TRI-Anasaurous Rex Attack! AKA Rev3 Knoxville Race Report

Shakin' in you boots, aren't ya?

That's what I thought......in fact, that is EXACTLY the reaction we were going for with our ferocious team name for our half iron relay!

So this weekend, Sparkles, George and I hopped in the car to head up to Knoxville for the Rev3 Race. George was planning to race the half, and Sparkles, Jill, and I had plans to dominate the relay division.

We drove up to my parents house to hang out with my awesome family, and steal food.

Here is my little sister's cat. Yes, that is a lion cut.

After our overnight relaxing at my parents, we got up, and headed north to Knoxville!

We headed up to the race site for check in, practice swim, and such.

I got my awesome new kit!

Got my bike all checked in! Pepper has her own name tag with our awesome team name on it!

Since we were doing so many things with my team, we had dinner with George's team from All3 Sports at a yummy place called Oodles. Honestly--I was really impressed with what a cool town Knoxville is!

After dinner, we headed back to the Holiday Inn. It was right by the finish, which was SO convenient! Then Sparkles, George, and I laid around feeling really full from dinner and getting tatted up for the race. George showing his guns off.

The next morning, Jill, Sparkles, and I met in the parking garage/transition! Then, we sent off George and Jill to the swim! 

While Jill was swimming, I had time to make sure my nutrition was right, and to get really nervous! Sparkles and I got to play with her awesome kids, and have a picnic breakfast. Right before my leg of the race, I had about half of a cookies and cream powerbar. I am kind of obsessed with these. I mean....I might have a problem. Sometimes, I think that getting to eat one of these is the only thing that gets me on my bike! Just posting this picture makes my mouth water.

Ok ok--I'll move on with the race report!

Jill came out in an excellent 37 minute (with a long run up to transition!). I struggled to pull of the timing chip because I was excited!

Then, I hopped on my bike and was gone. This course is legit. There are a couple of climbs, twisty descents, relentless rollers, and then back to the climbs again. I am SO glad that I have been climbing. And watching my food intake (except cookies and cream powerbars--move ON kacie). And keeping my climbing attitude good.

This was the first race I have ever done entirely on my bike. I was really nervous that I would not give it enough. My big fea in this race was holding back too much. I have always ridden knowing I had to run. 

George gave me some advice going into the race:

1. Push over all of the hills. You don't have to run.

2. Keep power on the pedals all the time. Particularly when it would be easy to coast. A little power in the pedals with speed up those "would be coasting times."

3. Turn yourself inside out in the last 6 miles.

The first half was hard. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hold on to the pace. Then from about 30-45, I was having a BLAST. I mean, I was grinning like a mad woman. I was just So happy to be on my bike, and I was working hard, moving fast, and enjoying every hill.

For nutrition, I took a powergel at 30 minute, 1 hour, 1.5 hours, 2 hours, and a last one at 2:15. I alternate between raspberry cream and kona punch. Both are YUMMY. I love how thin they are that they just slide down and I don't have to think about it. 

 and 

I started to really push on those last climbs, or as Jill called them "baby gaps" coming back into the city.

The final stretch had lots of turns in it and a couple of serious punchy hills. My dream time was 2:45, and I came in at 2:44:40!!!! SO SO SO happy with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I actually surprised Sparkles a little bit, since I told her that 2:45 was my reach time. Sparkles has quite literally been a dancing machine lately, and warned us that her half marathon would be slow. She looked great when she took off, but it was hot. She told me to expect her around 2:45. I told her to have FUN!

In the meantime, I went to cheer for George's finish. It was SOOO exciting. George was the first guy across the line. I completely lost my voice screaming for him! 

He crossed the line and told me that there was a guy behind him that was one wave behind. So we watched the clock. And waited. And then the guy came across 2:30 later, so George took second OVERALL (in his second ever half ironman, having learned to swim less than a year ago!). SOOOOO proud of him!

George took home some really amazing winnings! I am still so proud of him! 4:33 with hills and heat!?! We'll take it!

As I was walking to get my bike, expecting to have about 30 more minutes until Sparkles comes up, what do I see? A streak of fast cuteness fly by me! Sparkles came in in 2:22!!!!! Yeah she did!!!! I am just SO proud of everyone this weekend!

We got our cool finishers medals:

And then, we got our awards! We were announced 3rd, but since they corrected the results, it looks like we might have actually won the relay division :-) Still waiting for final confirmation though.....

One way or another, we are all really proud of our results. We also took home some of the Powerbar Recovery Bars, which look dangerously good. 

As a team, we are totally going for a return performance. The TRI-anasaurous Rexes will be ROARING again in Quassy in 4 weeks! I am trying to convince the team to race both races ;-)

Sadly, after the event, we had to head on home....

On the way back, we stopped at a gas station, because George said that he would get second overall in a 70.3 for a Klondike Bar. ;-)