You Know You Live with a Triathlete When...

Our friend @OTSam suggested we put up a funny post about all the signs that your life has been infiltrated by someone from the SBR crowd. We thought that was a fine idea! I'll start but add your funny bits to the comments or email them to me at mrstheytri [at] gmail [dot] com!

• You have a running shoe budget
• You have a bike rack, but the bike rides in the car
• It's 5 a.m. You've been up for an hour. 
• You have made peace with the concept of portapotties
• You've had to research a place to rent road bikes for while you're away on 'vacation.'
• There is a shelf in your pantry dedicated to powders and potions
• You are always running out of shaving cream
• $1500 for a wheel DOES sound reasonable now that you mention it. (wait, what?!)

OTSam's great list! 

•  You know the differences between a sprint, olympic, half and full
•  You know what gu, nuun, hammer gels, clif blocks….. are and what his/her preference to those items
• You have an entire shelf in one of your kitchen cabinets designated for water bottles
• He owns a speedo, various lengths of running shorts, and a lot of spandex
• You know what the following items are: race belt, fuel belt, roadID, trainer, aerobars, clip-in pedals, camelback, etc.
• His/her workout drawer is completely overflowing
• It seems like  calf sleeves have become a regular part of their wardrobe (worn during a workout, after a workout, or overnight sleeping)
• You’ve gotten scared walking by your bathroom seeing a long black shadow and then realize its their wetsuit hanging over the shower railing to dry
• You have given them their own triathlon room because all of the triathlon paraphernalia was starting to take over the entire apartment/house.
• He/she owns at least two bikes and has their eye on another
• You know the difference between a mountain bike, a road bike, and a tri bike (and the price differences, yikes!)
• You share your google calendars together so she/he can plan long workouts on days you have other activities planned (i.e. bridal showers, mall trips, work, etc.)
• During triathlon season, his legs are smoother than yours
• It seems like they are always eating, but getting thinner/more tone each day
• You  are familiar with the names: Crowie, Boom Boom, Diebens, Mirinda, the Lovato’s and Chrissy Wellington
• You never run out of ideas for presents… there is always something new to purchase in the tri world
• Hawaii, would be pretty awesome.
• Pre-race day you scout out all the best places to get pictures
• Seeing them cross the finish line, and knowing all the hard work they put in… is pretty awesome :)

Keep adding to the comments! These are great! 

REV3 Quassy, 2010

Since I've been so good about posting up my IMLP stuff, I figured it was high time I got around to doing the same for Rev3 Quassy, which happened back in June. June and July have been insanity around HFWT so apologies for the delay.
Anywho, we live near-ish the Quassy venue, about 40 minutes, so our personal experience with hotels is pretty useless...please feel free to add yours to the comments section. But, we have some good tips about other things! This is year 2 of the TheyTris participating at Quassy. Mr. TheyTri raced the half both years and I volunteered this year in transition. I can't say enough nice things about the volunteering bit...so much fun and great people to work with you should strongly consider signing up...makes for a fun day. Ok. on to tips:

General:

• Quassy is a great family venue. The amusement park will open during the morning so the kids will have a great time and you'll hear far fewer 'I'm boreds' at this race than nearly any other. 
• The park is open and therefore so are the food stands and bathrooms. This is great as you'll spend the bulk of your day on the Quassy property.
• While there is food, you can also consider bringing a cooler with food/drinks as the parking is very good right at the race venue and even if you have to make use of the satellite lot it's very nearby. 
• The bike and run courses are very windy and hilly. In 2009 it was not easy to get out on to course to watch people race as the bike in came down the huge hill in front of the park. In 2010 the course changed a bit allowing for exit by car from the top exit of the parking area without impediment to racers. If you have any intention of going out on to course and are unfamiliar with the Middlebury, CT are we strongly advise driving the course at least once before race morning. CT roads are not in any sort of systematic grid pattern!
• New England weather is ever-changing. Be prepared! In 2010 I got rained on, a sunburn and then nearly blown to Oz by crazy winds post-race (well, post race for Mr. TheyTri, some folks were still out on run). SUNBLOCK.
• Quassy is very conveniently located near I-84 which will speed you rapidly East to the larger town of Waterbury or West to the smaller, yet still very convenient, town of Southbury. In both places you can find most essentials. Additionally, at the junction of Rt. 64 and Rt. 6 (west of the venue), there is the small Middle Quarter Mall. Keep in mind, though, that this road is both bike and run course so getting down it will be a trick race day.
• Just in case: Waterbury Hospital is the largest hospital nearby. It is on Route 8 North off of I-84 EAST of the venue. 

Race Day:

• For on-site parking get there very early. Athletes and spectators can park in Quassy lot but it's first-come-first-served and I can assure you the athletes will get there darn early. If you cannot park in the Quassy lot, the satellite lot is under a mile away and there are shuttles. Don't fuss with the volunteers if they say the lot is full. No one wants an argument at 5 a.m. 
• Not all the food options will be open before swim start. Plan on eating before hand or bringing food. If you're coming from I-84 or the Crown Plaza hotel, there is a Mobile station where coffee can be had. There are not a ton of 24-hour options available near the race site so plan ahead. 
• The beach where swim goes off can get a bit crowded so stake out a good spot early. We'd suggest somewhere close to the chute to get a good pic of your athlete coming out of the water. Swim-start photos are fun but not very personal.
• For bike and run, if you choose to remain on site, a good spot is along the main road (rt. 64) to the right of the Quassy parking entrance. Both bike and run go this way and it's shaded. Stake out a spot and set up a chair. Just be mindful that you're not blocking the ambulance exit. If you choose to try and head out on course, please observe all posted signs and listen to officials and volunteers. (PS, speaking of signs, is that Body Marking sign not the most awesome sign ever? Stare at it a while. It'll come to you.)
• Enjoy the expo! They have a lot of nice booths set up
• Enjoy the park! Go ride a tilt-a-whirl! 
• After the race hang out for a bit and enjoy the cookout. Rev3's great attraction is that it feels like a big family cookout that just happens to have a triathlon going on. More than one friend of theytri.com has gone giddy because they were in line for the portaloo with Crowie or stood behind Matty Reed to get a hot dog. 
• Having said that, be respectful of the pros; they're there to race for a huge purse and race amazingly hard so they may not want to pose for snaps straight away after crossing line. In all fairness, in the 2 years we've been there we've never seen any of the pros being anything by amazingly gracious but courtesy is key! 
• Enjoy and have a fun time! We'll certainly be there in 2011 and we'll be at Cedar Point in Sept. 2010 and will file a report from there! 

IMLP 2010, part II

I lost my brain, as one loses luggage, somewhere along last weekend's epic journey. It was finally returned to me about 8 a.m. this morning so I'm finally ready to jot down a few thoughts about IMLP.

First off, I'm so proud of all our friends who raced and who did so well! From pro friends to first-timers, everyone fought through their personal barriers and crossed the line with a kind of joy that was heart-filling to witness and share.  Great job, everyone! 

Secondly, I'm equally proud of all the friends we had cheering on those racing. It's a long day and having so many great people around made it such a fun day for everyone. The community of people that have come into my life as a result of Mr. TheyTri's crazy foray into triathlon are a very special group. I'm grateful for them, no matter which side of the fence they're on. 

Last general thought is that this is the first race I've ever cheered at where Mr. TheyTri was not racing himself. It was a strange new experience to watch him watch others race. He looked like a kid. Giant grin on his face all day, his excitement both palpable and contagious. Nearly makes up for those 7-hour weekend bike rides. Nearly.

More specifically, a few more tips:

• Cell phone coverage in Lake Placid is complete and total crap. On AT&T I was on Edge network the entire time, making sending updates via text or tweet absolutely infuriating. BUT you can, from time to time, pick up wi-fi from outside some businesses (and homes, but you didn't hear that from us...be polite!). Other friends reported spotty service on both T-Mobile (though that was better than AT&T) and Verizon. 
• Downhill Grill that we mentioned last week is apparently not open at lunchtime on Sundays. However, Lisa G's, a few doors down IS open and IS great! Excellent place to grab a bite and still be near to course to watch for your athlete. Their back deck doesn't overlook racecourse but instead looks out to a really lovely waterfall. A little respite. 
• Dancing Bears on the west end of Main Street, just before the road bends toward Saranac Lake, is also good for a quick bite. 
• The distance around Mirror Lake is 2.7 miles. If you're game for a jog or walk, it's a lovely route. 
• The brunch buffet at the Northwoods Inn (official Ironman hotel) is overpriced and understocked. Breakfast the Monday after the race is a bit of a chore. Long lines abound. Be prepared.
• If you're a Starbucks addict, be prepared to stand in line morning, noon and night. There are a jillion other (good!) coffee places right on Main Street, however.

Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream....

Now, whacked-out anxiety dreams are fairly common for me. I actually find them kind of humorous sometimes but last night's takes the Tri-cake (see photo).
The HFWT and tri-twitter regulars had all rented a house in Lake Placid. It was race morning, which, for some reason, didn't start until noon. It was 11:48 and I was frantically trying to get everyone out the door to get down to transition because none of them had checked in their bikes or left their gear bags. But they were all just chit-chatting without a care in the world and I was the only one having a heart attack. And then my camera broke.
Then I woke up...laughing at myself.
How's that for bonkers?!