Holy crap its cold!!
We woke at 5.30. Got the party frock on & get to transition. First stop was to get the tent up. (The first time we did it without an argument!) On the way into transition we bump into Gaye she was very excited that I was competing! Then Stuart gave Janine a help with pumping up her tyres. He had to do mine after that then Laurens.. (We were all happy but holy crap it was cold & I had on tracksuit pants & a jumper), he was then able to go & set himself up.. I was waiting to give Bryce his goggles he finally made it over; the briefing was already happening we didn’t go over. I was finally nervous, nervous with tears! I knew I could do the distance but had never put anything together! We started to go to the swim start I managed to take the pants off but me feet were frosty. I knew I would see someone at the start to hand my jumper over to.
The warm pool of wee…………..
At the swim start Stuart said good bye & good luck & off he went for his wave, I see Vijay, Damon, Andre & Lyndal. Damon informs that I would need some Vaseline as he had been for his warm up & had heaps of stings on his arms… I give Vijay my jumper & Lyndal dives into her bag to grab the Vaseline. I start rubbing it on my arms & they mention that I would need some down the cleavage! Oh how right they were… down to the water & it was warmer in the water than out, so no warm pool of wee needed.. I stand with Donna as Lyndal moves toward the front. Donna tells me to stay put & not to start at the back. Waiting for the gun but it went off & off I go. After getting hit & swam over, I am at the side with a girl swimming right next to me & there she stayed till the end buoy. I got stung heaps on my arms but the Vaseline helped I felt a few on my neck & a couple on my fingers... (I have always avoided the water if stingers were around as I got stung badly one year at Rottnest when we went on a school excursion.) I kept going to the second buoy, I managed to get around that & then they came over me, the teams had arrived!!! I swam over to the right so it wasn’t that bad I got pushed a bit but it was Ok I thought I saw Damon in front of me just for a second…He told me later that he thought it was me also. Bryce said he saw me also. The buoys looked a long way off. I kept going till I was getting near the shore & I could hear the commentary I wanted to look behind me but was too nervous just in case I WAS last!!! I got up & arranged my party frock & ran as best I could up the beach I saw Chloe & told her she lied….. That did not go quick!
Ladies & Gentlemen, Please let me introduce you to………. Buttercup!
Ok there was no problem I found my bike (not really that hard when there isn’t many left!!).
I managed to get on my shoes & socks & grab Buttercup (Slow moving old cow!) & off we go to the mount line. On I get around the corner & grab a water to wash out with. I saw the Eclipse tent with some of the crew in it they were truly wonderful, off down the road I was surveying the damage done by the stingers, when the bollard jumped over & almost knocked me off my bike!!! Ok I rode into it! Feeling a little awkward I managed to stay in a straight line & leave all the other bollards alone! I had Stuart in my ear with drink eat drink eat stuff so I knew not to mess that part up. I was just plodding through the bike with no love for it (Buttercup & I fell out of love a few weeks back & it didn’t return!) I had a lot of people passing me one I didn’t care I just had to make it through. I was knackered from the swim. My party frock was not comfortable it kept riding up & the pants kept falling down. I thought there was going to bum crack! I rearranged my race belt so the person behind me didn’t have to suffer!!I had a noise that needed looking at. One of the stickers on the wheels had come loose & I had to pull some of it off. If I stood up there was another noise I though I was going to break my front forks! A toilet stop & out for the second lap then the third. At the turn around I just couldn’t wait to get off her, I had a headache & was about to burst, I needed the toilet…
Glue to stick it all together
I racked Buttercup. There wasn’t much space left! I got my shoes on & ran up to the toilet I did the laces up at the toilet as I had to wait. Quick pit stop & out to the run course. I ran around the corner to the first turn & the first people I saw was Tara & Mom. I was almost over & done… As I was running my party frock was just becoming annoying I was about to ask for a t-shirt to put over cause I was over trying to hold it up & down! At the next water station & two waters over my head to try & glue it all together & electrolyte then a water to drink. Yes it worked my frock was behaving I knew when the water stations were getting close cause my outfit was starting to dry out & roll up & down! But the dreaded headache was still there. I passed the tent & out on to lap two, I swapped to coke instead or electrolyte & the headache disappeared & I felt a little better.. On the first & second lap I saw most of the squad they were all going great. I by the end of the second lap they were all finished. Stu was waiting for me at the end of the second lap & said he would run with me for a while, I ran thru the tents passed our tent, the red shirts were amazing & the Crew were loud! I had tears again for more than the first time that day! I was always going to finish but I didn’t think that I would be that far behind until I got on the bike & realized that I had nothing. I got to the toilet block & he was waiting he ran with me till well after the next drink station. He stayed with me till near the turnaround I went on till the end he waited & continued to run with me till the tents I was finally finishing but well beyond the time I would have liked!
I finished, I wasn’t overly happy with myself I have so much to improve on mainly the swim...I said never ever again but I just can’t let it go now I want to do better.
I will do that next year!!!
Do you want to see my Tits?
We got back to the house finally all I cared about was getting to the shower, some of the others had theirs already.. I get in & peel off the party frock. I could feel stuff all day but needed to have a look... I pulled off my top & some stingers that now just looked liked a gel glue thing. OMG my tits have been savagely raped by stingers! (They got in but couldn’t get out!) I had my shower then showed most people in the house the stinger wounds I had to laugh about it. They now feel just like burns!
I would like to thank all of the Eclipse Crew racing & not racing for the support(see you back next year Tara)
I had sunnies on but had tears every time I went through the tents & I looked forward to you guys being there..
It wasn’t the day I had imagined or wanted but having everyone to cheer me on was the best.
The support on the course from the squad was also amazing, you guys are loud!
Thank you for everything all of you!
