2017 Racing Season

Hard to believe the winter is here and I'm already fighting the urge to sit on my butt and eat Reese's cups all the time.  Time to recap last summer and look forward to next year!

This summer I did 5 races and made it my goal to do new races I had never done before.

Akron Portage Paddle - It was the first time they had this event and it was in May.  This was a kayak race (4 miles or so) that followed the Erie Canal from Lake Nesmeth to downtown Akron. You then exited the water and carried your kayak a ways (more than half a mile but less than a mile I would estimate).  I ended up in 4th place and 1st female (I beat Nick!).

Headwaters Adventure Race -  We have been doing this race since 2011 and it is one of our highlights of the summer.  Held in July, it is a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, and 5 mile kayak.  This year I managed NOT to make a wrong turn haha.   I got 2nd place female at 1:43:20.  Nick beat me with a 1:43:14.  I can't believe how close we finished to each other!

Camp Tuscazoar Adventure Race -  This was the first year for this race, it was a 5 mile run, 5 mile kayak, and 7 mile mountain bike down in Zoar at a boyscout camp.    I have been wanting to try mountain biking for years and Nick finally let me so I could do this race.  Unfortunately it was the weekend Nick was taking Blaine to Wyoming for the solar eclipse (August) so I had to go alone to the race but I had SOOO MUCH FUN!  Probably the most fun I've ever had in a race.  I got 1st place female with a 2:40:54. 

Lakes to Ledges Adventure Race - First year I've ever done this race, but the 5th year they've had it in September.  It was at Hinckley Reservation which is a beautiful park up near Cleveland with ledges to climb on and a lake.  It started with a 3.5 mile run, then a 1.5 mile kayak, followed by a 9 mile bike.  I got 7th overall and first female with a 1:18:18.9.   Nick did awesome and got 4th overall (and won his age group) with a 1:16:19.7.

Canal Fulton Adventure Race - We have done this race every year since it began (with me sitting out the year I had Maela but Nick still participated).  It's in early October.  Normally racing as a team is the only option but this year they opened it up to solo racers.  We both went solo.  Nick got 3rd overall with a 1:11:36.72 and I got 4th overall (first female) with a 1:13:17.68.

Looking ahead: We got a new (to us) kayak!  A super fast kayak!  We are excited to give it a go in some of the races next year. 

Akron Indoor Triathlon

Nick and I met at the University of Akron and so I thought it would be super fun to do this race together!  He has never done a triathlon with swimming so he wasn't really super excited about that part.  I told him to take breaks whenever he needed to; a big advance an indoor triathlon in a pool has over an outdoor one in a lake!   I beat him on the swim, he beat me on the bike, and we tied on the run.  He did awesome!  Nick got 3rd overall and I got 15th overall (they put all men and women in one big category together).  

10 minute swim:  350 yards (Nick), 500 yards (Christy)

20 minute bike:  11.1 miles (Nick), 9.2 miles (Christy)

15 minute run:  1.85 miles (Both)

Big Girl Pants!

I really wish I had kept up this blog. I miss old "blog friends" whose blogs have disappeared over the years as mine has.  Wish we had a "blog friend" reunion to see how big everyone's kids are etc.

If you were wondering about a family update, this little spunky princess is now 16 months old!  CRAZY!  She wore undies 3 days in a row this week so far with only 1 accident.   REALLY CRAZY!  I started elimination communication at birth and honestly it really is true: girls are easier to potty train.  Love this girl sooooo much!

Twilight Triathlon

My first indoor triathlon! I want to try new things this year and do new races I've never done. This was an 8 pm race so I thought no biggie until I found out I was in wave 6, starting at 10:05 pm. Woof!  I went waaaaay too early (thought we had to be there for a 7:45 prerace meeting; turns out that was optional haha) but I learned a lot by watching the 5 heats before me.

20 min swim - 17 laps, each lap was 50 yds, for 850 yards total

20 min bike - 5.79 (whatever that means, they calculate the number from your watts and your weight)

20 min run - 22 laps or 2.75 miles

Total: 9.07

I ended up winning my age group and being the fourth overall female. I'll take it. My goal this winter is to improve my swimming so I'm going to do a masters swim class at a local Y this next session.  Pretty excited!

Don't Drop the Ball 5k

A new race this year, I signed up bc it was super cheap. Then Blaine decided he wanted to do the race too! He did a great job for his first 5k.  Too bad it was pouring rain / sleet.  Haha winter in Ohio!

3.1 miles - 23:17 for 2nd in my age group

Frosty Frolic

This race was sooooooo cold!  I had purple lips for hours afterwards. It was so pretty running in the dark through stadium park's awesome Christmas light display.

3.1 miles - 24:03

15th out of 792 females
3rd of 76 in my age group

Canal Fulton Adventure Race

partnered with Nick for a 2.3 mile run (16:45),  2.5 mile canoe (33:54),  and 4.8 mile bike (17:46).

We were first coed team but 2nd overall losing to a male - male team.