Rhode Island Report

I finally put together a race I was pleased with and I gained some much needed confidence with my ability.

Thank you K-Swiss, CATZ, Phase One, Hammer, Base Performance, Source Endurance

I departed Thursday afternoon, standby, as usual! All the flights looked wide open on Wednesday evening with 25 seats open on each flight up to Providence. I arrived at the gate to see way too many people on my FLIGHT! I went and inquired about the loads and it was not pretty at all. It would be down to the wire. Traveling standby is one awesome hell of a rush when things workout your way.
"COTTER...JAMES COTTER!!" yelled the fella behind the counter.
"You made it."
I went from hating myself, wondering why on earth I would train so hard and risk not making it to my final destination because I didn't buy a ticket. Then once I heard my name it went to this awesome rush! YES! I screamed inside and wondered why I would even think about purchasing a ticket.
I arrived in North Carolina only to find out again that the next flight into Providence was looking tight also. I became worried because my training partner, Tim Marr, was arriving in Providence before but had no confirmation codes to get the vehicle of hotel. Tim had also told me that he was on another airline so it became kind of funny when out of nowhere Tim appeared.
One thing that irritates the hell out of me is when airline travelers show up to the gate within 5 minutes of push back time. Especially when they come from restaurants after stuffing themselves and think it is comical arriving at the gate because they not only made it to the gate by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin, they also did so while managing to cram 2,000 calories down there throat beforehand. Why do I hate this, because I have hope that I will make it, and every 5 minutes that hope is shattered. So can you guess how I felt when Tim Marr arrived? That bloody wanker almost stole my seat! haha but Tim was hustling from his flight that just landed so it was not too bad. I ended up getting on and having a good laugh with Tim on the plane.

Race morning was rough. Wake up at 2:55am, leave hotel at 3:20, arrive at bus station at 3:50am, depart Providence at 4:00am, arrive race site 5:30am, gun goes off at 6:00am! Everything was very rushed and the coffee I drank at 2:55am had not come into affect and that worried me :)
Swim was a bit of a shocker. Kicked in the face and the moments hesitation cost me some fast feet. I ended up getting my way back to the front of the second pack and pulled us in to the finish about a minute down on the main pack. Jumped on the bike and decided to just go for it. If I blow up I blow up. I could see Leon Griffin just ahead of me and kept on charging. Oscar Galendez came from behind and we took turns pulling to get on the main train. Once we caught the leaders a small gap formed and I had to go with it. I lost focus and popped off the back and rode into T2 about 20 seconds behind Richie.
The run course was brutal! Tim and I decided not to drive it since we were so tired. About 3/4 of a mile into the run we encountered a massive hill that killed me! I stayed close to Richie and was closing some and then it happened! From out of nowhere a car came and took Richie out from the side. He hit the hood, smashed the windshield, and then slid off and started running again! I was screaming medic, medic!! and realized he was good when medical started running after him and they were later dropped!
I was running well until about mile 9 and then started to fall off the pace. I could see Paul Ambrose in the distance and just could not close the gap. I started freaking out that 5th place would catch me but in the end I manged to hold him off.
First solid race I have put together and i was happy. I saw the race lead and think I am capable of seeing it again.

Off to Spirit of Racine tomorrow for another Half this weekend.