Pickerel Lake Triathlon 2010

On Saturday I had the opportunity to compete in the sixth annual Pickerel Lake Triathlon.  After whetting my appetite last year with my first ever PLT, I was eager to try another.  Organized by Jason and Randy and company, this is a triathlon where everyone knows each other, there are no entry fees, the course is slightly adventurous, and when you finish, Uncle Marv hands you a t-shirt.  I did very little training this year, especially with regard to running, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  My goals were to (a) not get a speeding ticket on the way there (like last year), (b) not accidentally start the race from the bathroom (like last year), and (c) finish strong.  As luck would have it, I achieved all three.

The weather was great, and the water was just the right temperature for swimming.

Despite veering off course several times during the 1/3 mile swim, I was out of the water in a respectable 12:00.

After that, it was transition time and off on the 9.5 mile biking leg, which I finished in 39:58. I had a good solid bike ride, except for the home stretch, where I accidentally took the wrong road, costing me several minutes of carrying my bike back and forth through the woods. The 5.5 miles of running was much tougher, since I was both tired and not well trained. The highlight of the run was the aid station where Sarah and Emily cheered me on, and Emily ran at me yelling "Daddy!".  After that, I tried to just keep moving until the end, and finished the run in 46:33, a pace of 8:28 min/mile.  I finished 7th overall, with a time of 1:38:31, a mere 5 seconds faster than last year.  If nothing else, I am consistent. My three clear areas for improvement this year were (1) deviating from a straight line during the swim, (2) a wrong turn on the bike course, and (3) a slow run.

After everyone had completed the triathlon, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with friends.  We went out on the motorboat with Jason, Melissa, and Esther.  Emily loved it, although she was a bit nervous at first.

Emily loved playing in the sand even more than the boat.  She especially liked playing with Esther.

They ran around together like they were sisters.

Emily also discovered the Elenbaas's jumbo dog, which is almost as fun on land as it is at sea.

It was a fun day, and a great way to celebrate the independence day weekend.