Two Races in 7 days... The first one - an Olympic distance tri in Michigan!

Last weekend I went out to Chicago to see 'the girls' - all of who I have raced with in Ironman distance races and we all have type 1 diabetes.....

 

The race we signed up for is the Michigan Titanium.  The race is unique.  It has olympic, half iron and full iron distance races.   Plus half and full aquabikes (a triathlon minus the run) and full and half distance relays (full distance relays are rare).  We all were doing something different.   Nancy was doing the half distance race by herself.   Kathleen was doing the half distance relay with a TriMonster and Gillian was doing the full distance aquabike.

The day started as race days usually do for us  (but didn't end the usual way...).... prepping for the next day with dinner with the TriMonsters and then organzing race 'stuff'. 





Then an early shuttle ride to the race....

 Racking the bike and checking out the water.....

 

Then a photo of the racers we can locate before the first wave of swimmers -   

Watching the last wave of swimmers go into the water before my race!

 Then I swam, ran and biked..... and FINISHED!

 

As I entered the finish chute at the end of my run the announcer said 'We are stopping the race due to lightning.   All athletes must stop.   We will hold the race for 30 minutes and hope to get going again after that.   If weather is still a problem we will hold the race for another 30 minutes.    If it still isn't safe we will cancel the race.'

I thought I needed to stop but the finish line was just too close so I ran through and got my medal!

And then we waited an hour.....

 

 and they canceled the race.   I was the last Olympic distance finisher and next to last finisher overall.

 We all had a great time and I would do this race again!   A drive back to Chicago the next day revealed the skyline so I snapped a quick photo before lunch and a plane ride home....    to race in Boulder 6 days later in another triathlon.