@openoptionskc Shawnee Mission Triathlon Race Recap - 7/12/15

So at the last minute, I won a free entry to a race!

As I was on vacation with the family, I randomly entered a Facebook drawing for entry into a local triathlon, knowing it was the day after we got back and figured it was a long shot to win.  Wouldn't you know it, I won the free entry!

I'm all about free race entry!  Thanks to Open Options of Kansas City (http://openoptionskc.org/) for sponsoring the event and giving a random entry into the Open Options Shawnee Mission Triathlon!

A little bit about Open Options:

Our Mission
At Open Options UCP, we are guided by our mission to support people to realize their full potential.

Our Vision
We seek to become the premier provider of supports and services for people with disabilities, signifying quality, innovation, and person-centered principles. We are committed to ensuring the sustainability and growth of our organization and are driven by a ceaseless desire to improve. The people we employ will be engaged, dedicated, and invested in our mission.

Our Values
Every day we are given the amazing opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. We are a catalyst for growth, supporting others to see and pursue the many opportunities and options a meaningful life presents, and contributing to the happiness of those around us. The people we serve are our priority and the people we employ are our greatest resource. Our interactions are guided by three core values:

• Demonstrating an unselfish concern for the well-being and happiness of others
• Being open, authentic, and truthful
• Respecting the dignity of every person and every role

But I am "injured"

Lately I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis, and anyone that has had a case flare up, it sucks.  It started the weekend we left for vacation after a long run and got worse as I tried to work out over vacation.  I shifted to spin bike, weights and elliptical to let it rest, but the damage has been done.

So, the last thing I wanted to do was run a race with IM Boulder coming up and in serious need of recovery.

That's when I sent the call out to my local group of tri peeps and found a ringer, I mean runner, for a relay team!  I swam and biked, and my pub crawling, potato-ole eating friend ran.  Problem solved.

It was ugly

The swim was ugly from the start as I went out too hard and it was the worst swim ever at this event.  I have been spotty in my swim training over the past month and coming off vacation with no swimming, it showed.  Unfortunately I'm not the type that can take time off and show up and kill it.

I had to gingerly walk the 0.10 miles to my bike on a paved parking lot since there was no running going to happen with my foot.

After mounting the bike, I produced the worst bike split ever for this race as well.

And then it turned around

My runner busted out the 4.5 mile in sub 7 minutes and propelled us to the 3rd best long course team out of 10 teams.  We actually got some hardware out of the day which made me feel a little better about my crap times.

I would like to think I contributed to the results, but in actuality it was all due to my runner.  If he can bail me out like that again, potato-ole's on me!

SWIM 1000 METERS : 21:17
T1 : 3:16
BIKE 18 MILES : 57:57
T2 : 0:33
RELAY RUNNER 4.5 MILES : 31:00
TOTAL TIME : 1:54:02
3 of 10 LONG COURSE TEAMS

Thanks again to Open Options and Johnson County Rec for the free entry!  If anything it was great to get an open water swim in and try and bust my butt on the bike for an hour.