I've been hearing about this race for a long time. Ken has been a regular there and until yesterday I'd only attended a spectator. I honestly didn't think I'd ever do the race. I own a mountain bike, which I'd used very infrequently. I like the road. I feel comfortable there. I know what to expect. Add in rocks roots, and sand and I'm intimidated. I don't know what made me finally decide to get on my mountain bike, but I'm sure glad I did.

When I arrived at the Winding Trails Demo Day, with my mountain bike, I was welcomed by lots of HEAT members and CIGNA friends. Their support and encouragement made me smile. That night, I pre-rode the course with Ken and it went OK. I rode the course in sneakers, but wanted to show up on race day with the proper gear, so I bought SPD pedals and mountain biking shoes. I know the rule about nothing new on race day, so we went out to the course with my new gear and previewed the course again. It went even better the second time through and my comfort with the course increased.

The weather that night was perfect for racing. Happy Summer Solstice! Without even knowing how it would go, I signed up for a mini-pass of 5 races. Down at the water, I watched the first three waves take off. Ken was probably a mile into the bike ride before I even started the swim. I had a great swim. Early into the swim I got some empty, clear water and cruised through the swim. Running up the beach and down the long dirt road to the transition area, I barely noticed the rocks. No big deal running this barefoot.

Up next was the tough part. From pre-riding the course,  I felt there were 5 "hard" parts to get through. After I successfully navigated each one, I smiled, but wouldn't let myself get too excited. I needed to make it to T2. It helped having someone in front of me. There are so many turns out there, but they are all very well marked. The nice thing about being in the last wave was there weren't too many riders around me.  One of my concerns was having people pass me and my bike handling skills and holding my line. Most parts of the trail were wide enough for two riders, so passing didn't present any problems. During the last mile, I found I paid a little less attention to finding the best line through the rocks and routes and got bounced around a lot. Soon I was at the section of the trail where the run and bike join together. As I made the turn to ride up the grass and onto the dirt road that leads to transition, I heard a friend cheer "Go HEAT", then realize it was me on a fat tire bike.  That and my near completion of the bike, made me smile. The bike was quickly racked and running shoes were thrown on and I was off onto the run.

The trails were very wide on this rolling course, with minimal rocks and routes.  Earlier in the day, I received a wonderful massage with the intent to prepare me for my upcoming race on Saturday (the North Country Triathlon in Hague, NY).  I felt like I was running so tall. I had legs, but I wisely decided that I needed to hold steady. Saturday is the day to chase down opponents.  Once again, I got to the spot where the bike and run meet up and I smiled. I was so close to the finish line of my first off-road triathlon. As I turned up the dirt road, I saw Ken cheering excitedly for me.  A little kick into the finish and I did it! And yes, I will be back for more next week, looking to improve on my 1:06 finishing time. Before I left I thanked Sharon for directing this awesome, friendly, event.