Waco Tri: Unlucky 13

Disaster. That was Waco. I got bib number 13 and wearing it upside down didn't help my luck (It's because I kept my bike number right side up). I checked into transition and the volunteer checked my brakes like is customary and then he asked if I wanted my front brakes closed. I told him no because they'll rub. Well, in the darkness of morning and the fact that he seemed to clearly understand what I meant, I didn't notice or think to check that my brakes might be rubbing...until 10K of the bike.

At that point in the race, after a swim where I threw up in the water due to swallowing a huge amount of river, I was dying. My bike average was barely more than 20mph and I was suffering. Up to then I just supposed that I was having an off day. Then I looked down at my computer and saw the brake, rubbing silently on my wheel. I opened it up and immediately went up to almost 25mph. Buoyed by this I tried to push on, but at 30K I threw up again and my legs gave out from the extra effort of the first 10K. Knowing my race was over but not wanting to withdraw, I jogged through the run, still posting the 8th fastest split and cruised to a seventh place overall finish, only 2:30 off the podium (which was all lost in that 10K).

I put in nearly twenty hours in the following week and am in the middle of another mini taper as I look to make up for the dismal performance in San Angelo at the Wool Capital Triathlon. We'll see how it goes...