Recon

The sun is now up and the heat is on the way. Heat and wind--high and gusty. Think convection oven on performance enhancing drugs. Course recon is complete.

Gulp, that first swim buoy is . . . really small . . . out their . . . upstream. Long and strong, skinny dog. Swim for the bridge.

Bike course is awesome. The surface and profile are great. After racing across a smooth and level bridge, we bank quickly right onto Cesar Chavez and left onto Congress with the State Capitol Building at the top of the Avenue. (Dear Yankee reader, you should not fail to take note that the Texas Capitol Dome is bigger than the U.S. Capitol Dome, and that the state flag flies at the same height as the stars and stripes.)

It is a steady but relatively gradual climb to the Capitol Building, but that is a false summit. At the top of Congress it is quick right and hammer a two block climb to the top of the course at 11th and San Jacinto before screaming down seven blocks to the turn around. (Dear Yankee reader, you should not fail to recall that the Plains of San Jacinto is where the forces of General Sam Houston surprised the numerically superior force of Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna during their afternoon siesta and captured the Mexican General trying to escape in women's clothing). 11th and San Jacinto is a good place to drop anyone who is sleeping.

After turning around and hammering back over the high point, the course is generally downhill and smooooooooooothe to the turnaround at the bottom of the course, a descent on which one can maintain some tempo and recover at the same time. Do that four times, and then you only have to run a 10K.

Only a 10K?? The Greyhound of five years ago would have found that combination of words ludicrous.