I gotback..."oh 3 or 4". Wow! I was flying! (yeah right)Heading back to the beach, one kid had told me to go over the bridgeand take a left (or was it a right). I run up to this girl, who isgoing in the opposite direction, and ask her....have you seen anyrunners going this way. She assured me that, "yes, she had". I tookoff again. At minute 22 I see the finish line and I am thinking...okwe run past it and up the beach and then will turn back around. Thisguy is waving to me....Your done! Your done! I run up to him and stopand tell him, "I can't be done...I missed a turn"! I am so upset. Hethen informs me that they decided to turn it into a 5k. ughI finish and then use all of my mental will power to turn around andgo do the loop, again, so that I get the right distances for mytraining tri. (Ruth...I hope you are proud of me for that)I spend the next 5k playing Santa Clause and telling all the tiredpeople that, instead of a 10k, they are only having to run a 5k. Ihave never been the cause of so much happiness.There was hardly any water at the finish and a few bananas andoranges. I want everyone to say thanks for the many well run tris,here in Austin, that we might take for granted (and the beers, andbands and hoopla that can make em so much fun)Results were posted a month later and they were iffy at best. I won 2nd woman overall and was told I would receive my medal in the mail. I'm still waiting.