Spinning my wheels ...

Ok, ok I know the suspense is killing you.

A little back ground on the whole bike section, I'm using my dads old specialized crossroads w/ thin tires. Which is a hybrid between a mountain bike and a road bike. I chose to ride this to truly appreciate the speed and performance of a road bike later on in my racing career.

9:15 am, As I head out of the transition area, a guy stops me, because I forgot to fasten my helmet which definitely slows me down. The volunteers do a great job in making sure every racer competes safely. As I make the climb to the road I shift my gears down a notch and spin to the top. I had ridden this course a couple of time and knew what to expect as far as curves and hills. As I reach the road there is a straight away where I am able to grab a sip of fuel comfortably situated in my water bottle holster. I wish there was a way to refuel without letting go of the handle bars, because I have to sit up and reach for a drink or a cliff shot while trying to balance and ride at the same time.

So this was the toughest segment for me, faster more lighter road bikes flying by with ease. It felt like I was using more energy than everyone else and breathing harder. To say the least it was a little discouraging, but along the way as one of the veterans pass's me he says "Good job TBF, keep going" that was kind of nice to hear and even though I had "Don't Stop" running through my mind as my legs felt the burn. I finish the first loop and on the straight away I pull of a cliff shot for energy that I had taped to my handle bars,I make the turn around the cones and head back out for the second loop.

I completed the 14 mile double loop in about 50 min. and ride into the transition area, rack my bike and swing my number around. Throw off my gloves and pull my helmet off. As I jump off my bike like a gazelle and head for the running entrance ....

4b continued .....