Downtown Auburn---it used to be the Capital of California and was the place to be during the Gold Rush.
$79 for a great hotel, love the smaller races!
Rattlesnake Bar---where the swim took place, picture does not do it justice.
American River Canyon, beautiful views during the run. A little known trail race, the Western States 100, finishes here.
The run, that's not me, I took a picture off the website. You get the idea.
I won the race despite losing 3-4 minutes running off course. I checked out the swim and bike course the evening before but apparently I should I have taken a look at the run course as well. No big deal, a little bit of extra credit running. I will tell you that it was absolutely FREEZING! I got in the car to park and then ride to transition and it was 37 degrees. On top of that, it was 7 miles downhill to the swim start. I had gloves but my hands were ice by the time I got to transition. I went for a run to warm up. The water was a balmy 64 degrees and it felt really good since Oceanside and Alcatraz were in the 50s. I wore my arm warmers under my wetsuit hoping it would help me out on the bike. The bike is uphill for the first 13 miles so I was a little warmer than freezing but any downhills were pure agony. I had to sit up and hang on instead of staying in aero because I shaking so much. I am someone who gets cold in 80 degree pools so you can only imagine how I was feeling. I was finding myself praying for big uphills and there were quite a few so that was great I was not going as fast. The last 5 miles into transition were a gradual downhill and I could not wait to get off the bike. I started my 7k (which I made about 8Ks) run and warmed up a bit while enjoying the trails and beautiful scenery. The end of the race culminated with a 1.25 mile climb up to the finish. The race had two separate transitions so I had to wait for my bag with my coat in it to arrive from T1. Luckily a very nice volunteer, Joan, loaned me her fleece because she noticed I was shivering and blue. I was so grateful. I stuck around, collected my award---a bottle of Mandarin orange Olive Oil---and then headed to breakfast.
Yummy, ollaberry french toast with bananas. The ollaberry is a raspberry/blackberry type fruit and tastes slightly tart. I drove the 75 miles back home, rested and then headed out for a 30 mile ride. Yep, race in the morning, another ride in the afternoon. I felt a little yucky at first but ended the ride feeling better than when I started and I feel a ton better today. I am so excited for Andy to arrive on Saturday and then we head to Hawaii on June 1. I would also like to add I am excited for a race that is going to be HOT! If anybody hears me say that it is too hot in Hawaii you can slap me. I am going to embrace the heat and humidity. That being said, I apologize to anybody doing the race in advance because I know that me wishing for heat and humidity will render this year's race the hottest on record---Murphy's Law and all.
See you next year Auburn...the only change I would make is that it be 80 degrees and not 40.
no, auburn is really, really, reallllly hard when it's hot out.
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