#9

My race number for Saturday's Lifetime Fitness Triathlon is pink #9! My yellow cap says 'McLARTY'. This is all an improvement from 2005 when I was a last minute entry, probably something like #22, and with a blank cap because they had already done the customized order before I got on the list:).
I made it to the race meeting at 4:00pm yesterday with very little time to spare. Instead of landing in Minneapolis at 1:26pm like scheduled, I disembarked the plane around 2:30pm because we had been circling the airport for over an hour. Apparently, there was a really nasty thunderstorm right over the airport and all planes were kept in the air. Right as the pilot was explaining that we were running low on fuel and might have to be diverted to a nearby airport, we were finally given permission to land.
I rushed down to gather my bag and bike box and then speed-walked over to the light-rail station. The train goes right from the airport into downtown Minneapolis for $1.50 instead of a $25+ taxi ride. I only had to lug my bag and box a few blocks from the closest station to the race hotel. I managed to speed through check-in, drop my luggage off in my room, and then head back downstairs and across the street to the LifeTime Fitness Club for the meeting.
Most of the meeting was covering the points-system and the prize-money breakdown for all five of the LTF series races (which I am not going to attend enough to qualify so I kinda tuned it all out) and going over the race course (which has not changed in four years so I kinda tuned that out also). The meeting finished with a swim-start-draw. In order of race number, we were called up to mark a position on the beach where we will start. I chose position #2 between Emma Snowsill (who will be on my right) and Becky Lavelle (on my left).
After the meeting I headed downstairs in the club to find the pool. Since my flight had an early morning departure, I was unable to get any exercise and I was looking forward to a nice stretch-out in the pool. Unfortunately, it wasn't as nice of a 'stretch-out' as I hoped because the pool was only 20 yards long...meaning I was running into walls and flip-turning much more that usual!
I managed a couple of minutes in the pool and then I had to head back to the hotel to make myself presentable for the swanky dinner hosted for all the pros. It was a fun evening, chatting with friends and competitors over good food in a very relaxing atmosphere. After a few hours, and with a full belly, I headed back to my room to fall sound asleep (I am still very much on East Coast time:).