Santa Barbara Long Distance Tri August 28th Part II

Elizabeth Sugarman writes:
It was fun representing the TT Team in Santa Barbara with Val and Andy this weekend. This race is a great reason to spend a weekend in gorgeous Santa Barbara. The TT athletes are such a special group of people and I was so glad that my parents could meet Val and Andy on their first triathlon adventure. My parents loved them and finally are beginning to understand what I love about this sport.
This is a well organized race and a challenging but manageable course. I had some tire issues before the start of the race and the bike tech went above and beyond, supporting me with that problem. He was able to fix a broken valve but continued to check the tire while I was swimming to make sure the repair held. He found a wheel from a friend's bike and had it ready to put on mine, just in case. He even checked in with me after the race. I was so grateful!!
The swim was cold and I felt exhausted by the cold water toward the end. I need to swim more! It was several miles into the bike course before I warmed up and started feeling like I could get to work. And that's when Cherie Gruenfeld passed me. I had paced with Cherie on the bike last year. She passed by me like a blur and I thought the back of her calf said 65. I raced up to her and verified that number. She was 66 this year and just as fast as ever. I worked hard to keep up with her and catch all of the positive energy she was throwing off. She is such an inspiration and says we should all come out and race in the desert next spring. You can check out Cherie and all the cool stuff she does for children and triathlon at http://www.cheriegruenfeld.com/
The run was tough and I was wishing I had done some long runs before the race so I would feel more speedy. I think more sleep and better nutrition the week before might have helped that too. But overall it was a very positive experience. I LOVED having my parents and children cheering for me. That made it the best race ever. And Sissy ran the last 150 yards with me and had a big hug for me at the finish. She and I hung out to cheer Val in and we were so glad to see her cross the finish line. What a tremendous accomplishment this was for all of us.
I definitely want to stay a few days longer next year because I did not get enough of SB. And next year, I think I will have the children do some racing on Sunday too. There is a parent/child race and an all women's race, in addition to the Sprint on Sunday. After cheering for triathletes for hours on Saturday morning, both my children were ready to get in on the action and wanted me to sign them up for Sunday. But one lesson I took from this race is that each triathlon needs special preparation and attention. I am already looking forward to next year!