Duathlon transitions: You should probably practice them more than once.

So yesterday I decided to do a small practice duathlon because that's always a good thing to do (not really) during the week of your race.

I wanted to do more than just 1.11 miles on the second run, but, again, work likes it when I show up on time so I had to cut it short (even though that didn't go as planned since a nice police officer stopped me on my way to work for going just a tad bit over the speed limit...ugh).  But the point of this little practice race wasn't to see if I could do the distances--it was to practice the transitions (T1 and T2).  You see, I am horribly slow during both transitions, and I am also horrible at practicing them to get better.  But I am glad I did get to practice them yesterday, because here are some things I learned:

• If you forget to put on your sunglasses in T1, lots of bugs (and maybe rocks) will become one with your eyeballs.  True story.  
• Untie your shoes in T1 so you don't have to fumble with laces in T2.  Especially if it's super cold on your bike ride and your fingers are pretty much useless in T2.  Like yesterday morning.
• Lay out your stuff in the order you need it.  Because then you won't have to think things like, "Wait...what was I going to do first?" or "Where the BLEEP did I put that?"

I don't need much...I just need to put it on really fast.

• If you carry your phone in the back pocket of your tri-suit and then try to run with it there on the second run it will fall to the ground causing you to freak out at the sound it makes when it hits the ground. Yep.  Leaving my phone in my race belt during the bike fer sure now during T1 and then picking it back up during T2.
• If you carry your headphones in the back pocket of your tri suit during the bike and then attempt to yank them out while running the 2nd run you will lose one of those plastic ear things on them in that pocket and then have to stop and fish it out, looking like you have suddenly developed a serious medical condition as you try to do this and continue to run at the same time.  Some lady going to her car who saw me asked me if I was OK when she saw me attempting to do my running + fishing out small plastic piece out of a pocket you can't see multitasking.  Fabulous.
• No matter what transition it is, I'm always tri-suit sexy.

Especially sexy next to the cat bed.  Mmmm.

And now even more learnings:

• The weather is supposed to be sucky on Saturday in Muncie.  Bummer.  
• How sucky?  Like 90 degrees and thunderstorms sucky.  AWESOME
• Good thing this is a practice race.
• At least my toes won't be frozen chunks of flesh at the end of the bike ride.  You gotta look on the bright side, people.

Tomorrow's workout: Easy run and then off to Muncie!