Big Creek Triathlon, Des Moines, Iowa, 17 August 1996
1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6 mile run
Pre-Race:
Starting out for Des Moines on a Friday afternoon, I felt I was ready for this distance.
I had done one previous triathlon that approximated this distance (Bootleg Turtleman Tri), but I hadn't done a long open water swim. This event had a one mile swim,
and the longest I had previously done was 1/3 mile. As I drove down from Minneapolis, I glanced with apprehension out my car window at the clouds approaching from the south. Radio announcements noted that rain was likely from the I-80 corridor south (right where I was going!). I tooled around the course, which was north of Des Moines, before checking in and finding my campsite. It seemed an easy course to navigate, and I was sure the volunteers would help me if I needed direction. I was ready!
I drove by the check-in for FOUR times before figuring out the YMCA was located in
an old school (and not in the "country club" pool across the street. Oh, well....I
checked in and out with no problems and drove back to my campsite (where it WAS raining!)
and settled in for the evening. I slept well and got up with plenty of time to get
to the race. I drove in and parked near the car exit (a smart move, I found out later)
and walked myself and my gear the rest of the way in. The transition area was filling
up fast, but I got a decent spot in the middle of an end rack. I set up with my "bright"
red bag and got myself marked, then loitered around with the rest of the hardy souls
(around 190 strong, I found out from the race results).
The Swim:
This was to be my first mile swim, and I was somewhat apprehensive. It seemed SOOO
far out to that last buoy! Because I was in the first heat (of two), I was even more
unsure of myself. I was sure I could make it, but how long (and how much of me) would
it take? They told us no wetsuits (the water was quoted as 80 degrees), so at least
I didn't have to worry about getting cold! A quick countdown and we were off! I held
my own, but kept bumping into either the rope or another swimmer for most of the
distance. This kept my pacing off a bit, but I still ended up with my best overall placing
(85th of 193) and a time close to my target (31:30). I crawled out of the water (Man,
that shallow water feels like sludge!) and made it to my bike....(And then....)
T1:
Again, my slooowest event here! Stopping to put on a singlet, socks, shoes, gloves,
glasses and helmet really eats up the seconds (or should I say minutes?!). With a
3:14, I was VERY slow compared to most of the competitors, but I was ready to go!
The Bike:
The bike was to be a very good section for me, but by doing so well on this section,
I would ruin it for the run (but I didn't realize it at the time....). The ride was
into the wind (abt 10 mph) for the first half of the ride, and behind us on the return. I didn't like the few sets of railroad tracks we had to cross; they were at the
BOTTOM of the few hills we had! Very few cheering sections on this part of the course,
except for the volunteers. I tried to drink water here, and managed a bit, but probably should have filled up more (see the run section....). I felt strong, and had many
people pass me in T1, but few on the actual course. Time = 1:19; MPH = 19.0. my odometer
said 25.3 miles, but that's OK! I went my fastest yet in a race, with a top speed
on a fairly flat course of 32.5 MPH! (placed 130 of 193) (Still turtle-like to many
of you; the average speed for the top ten was 24.5+!)
T2:
Much better than T1! I whizzed in and out in 1:48, about average for the competitors.
I didn't have to pee, but I should have (again, forecasting a poor run). Off I lurched
at a snail's pace!
The Run:
Here's where the real story begins....I hadn't done a run this long since several
10K's five YEARS ago, and it showed! Thinking I would be able to pace at about 8:30
(similar to my other two races this year), I thought I would do just fine....UGH!
OUCH! A side stitch hit me at about the first water stop! I walked it and drank a cup of water
(I could have had more....) and then started up again. I just couldn't get rid of
the ache in my side! I made it to the second water stop and walked again. Shuffled
out and walked the third stop (watch said 30 minutes on the button...Uh, oh)..... Seeing
a trend here?..... Walked between stops three and four.... walked stop four (39:50)....
walked three times between stops four and five.... walked stop five (49:40).... walked at about 5.5 miles, then showed a bit of speed (relative, of course) and finished
(59:02 for the run)! I was exhausted by the end of this portion, and I should have
drunk more and had some gels to keep me going. I learned from this race that you
can't just enter and finish with minimal prep....(placed 172 of 193 here. Yikes!)
My total time of 2:54:25 was within my goal of finishing under three hours, but I
felt a better run could have put me closer to 2:45 (a goal for next year). I thoroughly
enjoyed the race up to the run part, but everyone has down days, and this was one
of mine. I put a seed in my mind to be BETTER PREPARED next year! (148 of 193, a decent finish considering my dismal run!) A run closer to what I expected could have put me up 30 places!
And so ends my tri season, the first ever! I have gained lots of new friends, an exciting
sport to watch and participate in, and confidence that I CAN DO IT! See everyone
next year!
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