I was the runner in the triathlon relay team this morning. The team consists of three pediatricians--myself included.
Since it was the second year that I was participating, I knew when to get there and where to wait for my teammate. The team also did much better this year. We don't have the official result yet, but the person before me arrived much earlier than last year. I am in much better shape this year, since I am already training for a half-marathon later this month. I also have the advantage of knowing the course well so I was expecting the big hills that were up ahead.
I ran all the way through, including the 40 degree incline that stopped a lot of runners cold. I flew past many runner when I was going downhill, and I knew when to start sprinting and give it all I got.
After I finished, I had some snacks at the Kaiser ESPN VIP area. The assistant medical director also did the triathlon by himself. In fact, when I ran past him, I didn't see him at all because I was so focused. Despite his effort at getting my attention, I kept running.
I found out that the LA Convention Center was hosting the
World Cyber Game tournament. Too bad that I only had three bucks on me for the rail fare. Otherwise, I would have spent the ten dollar admission and watched the Counter-Strike championship tournament live.
On the way back, all the people on the bus were asking me about the race and how I did. I felt like a mini-celebrity for a while.