We try to do at least one race a year that's new. Auburn was it. It's a relatively small race, in a beautiful Sierra foothills location. The course looked challenging and a bit convoluted, but ... well, fun! Geoff Drake signed on too, so we had 50% more fun than usual! We all ended up placing on the podium - nice!

 

We squeezed into Rick's fine vehicle. Plenty o' room for 3 bikes, beer cooler, and all the fixings for a good race.

Afternoon before, packet pick up, and getting the lay of the land. The bike course and run course were quite convoluted and would take some attention to get right.

Ferrell's always a stickler for getting in his mind every turn in and out of the transitions.The secret to a smooth race is practicing the moves mentally before the race starts.

Geeff and I set up our bike numbers

Geoff and Rick got rack spots close to the lake exit

Downtown Auburn commemorates many great endurance runners; being the finish line of the Western States 100.

We considered a pre-race dinner here... then, thought better of it.

Early rise at the hotel, no mere black markers applied by young lady volunteers as typical, we had fancy pre-made numbers to self-tatoo onto ourselves.

Making our way to the lake start. The Swim / Bike transition was miles away from the bike/run and finish line, downtown.

I wore my usual June Lake Triathlon tec shirt which doubles as a good rash guard for the swim

3 Amigos

Geoff's looking optimistic. He had a great swim.

The swim was the only part of the course that was flat.

Climbing up away from the lake, onto the bike course, which twisted around through the backroads behind Auburn in the Sierra Foothills

Starting on the run course

The run course, too, was twisty and steep and kinda a little of everything... pavement, stony trail beside a canal, residential, and a bit of highway, and then downtown city streets.

Done!

Team Awesome

Hardware! Podium time! I'll take it however I can get it.

OK, yeah. The race page was screwed up. I really did finish second and had to photoshop myself onto this age group preliminary results page. Ferrell scored 3nd.

Geoff took 2nd in the tougher, younger 55-59 age group

It was a cooker out there, on the run especially. 100F by the time we got outta there.