Alligator Creek

It's been a busy racing season and I finally found a spot to schedule in a triathlon.  The Alligator Creek Triathlon is in O'Fallon, MO barely 15 minutes from my front door.  So I registered and was assigned a 53:30 time offset for my swim start.  On race morning, I arrived a few minutes before 7:00, about an hour early.  I grabbed all my gear and headed to the bike racks.  I always use a 5 gallon bucket to carry my gear in, then it doubles as a stool when I change shoes.  When I walked up through the transition area, I think I got the last available space on the bike racks.  Anyone that got there later than I did had to lean their bike on the fence or on the ground.

Once my spot was all set up I went to get body marked, then waited for my swim start.   It was set up as a sepentine 300 yd swim.  A new swimmer went into the water every thirty seconds.  My time was called and off I went. 

I was one of the worst swimmers for years, but right before the Branson 1/2 IM last year something clicked for me, and I finally started swimming instead of fighting drowning.  I ended up doing this swim in 6:05.  Still slow, but my fastest ever.  Also the first time I ever passed anyone in the water.

The bike course was great, one lap, 18 miles and pretty hilly.  Police and volunteers at every intersection, I never even had to tap the brakes for car traffic.

The run started out the same road as the bike, then went out through a subdivision for a one lap hilly 5K.  Just like the bike leg, the course was well marked and there were volunteers at every intersection and two water stops.  Never a question over which way to go.

The finish line was on a bike path in the park.

At the race pavillion finishers were well fed with Pantera's pizza and O'Fallon Gold beer.  The beer was so good.  It is one of my favorites.

While i was chowing down on pizza, a woman with a beagle on a leash went by.  This dog had to be about 100 yrs old.  He stopped the woman and started barking at me, in that way only old beagles do  (Baaaarrraaaaaarrrrr).  Too funny. 

Why does every race seem to have at least one person with their helmet on backwards?  Haha I got this picture as she finished the bike course. 

This was a great event and if I get a hole in the schedule next summer I will definitely fill it again with this race.

Next week is the St Louis Urban Assault!  Watch for the report on it soon.