But, I could have asked for a better rest day the day before.
As luck would have it, we needed to redo the deck railing and replace some of our deck for house painting and staining this week. So, Saturday was the only day to get it done.
I spent 12 hours Saturday working on it and 5 Sunday.
I'm not bitchin, but it didn't exactly make me feel rest for Sunday. =)
New kind of cross fit. It also makes you appreciate those that do this every day for a living. Ooof.
 |
| Dog approved |
 |
| Got wood? |
____________________________________________________________
I picked up my friend and headed out...
We left his house at 5am, and my wave didn't start until like 8am. So I was worried about the timing of eating breakfast and hitting the water.
I ate oatmeal for breakfast at 4:30 and took some PR bars and energy blasts for eating an hour before wave start. I wanted to have something on board sooner than 3 and a half hours before my race start. It was a delicate balancing act of having something, but not too much.
It worked out well. Kept my Gatorade going until race start so I had fuel to keep my wetsuit warm before the swim start... if you know what I mean.
____________________________________________________________
For all of the anxieties and forum questions, it went off well...
They need to fix pre-race communications. The event went off pretty good and all questions were answered when everyone showed up to race, but people had to find out at packet pickup at the race site for specific info like rack assignments and general logistics.
I hate relying on Facebook and online forums for speculation and rumors. They need to keep the Q and A up to date on the site is all.
The only real issue was one of the buoys decided to come loose from the anchor and float off. Probably added a couple extra yards to the swim. Do'h.
Throw all expectations out of the window...
New bike.
New wheels.
Freshly adjusted cables on bike that weren't shifting right Friday and "fixed" Saturday.
Worked for 12 hours on my deck the day before.
Different bike course than the past.
1300 racers instead of 600 last year - overcrowding?
It's hard to look at years past at this event and come up with any valid expectations.
I just wanted to average around 20 mph on the bike and keep 8 min/mile pace on the run. The swim... I just wanted to make it from start to finish without being kicked in the face.
____________________________________________________________
I did get kicked...
My ring finger is jammed from being kicked from zip-zagging swimmers. It's swollen enough I can't get my wedding ring on. Single for a day or two. ;)
I heard of 4 people that crashed on the bike course.
- One was adjusting his race bib and lost control. He got back up and finished.
- One was clipped from behind and crashed.
- One was cut off and crashed.
- One was on the side of the road where the ambulance loaded him up. He was moving and alert, but needed a lift.
The run was even not that bad on the trail portions with all of the runners. The last last was fairly empty since I was the next to last long course wave. Sucks feeling like you are coming in at the end, but you just have to keep in mind that some people started 30 minutes before you.
How did I fair?
So they send you results in a spiffy email. As you can see I was 212 out of 706. Not bad for top 3rd considering a life with a full time job, 2 kids, 3 dogs, and a wife that works full time. Would I like to have done better, sure! But, at least I got the bike splits up from last year. 2011 bike times, barf.
Now, it looks all good, and I felt I left what I could out there, but when I looked as past results, I was a little put off.
This was the fastest swim by 2 minutes. Think what I could have done had the swim buoy been in the right place!
This was the worst bike splits for this race. I've had a bike fit with the new bike. There comes a problem with low back pain. Around mile 12, it started kicking in and when I get a chance, I need to stand in the pedals and stretch out the back. Anyone else have this? That kills momentum and when the pain is at peak, it goes down the side of my leg with a dull ache and I can tell I have less power pedaling. It's nothing new, but annoying.
That was the fastest run, but only by less than a minute. I wanted to have something for the run so I didn't try and kill myself on the bike. This is where I also felt the Saturday deck building. Hammy's were screaming from bending over all day and the hip flexors were much as well.
____________________________________________________________
Overall it was a good time...
My friend, Rob, got his first triathlon under his belt. I think he had a good time, but he didn't come back saying "I'm hooked" or "that was awesome". The jury is out if he's getting hooked.
The race went well minus a rouge buoy and some bike wrecks. For major expansion, the RD did a decent job, but they need to improve the web site and timely updates.
Thanks to SIX Nutrition, Puma, Sockguy and Xterra Wetsuits for the partnerships!
I'm satisfied with my race, but not "happy". Always want to do better. Maybe next year. ;)
1 comment:
By the time my wave went, that rogue buoy was more than a "few yards" in towards the beach... I just wished the lifeguards would have let us know before we got there and said to head back out!
Nice Race!
Post a Comment