PB - Peanut Butter? Personal Best?

As a tired wife and Ben (who got his first tooth yesterday!) had already gone home, only Jake and I were left wondering whether I'd made it onto the Age Group podium or not. Jake wanted to go home too, but I managed to bribe him with a Creme soda and he agreed to stay.

The guy who won the age group division (35-39) killed it with a 1.58. I managed a 2.06 Oly distance race, and in so doing crushed all my previous records. Fastest swim (21.59), fastest bike (1.07.06), fastest run (37.10). And I got 2nd place on the podium. 3rd place was a minute behind me.

The cool thing about the picture at the top was that most of the team had left and Jake was the only one around who could take a picture from my phone's camera. Of the 20 or so snapshots he took (good numbers for a 4-year old), this one was the only one with me in it. Just barely. I was glad that I high-fived Jake & Natalie on each of the 4 x 2.5k run loops. Free speed.

Here are some of the other pics that a friend sent through:

The swim stretch is very important if you didn't get time to warm up in the water. It gets the creaks out of the shoulder blade. Note the old school wetsuit. they don't make them like they used to.
I overtook the group of swimmers behind me in the last hundred metres or so (from the red swim buoy you see behind me) by gunning it around the bull rushes. I had been nerdy and scoped out the pathway of least resistance prior to the event start.
This is the first picture of me post-race looking for Jake and Natalie. Note the John Wayne swagger. All I am missing are the six guns on my hips.
My first podium ever. I'd like to thank my wife and kids for tolerating the training, I'd like to thank Keeto for making me train harder than I ever thought possible, I'd like to thank my training buddies, especially sibling Alberto who keeps me honest (he crushed his former PB by 8 minutes with a new time of 2.21, and sub 40 10k run!) , I'd like to thank the Academy.........
Happy as Larry,
~RobbyRicc

5 comments:

  1. awesome Rob! You weren't joking when you spoke of unleashing hell out there, fantastic effort. Now for the big one... eat it, sleep it, dream it, breathe it and live it 24/7 until you've crossed that line. Wishing you all the best and we'll be rooting for you in pursuit of that PB!

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  2. Sweet Robby - congrats! Shaping up nicely for the big day

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  3. Thanks chaps, especially for the kind words. There is no time like the present to believe in the dream. I've always been risk averse in racing too fast. Time to go big me thinks, and man up. What's the worst that could happen? I've already told Natalie to meet me in the medical tent post-race ;o)

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  4. Rob
    Well done, awesome result. You must be soooo Happy.

    Just the booster you need before IM.
    Johan

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  5. Thanks Johan. I don't think I've ever stood on one of those podiums. If they had played the SA national anthem, I swear I would have cried. ;o) Can't wait for IM.

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