Butler YMCA Aftermath

Well, now that I've had a few days to let the triathlon experience sink in (and I just got some photos from my mom), here's some impressions from the race:

The first picture of me is coming out of the water as I'm asking Beth, "I cut the swim course, didn't I?"

Next, me in T1 having a little fight with my shirt.

Me coming back in to T2 with my speedy bike and helmet. Racking the bike was kind of tough because of short racks and not being able to rack with the handlebars. I had to back it in.

Me finishing the run (I actually ended up with the 2nd fastest run time, all 8 minutes of it!!!)

Here's me just now figuring out how to use the webcam on my laptop. Pretty neat! In the background is the photo of the first pitch of the first game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh (before they offered the All-You-Can-Eat-Seats).

Training-wise, I'm just going with the flow right now. I did 12+ miles with Beth Sunday morning (that 1.3 mile run in the tri didn't wear me out that much) and a really short track workout with Beth Monday morning. The last two mornings I've been out to my high school's xc morning runs and did about 5 or 6 miles each day. They got started last week, but couldn't start because of the summer program. I'll probably be with them 3-4 times a week until two-a-days start in August.

In my softball league last night, I had one of those games where the manager says "I thought he pitched well." This has been used in MANY game reports for the woeful Pirates pitching staff (and their MLB-worst ERA). Translated it means, "There were some bright spots, BUT there were some bad spots, too."

That's how it went for me last night. No hits given up through the first two innings, but then I ran into some trouble. I gave up a two run homer in the third and a grand slam in the sixth and we lost 9-3. Oh well, I was able to mix in a few changeups and keep them off-balanced at times (which will help in the playoffs if I can consistently throw it for a strike).

So, that's about it from here. We're getting geared up for the big NYC trip that we're leaving for Friday morning. I'm taking the pooch down to my parents' house tomorrow and she'll be hanging out there for the weekend. My dad will be there, but my mom was able to work it out that she's working in NYC this week, so she'll be there for Beth's race. I was checking out some of the area around the tri course using the google maps "Streetview." That's a pretty handy tool as I now have a better feel for where the Hilton New York is, what Central Park looks like, and where our hotel in New Jersey is.

(Note to reader: I have only been to Manhattan one time on a bus with a group of PSU students for an NIT semifinal game at MSG in college, so I'm pretty unfamiliar with the territory and will gladly take any recommendations about subways, taxis, buses, driving, tunnels, and parking. This equipment manager is going to try his best with the navigation)

The next post may be from NYC, so good luck to all racing there and other places this weekend. My friend Ben is competing in the Pittsburgh Tri (it's his first Olympic) and I really admire the time and dedication he's put in and know it's going to pay off for him this weekend.