Cats and Dawgs

My job is dependent upon good weather. Not all the time, simply one day a week. That day would be race day, the day on which I shoot the course as the race action unfolds before me. It is a very difficult chore even when the sun is shinning, harder in winds, and downright impossible when it rains. And today it rained.

Boy did it. Dawgonit hard.

We were at T1 for the fifth annual Nations Triathlon in Washington DC Sunday morning at 0530 as required to get set up for the two part shoot. I needed to liaise with my moto pilot and get on the course as the elites in the first wave were starting their 1,500 meters in the gloomy Potomac. That would be the first lap. Upon completion of that I was to mount the borrowed Jamis and make a second pass with the vest cam to capture live action from the pack. These two takes, hopefully, would give us an exciting and dynamic 24.8 miles. But it was raining.

Cats and Dawgs.

The night before Kathy and I hit three downtown bars in search of a big screen showing the Washington/Syracuse game. The first two couldn't find it on their satellite networks and by the time we found a cool Irish Pub that did, the Dawgs were down 10-0. Knowing that I had a 0400 wake up call I was hoping that the contest would be a blowout by the half so we could cab back to the condo and I could then get some quality futon time with a clear head. I wasn't satisfied with the verdict until the Huskies had put up 41 to the 20 of Syracuse, and an $80 bar bill had been (merrily) created. In the second half the Locker to Kearse TD to Guinness ratios was about even.

As in unrelenting.

I waited as long as possible for the start of the phase two shoot, hoping for a break in the bleakness and wet. When it appeared that this would be fruitless, I took off, vowing to "Ride and Shoot" vice "Race and Rip", just in case a miracle should result inside the water-proof polystyrene GoPro camera housing. Another soggy 40K later I was back at T2 verging on hypothermia, dehydration and suffering now from a massive, acute case of water-log. Did I mention the rain?

Two laps, 80K, all rain, no blue, blurry, cold, wet, gray. See photos above for complete and irrefutable documentation. Those spots? Cat 'n Dawg residue. Also shown is one of the many reasons why College Football is almost as cool as triathlons in the rain, the Huskies Chris Polk does his Dawg thing Saturday afternoon. WOOF.

Now that all has been etched in marble for all of eternity to replay, I have yet to look at all the video to see what we got.

Besides a cold.

Monday in DC making the rounds. DC>JFK>Sea-Tac tomorrow.

RCVman out from the Nations Capitol.