Race Recap: Turkey Tri

My fourth and final race of 2010, my first full season of triathlons.  This was kind of a last minute race, but I was feeling good after the last race, so I decided to do one more. One of many things I learned at this race, is that even in California, November races are cold.

On race morning, the temperature was around 40 when I was driving the the venue.  My fear was what the water was going to be.  In transition, rumors were going around that the water temp was 55, brrrrr,  Anyway, while getting my transition area set up I noticed how cold the asphalt was.  This would have been a good race to have a pair of throwaway sandals. 

Race Morning

I have heard people say, that you learn at least one new thing at each race, or that you should expect at least one surprise.  Well, I got mine.  While pulling the zipper on my wetsuit, the zipper broke.  I still had about 30 minutes until my wave went out, so I quickly took the wetsuit off to try to fix it.  It wasn't going to happen.  Next, I walked down to the expo area to see if anyone had a tool or some special zipper voodoo they could perform.  Nope.  My last hope was a rental, because there's no way I'm swimming 1/2 mile in 55 degree water with no wetsuit or one with an open back.  By the way, my wetsuit is a sleeveless, so it was already going to be a little rough.  Fortunately, Tri Zombies was there and I was able to rent a nice, brand new wetsuit, $40.  It still had the tag on it.  So, quickly back up to transition to drop off my wetsuit, grab my goggles and race down to the beach.  I had a couple minutes to jump in the water before having to line up to start.

The 1/2 Mile Swim (23:36, @2:56/100 pace)
Another thing I learned at this race, I don't like ear plugs.  I had heard that they can help with cold water, so I picked some up the day before.  I hadn't practiced swimming with them, so when I starting swimming, I quickly realized that I don't like the sound, or lack of sound.  So, after taking some guys heel right in my nose, I rolled over and floated on my back for a minute to re-group.  Next, I took the ear plugs out and swam on.  All of this in the first 150 yards.  After that, I was fine.  The wetsuit did great.

T1 (4:49)

Out of the water, the sand, and then the asphalt were very cold.  Couple that with cold, wet feet, and that makes for a rough run to the bike.  I know I have tender feet, but the run/walk to the transition area was painful.  Then, when I get to my bike, I now have to struggle taking off a brand new wetsuit.  Hence, the five minute transition.

14 Mile Bike (47:00, at 17.87 mph)
Out on the bike, I had my arm warmers to put on as I was riding.  I should have just put them on in T1.  On the first flat section, the cold air, mixed with a wet tri-top was rough.  As, the course went a little downhill and I picked up speed, it got even colder.  The bike leg is two 7 mile loops around the park area.  There is one rough stretch of road about halfway around the loop that makes you feel like you're going to get a flat at any moment.  Back into the park area, there's a nice hill.  Since I do a fair amount of mountain biking, this is where I pass a lot of people.  Out of 55 guys in my age group, I had the 8th fastest bike split.

T2 (1:30)
Coming in on the bike, I could tell my feet were feeling frozen.  I wish I had a fresh pair of socks to change into, but I didn't.  As I ran out of transition, I could tell that my feet were numb.

4.5 Mile Run (39:35, 8:47/mi pace)

Running, my feet just felt like two slabs of meat.  About a mile into the run, I was passing a bathroom, so I stopped and went.  The time during a race when you're not making in progress seems to last forever.  The run course is basically an out and back, with a few little rolling hills.  After the turnaround spot, another OC Tri Club member caught up to me.  We ran together for about a mile, but I could tell I was holding him up.  I told him to go ahead, and thought I'd be able to shadow him until the end of the race.  That didn't happen.  He dropped me within about 50 yards.

Final (1:56.33)
I ended up 15th out of 54 finishers in my AG, or top 28%.
Considering my mishaps on the swim and stopping to pee during the run, this is a better result than I expected.  I was still 13 minutes out of the top five, but a good way to end the season.

Race Recap: Big Rock Olympic (10/16/10)

As a relative newcomer to triathlons, this is my first Olympic distance triathlon.  I picked this race because it is pretty close to home, and the entry numbers are small.  While the larger races have a better crowd energy, I'd prefer to do small races while I'm still learning.  I took my daughters with me to register the day before the race

The 1,500 Meter Swim (25:45, or 1:43/100m)

Lake Perris

Look back, I'm a little surprised about this time, it's actually a bit faster than I expected.  Considering it is October, the water was warm, probably low 70's.  Other than that, not much else to report about the swim, pretty non-eventful, which is a good thing.

T1 (6:05)
Yes, that's a very long transition.  It's a hike up from the water, but my biggest problem was getting my wetsuit off.  I had trouble getting it over my ankles, and actually cramped up in my calves.  I made the decision to put on some calf sleeves from my transition bag, hoping it would keep the cramps away.  I took a quick bite of banana, and a drink of G2, and I was off.

The 40k Bike (1:06.09, 19.58 mph)
The bike course is two loops with one hill not too far out of transition, and the second hill, the steepest, just as you return to the park.  Most of the course is open to vehicle traffic, but all the intersections are patrolled by police officers.

T2 (1:04) 
Now that's how it's supposed to be.  Rack the bike, change shoes, grab visor and race belt and get going.

The 10k Run (51:53, 8:20/mile pace)
I've had tight calves while running lately, but thankfully no cramps caused me to stop running.  I'm not the fastest runner as it is, so stopping for cramps would have really been discouraging.  I don't have a Garmin, yet, so I don't have an idea about how my splits went.  I felt like I ended strong, and the middle 2 miles were likely my slowest.

As I came toward the finish, I had my daughters and some family there to cheer me on.  That's a great boost when you're feeling pretty tired.  I know it may be kind of corny, but I grabbed my daughters, and they ran down the finisher's shoot with me.  I'm trying to set a good example for them and show them what it feels like to work hard and earn big accomplishments in life.  Maybe someday they'll run the finish of an Ironman race with me.

Overall (2:40.58)
This put me 6th out of 15 in the 35-39 AG.  Not bad, but still 17 minutes off of a podium spot.  I'd like to make that happen someday, but I know I have a lot of learning and training to do first.