HHC – Meal # 7 and a race recap

We ended up having a super busy weekend - with Dad in town and also with a scheduled trip to Sydney.

Sunday night's homemade dinner was ..... BURGERS!

 

Mr BBB and Dad made some burgers then grilled them on the bbq.

I set out various toppings - pineapple, beetroot, lettuce, avocado, swiss cheese, tomatoes, home grown lettuce and homemade bbq sauce - and let everyone compile their own burgers! It was a lot of fun - and a great way to feed 10 people for dinner!

 

Dessert was …. pavlova! One of our guests made a delicious berry salad which complimented the pavlova beautifully.

I really do think that pavlova is one of my favourite desserts! Plus it is so easy to make and can be prepared in advance.

I baked this one for about 70 minutes, then let it cool with the oven door ajar while we went out for the day. Then it was just a case of topping with whipped cream and the berries just before we served it! SIMPLE :)

Race report

On Saturday we headed up to Penrith so I could compete in an Enticer triathlon. The race was held at the Regatta Centre (where they had the rowing for the Sydney Olympics) which was a spacious venue but oh so hot! Apparently it was over 42 degrees celcius - and possibly over 45 at one point! CRAZY!!

Normally I am nervous about the swim leg, and this race was no exception. I was advised that all the females (over 100 of us) would be starting together - and unlike the previous races that I have done - we would start IN the water.

With the weather being so hot there was certainly no worries about being cold. I must admit – it was actually really nice to jump in the water!

I managed to find some clear water and the swim was rather uneventful. I felt like I had a good rhythm going, and may even go so far as to say that the swim was enjoyable (gasp!!!!).

 

I soon reached the turn buoy and headed up to the shore - before making the fairly long trek into the transition area. I had a rather slow transition - but was soon out on the bike course.

The bike course was two laps around the lake, and was pretty much flat making for a quick ride! We had a tail wind on one side of the lake, which I soon realised meant that we had a head wind on the other side (not fun!!). I was feeling really hot on the bike, and was disappointed to find out that the water in my bottle was BOILING. I managed to only take a few sips.

I was soon back in the transition area and quickly got my runners on and headed out on the run course - which was an 'out and back' style run - again in a non shaded area. It took a while for my legs to loosen up - and the 1km or so to the water station felt like 5km! Unfortunately the heat had really gotten to some competitors and I saw many people sitting / walking at this point - trying to get some relief from the heat. I soon reached the turn around point and tried to increase my speed for the final 1.25km.

Before long I reached the finish chute and was greeted by Mr BBB and dad! I estimated that I probably finished probably around 20th in my age group - out of 100 (which I was so pleased about!!!).

So you can imagine my surprise when I checked the results this morning and found out I had come 2nd in my age group?! WHAT!? Surely that must be a mistake :)

After the race we headed to a local restaurant where much food was consumed - washed down with an icy cold margarita :) Delicious!!!

Official time: 40:56

Swim 250m - 5:20

Bike 10k - 21:51

Run 2.5k - 13:43

Overall it was a fantastic day - and I was so pleased that my dad was in town to see the race! He has even said that he is inspired to train and perhaps do a mini triathlon of his own next year. Not a bad goal for a 58 year old!!! Perhaps we will be able to race together????

Happy baking :)