Our Races - April to July 2006

Adventure Xtreme - Frisco, Breckenridge, and everywhere in between.  22 July 06. "Kayaking" (in blow-up duckies), running, orienteering, trekking, and mountain biking between 8,500 and 12,500.  Where'd they put all the air??

Billed as a 12-hour race, this started at 0600 (6am) on Saturday morning.  I was wondering about my sanity - that I'd not only drive 10 hours to get here and get up at 0430 on a Saturday, but I'd spend siginficant amounts of money to do it!! Of course once we're out on the water, or deep in the woods, slapping mosquitos, I realize why we do these.  Not only are we surrounded by unusual beauty, but we're digging deeper inside ourselves than we would any other time...

I can barely run, smothered by my life preserver and carrying my paddles in my pack - and Sandi's taking pictures while running and SMILING! We hike up toward the Ten Mile Range peaks in an old avalanche chute.  I wonder if this is the one I hiked years ago just after it slid...

I told him that transitions can make or break your race - you can gain or lose many long minutes in just one transition...  So he cons a spectator into taking our picture in the first transition.  I'm sorry, I don't remember asking God to teach me patience! It's important in long races to pace yourself and take breaks if necessary.  Or maybe we were just dying of lack of oxygen and needed to stop to fully enjoy the views!

"What is that thing?" "A  marmot." "I've never seen a marmot except on the tag of your sweatpants!" Now I know Sandi's been looking at my butt too much - that's a tiny tag that says "Marmot"! At any rate, it was a much-needed diversion on our second trip up to 12,460.  Ever the gentleman, he ended up carrying my pack as well as his own.

Bottomless Lakes Triathlon - Roswell, NM 8 July 2006.

Sandi started 10 minutes before me, so I could get pictures of him at the start...but never knew if he was going faster or slower than me.  Of course I'm only racing other girls in my age-group, but between us fighter pilots,

competition will never be totally absent :) Since he started before me, he finished before me.  I was 3rd woman overall, and he was fifth in his agegroup.  Once the times were posted online, we discovered I'd beaten him by just a couple minutes.  I'm enjoying that for now - because it won't be long until that's no longer true...men! He's #40 - his age - and diving in as everyone else starts their watches.

Buffalo Springs Lake Half Ironman Triathlon - Lubbock, TX.  25 Jun 06.  Tri-raider Spint Triathlon - same place and date.  This was Sandi's first triathlon, but it started after everyone in the half ironman was done (including me), and finished before anyone in the half was off the bike, so he got pictures of me...but I couldn't return the favor.

Francis Stevens Triathlon - White Sands Military Range.  10 Jun 06.

My parents were there, which gave me the extra kick I needed to come in first overall for the women.  My parents ended up handing out water on the run, and Sandi yelled at me that I missed a lap, so I could swim another after I thought I was done - so it was definitely a group effort! Sandi and I both race in our FCA Endurance jerseys and people comment on them, which is pretty neat.  Apparently we stand out pretty well in matching obnoxiously yellow jerseys.  On the back they have

Romans 15:5-6 and "Why do you race?" which I'm still not sure how I'd answer, but it's good to consider.  See the link on our "links" page.

Rail to Trails race - Cloudcroft, NM - 2 Jun 06.  We had arrived back from Korea the day before, and done a full day of work before coming home.  But we were still up in Cloudcroft bright and early for the 8-mile race with about 2,000 feet of downhill, then back uphill.  We ran together until the hill that started above 7,000 feet of elevation, where Donna left Sandi behind.  We finished within minutes of each other, but the goal of finishing a race together was born.  We were invited to lunch at a friend's house afterward, where there was a trampline.  The gynmast in Donna excaped for a bit...

Buffman and Squeaky Triathlon - Lubbock, TX.  21 May 06. I ran into some Air Force friends who caught me in action.  Though we'd been marreid nearly 2 months, Sandi was still in Korea...

Stealth Duathlon - Holloman AFB, NM.  15 Mar 06. My mountain neighbor was photographing some friends and caught me in the process.  It was probably the windiest race I've ever done!

(Above)  I'm leaning back, trying to make my back into a sail to catch the immense tail-wind.  (Far Right)  I had to take of the yellow wind-breaker because it was causing so much drag. The only windier race I've ever done, they deleted the bike section and made it a run-swim - and even running was hard!

And first but not least... Hi Altitude Classic Mountain Bike Race - Cloudcroft, NM - 28 April 06

Unfortunately I have no picture from the year before when the race started in the SNOW, and finished in the rain.  The directors cut it in half, but the bike was still trashed by sticky mud.  The uphill along the forest road was a small river that year.  At least there was sun this year!

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