Team Member: Kris Kester

Race Name: Irongirl

Race Date: June 27, 2010

Race Placement/Time/Qualification: 5th overall, 1st masters

Tell us about your race (limit 500 words)…: This was my 4th year at this race and it has really grown. I like having it practically in my backyard and they are nice enough to give me a free entry. This is also one race that I can get my daughter, Lauren to do with me. She hates to get up so early but always does well with little to no tri training. This year was hot both in temperature and competition. Since they do this race in 10 waves, it is hard to know where you are in terms of placement until the end. Lauren and I were in the last 2 waves so we had 1000 women to potentially pass on the bike and run. This makes for a tricky bike, but I love the hills on this course. One woman said, “I feel like I am always going uphill.” That is true sometimes, but there are some good fast downhills and flats. The run is a fast run and I had lots of people to catch. I went a 20:05 which I was pleased with. They changed the swim course to a rectangle which I liked better than the usual straight line. Swimming close to the buoys, I did not have too much traffic in the water. Lauren did the whole bike course in the small chain, we discovered later. Perhaps that is why her legs were so fresh for the 18:43 run! My overall time was the same it has been for the last 3 years – I was surprised as I have not been on the bike much and we had a softball team party at our house the night before! We had a great breakfast after the race; they have Starbucks and not only tables to sit at, but tablecloths! This truly is a chick race as they give jewelry for awards. Lauren and I rushed from the race to the swim championships at Georgia Tech. Luckily I only had to watch and cheer!