Brendo had managed to score us some awesome digs for the weekend (thanks Mark's parents!) so we were only a 10 minute walk from the Start/Finish. Of course, this didn't stop us leaving it a little too fine and having to rush to the transition and hastily stash our stuff before heading for the start...
The swim was glorious! Nice and flat, with just a healthy dash of two-stroke at the second buoy. Honestly, it was so good that Cory only retched twice for the whole 400m! Brendo donned the wetsuit, whereas Pauly and Cory were Team Orca in their matching TriSuits. Paul was still feeling very self-conscious being dressed in it, but after the race all that was swept aside when he realised how good they are.
Paul's other (no so) secret weapon was his new italian-bling bike. It looked the goods, as did he on it! As usual, this supposedly-flat route had enough undulations to sort the sheep from the goats, although everyone suffered from the narrow road and heaps of juniors to avoid (their wave was before ours).
After the final transition it was to the run, again over a few hills. Cory favoured the grass to spare his knee and it worked - he managed to complete a whole tri without having to stop with knee soreness.
The crew were waiting down by the finish lane so they could spy each of the runners coming home down the hill before the sharp right turn to come up the finish race.
And, as usual, Cory came home in good time. He was gloating until he received an SMS from Mick, who, although not competing in the Tri, had gone for a run around his place in record time. Paul came home strong and Brendo finished well.
The Gatorade leg was a doddle, when compared to the previous race's Olympic distance. OK... not quite a doddle, but it was easier. The swim was great and Naomi really felt in the zone. The 26km ride was tough. Naomi couldn't understand how 20km of it could have possibly been uphill and into the wind! However, the first and last thirds of it felt OK - the middle... well, I can't type those words in this forum.
The rest of the crew hooked up with Cory and Nai's friend Andrea and we soaked in the sights. It was awesome watching people not taking enough time in transition and dropping their $3,000 carbon bikes. Crazy!
Naomi made very good time - she's just getting better and better.
Next step for her, Paul and Mick is the 15.2km Run for the Kids. Cory will be doing it too, but pushing Genevieve in the jogger, so only the 3.4km route.
