Road Trip

It's always a treat to get out of NYC, even if just for a short weekend. I've had a long stretch of being in the city without a break so the timing for a little triathlon road trip couldn't have been more perfect. My swim buddy Roberto and I decided to do the Niantic Bay Triathlon in Niantic, Connecticut. The race, a sprint distance, is tomorrow so today was the travel day. We left the city around 12:30 in a massive downpour that made loading the car quite an experience. With no traffic, it would be a pretty short drive, but in true NYC style, the first 30 miles were virtually a parking lot so we arrived at our destination 4 hours later. We went straight to packet pick-up and then off to check into our deluxe accommodations. We wasted no time and were promptly back in the car to check out the area (translation = find a local bar).

We had a couple pints (carbs, you know) at a local dive bar on the waterfront. I love being on the water regardless of where it is. The rain had stopped and it was fairly nice out with just a slight chill in the air. We finished our beer and settled on a waterfront restaurant called Captain Scott's Lobster Dock, which was tucked away along the water behind a small Marina. There was a little building where you ordered and a big patio full of picnic tables. The menu was all seafood and everything was in paper and plastic. It doesn't get any better. I had a hot buttered lobster roll, clam fritters and fries. I finished off the meal with a moose tracks ice cream cone. It's not the healthiest or most balanced pre-race meal I've ever had, but this feels like a mini-vacation so I didn't care. It's a good thing I have the race tomorrow. I might burn off at least the ice cream cone.

After dinner, we drove over to check out the race site. The water looked incredible, so calm and smooth unlike any open water I've had the experience of swimming in. There is a slightly long run to transition, but the sand is really soft and the rest looks to be along a paved path. Just seeing the set-up made me very excited about tomorrow. Every race is a new and unique experience.

Since I had to get ready before the road trip, this is the first time I get to really relax the night before a race. I feel like I should be packing and re-packing my transition bag, wondering if I've forgotten something, but it's all done. So I may just go to bed early. That will be a race first for sure.

Biking
Distance - 6.3 miles
Time - 23:23

Swimming
Distance - 900 yards (.5 miles)
Time - 20:00