Wow! I let a whole month go by without posting...the days just fly by and I have already began my racing season!The season started off great at the Wrentham Duathon in Wrentham, MA. It was a 65-degree partly cloudy morning; you couldn't ask for better conditions (not even any wind). In short, it was a great start to the season as I finished 3 minutes ahead of my target time and took 4th place in my age group. My total time was 1 hour, 5 minutes and 21 seconds for the 3 mile run, 11 mile bike, 2 mile run race.
Not only was this the first race of my season, it was a first in many other aspects. Most notably it was my first race wearing a jersey with the Asacol logo as they have kindly sponsored me for the season and will be partnering with me on a fundraising campaign to raise money for UC awareness and research (as I will discuss further in a later post). Most exciting was that a few people actually commented and asked about Asacol and UC and even one spectator had UC and also takes Asacol. I felt like I was already spreading awareness, even if it was on a small scale!
It was also my first race doing a shoe-less transition (my cycling shoes were on my bike and instead of changing shoes in transition I changed while cycling). I had not had the chance to practice this, but I decide this race would be a valuable practice opportunity so I decided to just try it. Surprisingly, it went well and I never really thought I would get into an accident (my biggest fear). I did have to adjust my shoes mid-race, but overall I probably saved time.I used a time-trial helmet for the first time as well. I do not know if it actually made a difference, but regardless, I felt fast.
Overall, it was a great race to start the season and I look forward to the racing season and, particularly, racing for Asacol.
