Prologue | The USTS circuit has garnered a lot of press this year, and I wanted so much to be a part of that! I'd signed up for this race several months ago, back when my training wasn't going so well....but I knew I could be ready in time for a race in JULY! Getting to Madtown mighty early (10:45), I drove around and around trying to get an idea of the course and how to get where I needed to go. I'd already checked in at my KOA Kampground (gotta love those places...they're so cheap!) and needed to check in, get a look at the expo, and get ready for a ride of the run course with Tri-DRS. Finally managed to make it to the check-in, took a cursory glance thru the expo (nothing to write home about...) and headed back to my campsite for some R&R before the ride in the afternoon. Boy how time flies when you're doin' nothin'! I had to get going, or i was going to miss the ride I had set up! I quickly got into my gear, hopped in the car, and headed off to the transition area of the course. I realized about halfway there that I had forgotten my race number for my bike, so I would have to go back and get it before I could leave my bike overnight (as required). Oh, well....Met up with some Tri-DRSers (Scott Spevacek, Mike Randall, Dan DeBehnke, and Joel Falk). What a great group! Chatted on the ride around the lake (kinda got lost a bit, too :-o ) but it was a good plan to check out the course ahead of time. Went back to the campground, checked that I had everything ready for tomorrow, and then checked in the bike and drove the course. What's this about rolling hills?! These are mini-monsters in my book! Even my tiny Honda struggled up some of 'em! Oh Boy! Ate a filling meal at Country Kitchen (Old Country Buffet was too crowded, with a LINE running out its doors....Don't most people have cookouts on the 4th?!) I headed back to camp; listened to the fireworks (over by 10 pm? That's usually when we got them started when I was a kid!) and had a great night's sleep (for once....) |
Race Day | Up at 4:30, I prepared quickly and hustled to the parking at the HS in Madtown...didn't want to truck my gear TOO FAR! Arrived early enough to set up and stretch out quite a bit; met Dan and Mike before the race, as well as Doug McLeod (he'd missed the ride the previous day). I was READY! The announcer droned on and on and on....I wanted some music! Pretty soon, the first wave was told to get ready, and I was smart enough to get in line for the portable bathrooms! Just ten minutes until my wave was in the water, and I was emptying some ballast on the shore ---- what timing! |
The Swim | My goal for the swim was to finish under 30 minutes at the outside; 26 would probably be a best case scenario due to my lackluster swim training this year....I did have more open water swims, though, so my navigation should have improved! I'm in wave four, and before I know it, I'm getting ready --- two minutes and counting! The nerves are jangling, and I almost can't clear my watch! Thirty seconds! Ten! The horn sounds, and I'm gone! Yahoo! I'd seeded myself near the middle front this time, 'cause I figured there'd be faster swimmers there (all the better to draft and fight them to the finish!) I was immediately sorry, as I was kicked, punched, and swum over several times in the opening 200 or so. But, I did get out pretty well, and made it to the first turn with no problems. The second leg was smooth, and the last leg seemed to take FOREVER! Eventually, I was near the finish, and was contending with some dufus from my wave for a beeline to the shoreline. He kept swimming to the left (and out to the middle of the lake) and proceeded to swim over me two or three times in the last 400 or so! Get away from me! Navigation was going very well up until this last section, 'cause my goggles were fogging and the sun was blinding me a bit....Finally, the shore was underneath me, mud, muck and all, and I jumped out, and jogged into the transition area....26:42, not under 26, but definitely OK considering my lack of training here! |
The Bike | T1 went smoothly, albeit slow (2:22, darn that wetsuit!), and I was on the bike! Time to see if the hills are gonna get me! I warmed up in the opening stretch of about two miles through the arboretum, and then picked it up a notch. The rollers here were gentle, and I took them well. Then about mile three, we exited the arboretum and cranked up an incline to the Beltway. UGG! Why am I doing this? I'm barely moving! 9 mph? Oh No! And there are more! I do make it up this short incline, and soon it flattens out; I can hammer now, and I do! At about miles 6-12, there are quite a few steep, short hills, where I slooooowly crank up them and speed down the other side. I don't feel fast, and am getting passed by so many people I lose count! But I'm still going forward! I make it to the bike halfway point, and see that I'm averaging about 19 mph; not bad, considering all the hills! The second half has more downhill sections, so I pick up a little time. Dan DeBehnke passes me at about 20 miles, and looks MUCH better than I do! Go get 'em, Dan! I continue to crank out the miles, and pretty soon, I'm nearing the transition area! Wait! It can't be! My watch says 1:12, and I was only hoping to break 1:20! Yowsa! Took a look at my odometer after the race, and it showed only 24 miles, instead of 24.8 .... must have been a bit short :-o !!! Now I'm cookin'! Averaged just under 20 mph (good for me, with those hills!), and hopped thru transition in a semi-speedy 1:41. On to the run! |
The Run | Having previewed the run course on bike, I knew what to expect here. And that was a good thing! I felt kinda ragged at first, and just plodded along at a steady pace. Hit the "mile 1" marker at 6:45! (No way! Gotta be short!) and kept going. Hit the second water stop and grabbed a GU; the water wasn't enough, and I had vanilla snot for about a quarter mile! Doug McLeod caught up to me at about this point, and we chatted a bit, and we exchanged places over the next few miles (I'd stop at the water stops, and he'd pass me up by making quicker gulps!). Had another GU at mile 4, and then I started to feel the speed slipping away....Mile 5 came up, and I was almost outta gas.... I just had to make the last mile! Doug pulled away for good at mile 5, and I watched him get smaller and smaller at every turn .... I had nothing left, and then the final turn was here! Up over the bridge (why is there a hill?!) and toward the finish! No sprint left, I just took it in at what I hoped looked smooth. Turned into the finish chute, and saw the clock at 2:31:48 .... I can make it! Under 2:32! I cranked out what little reserves I had left, and charged :-) the finish line! Across in 2:32:03! Yeah! |
Postscript | A super finish to a great race! This race was well-organized, and the food was plentiful (although hard to find at first...); I was glad to have finished before the start of the pro race at 10:30! Ate some food, downed lots of water, and ate some more! Chatted with Doug for a while, and got ready for the pros. The camera at the ready, and I was rarin' to go! So amazing! The pro men were first, and out of the water in 17-18 minutes; women were let go about seven minutes after, and out in 19-20 minutes! Way better than me! The bike was ITU draft-legal, so packs formed early on this 4-loop course around the lake. Man, were they fast! Soon enough, they were off the bike and onto the run --- and they had to run UP the hill we got to run down! And they had to do it THREE TIMES! The run course was set up to go by the post-race area, so spectating was great! The pros shot around that course at a speed akin to my biking! And looked for the most part like it was a cakewalk! Nick Radkewich and Barb Lindquist both powered out excellent races to win by large margins. Whatta race! Now, if only I could tap into some of their speed....Heart of the Lakes Tri in Annandale is next up, on July 19th. |