Race Recap: Big Rock Olympic (10/15/11)

There are quite a few things I enjoy about this race.  First, it's not too far from home, so I can sleep in my own bed.  Next, it's relatively inexpensive.  The water temperature is usually pretty good, I almost consider going without a wetsuit, almost.  There's also two times to race during the year, April and October, so it's a good fitness test for the beginning and ending of the 'season.'

This is the third time at this race for me, so I'm pretty comfortable and relaxed going into the weekend, maybe too relaxed, because my training has already slid into off-season mode.  This is partly because I still have lingering soreness from Runner's Knee.  Going into the race, I had no expectations for a fast race, considering that I haven't run longer than 4 miles since Wildflower (4/30/11).

With my wife out of town, I dropped my daughters off at Grandma and Grandpa's house the night before.  They're not old enough yet to be left alone at the race venue while I'm out swimming, biking and running.  So, home alone, I got the transition bag and bike all set up the night before.  My morning breakfast was a Clif bar, banana and water.

It was a nice morning, and I set up my transition area near my friend Jason.  This is his third race and first time at this distance.  As I walked to the water, I had a caffeine free GU pack.  I don't need any extra jitters that caffeine may cause before starting the swim.

The Swim (28.42 @ 1:54/100 pace)

This is slower than the last time I did this race (1 minute), probably due to my sighting.  The swim is two loops in Lake Perris, and the first loop felt good.  Several times I caught myself drifting away from the buoys and having to correct my direction.  The second loop felt good, but the fogged rolled in.  The combination of fog on the water and foggy goggles, really didn't help my zigzag swimming.

T1 (4:46)

Yes, that's a long transition time, but it's a long run up from the water the the transition area.  First, you run up the sand, then across the grass, then onto the asphalt to get your gear.  I decided to take off my wetsuit as I got to the grass.  Really, it was just an experiment to see how it worked out.  I actually sat to pull the wetsuit over my feet.  In the past, I've cramped trying to get my feet out.  Socks on, shoes on, helmet on, Garmin on, go.

The Bike (1:13.48 @ 20.21mph)

This is a two loop bike course with one hill out of the transition area, and another steep hill heading back into the Lake Perris entrance.  Overall, this was two minutes slower than my April race.  I'm pleased that I broke 20mph again, maybe next time I can break 21.  On the bike, I had another GU pack, and drank maybe 16 ounces of my diluted Gatorade.

T2 (1:04)

Darn! Almost broke one minute. Next time.  I took a small swig of diluted Gatorade, then changed my shoes, grabbed by race belt, visor and glasses, and I was off running.

The Run from Hell (54:09 @8:42/mi pace)

On races that don't require you to wear your race bib on the bike, I like to put it on as I start out of the transition area.  My race belt (SPI Belt) has a pouch for another GU Roctane, pineapple.  Yes, it was the run from hell, not because of the course, but because of the stomach cramps that I had from the first mile, all the way through the finish line. The last time I ran this course, my pace was 8:01/mi..  I took a little water at each aid station, and waited until about mile 4 for the GU Roctane.  By that time, it was anything I could do to convince myself to keep running.  I've never had stomach cramps  like this from running.  The occasional side stitch maybe, but nothing like this.  Looking back, I don't know what caused it, possibly not enough training in the aero position and not enough brick workouts.

Final (2:42:31)

10th out of 15 in 35-39AG, and 45th overall

My worst race in terms of how I performed against my age group, but hopefully some fuel for doing better next year.