On Thursday night I picked up Chris Anderson at the San Jose Airport. Anyone who knows Chris, knows he's not easy to miss. Donning a bright yellow jacket and a shiny bald head, I pulled up as he was walking out of the terminal. We greeted... went home had dinner, got up the next morning packed up, Bobby arrived and the three of us headed down to Lake San Antonio.
When we arrived it was all about the set up as the weather forecast called for wind and rain. Luckily the tent went up quickly and bed made just as the rain began to lightly sprinkle. I made the long trek from Redondo M to register and then present and pray at the afternoon IronPrayer Service. There we made new friends, caught up with old ones and began to ask God for a safe, dry and successful day of racing. When the service was over teammate Troy Soares and I wanted to get a few miles on the bike to assure mechanics and legs were in proper working order but as we pulled out of camp the rain really began to pour and with the wind, by mile 4 I was ready to head back!
Now wishing I had just kept my bike in the tent and rested on my air mattress, I shivered my way into dry cloths and started the 30 minute process of cleaning my bike. Afterward we settled in for a quick bite of Robin's pasta and casual conversation. Soon it was bedtime (8:30) and last minute preparations for the morning start at lake's edge. As always trying to sleep in a crowded campsite with nothing but a synthetic cloth around you to keep out the elements the sound has complete access... as does the cold. But I was able to get a decent nights sleep.
RACE DAY
My wave, as it always seems to be, was the last of the men's age groups. Meaning I was going to wait a lot! Race starts at 8am with the pros. My wave wasn't until 9:05. Getting into transition after the cold ride down Lynch hill was great... it was effortless. My location in transition was anything but... smack dab in the middle, with limited amount of room due to being on the end of two bike racks put together and some guy who just didn't get the concept of "personal" space! Yet I forged on... setting everything out making accommodations for what I could do. Next body-marking, porta-johning, and strategic fueling! Other than water and Endurolytes the only food I took in was a half of a Clif Bar 30 min prior to race. This is based on the research by Hammer Nutrition stating anything other prior to three hours before endurance activity affects the body's insulin levels negatively and thus performance. I've been testing this on my long training days and it appears to work well for me.
Swim:
The only warm up you get is after the wave before you goes off. In the past I would just jump in get wet and then get out. This time I really warmed up with a good push to the first buoy and back. Just making the time behind the mat and setting my watch for the horn. As we hit the water I felt great. Even my dive felt like it should be a cover shot for Triathlete Magazine! My arm turn over, my sighting, the turn at the first turn was tight and unpunished. I felt some bubbles coming around the turn and they seemed to stay right in front of me so I looked up to see we were headed in the right way and just stayed on his feet getting a nice draft. I do recall a few time looking up seeing ourselves well to the inside by he seemed to correct himself nicely and I was enjoying the ride, but as we were getting close to the turn at the halfway mark, I began to realize this was probably hurting me. So once we made the turn back I found clear water and picked my own sight, the edge of the pier and pushed on. My stroke was consistent and smooth and unlike last year where I had to pull up several times to clear my horribly foggy goggles, my new Blue Seventy Visions were crystal clear. I thought, "I'm having a really good swim and probably will be really close to the 30 min mark if not under it for the first time! When I hit the ramp and looked down I was crushed to see my time was the same as last year. Argh! it had to be the bad choice of holding that draft for so long... oh well, swim and learn. Swim time 32:54
T1 - I decided to try and take off my wetsuit standing, but I'm just not good at it. I need to practice this more I just get stuck at the ankles but once in my bike shoes everything else moves along nicely... Time 3:38
Bike: Here I just remembered the advice of my coach from the previous year... take it out easy work it on the descents and keep a steady rhythm. Although I was about 10th out of transition I was able to quickly pick off a few guys right away; good swimmer but not strong cyclists. At the 10 mile mark the road flattens and the and you get a good chance to see who challenges you and who either drops you or you drop them... for good. Such was the case of three guys who wanted to play what I call "hurry up and slow down." these guys like to prove something by getting in front of you but can't hold the pace so you eventually pass them. Some think this is a legal way of pacing but it really bugs me. So after Mr.Kuota passes me in a flurry and then proceeds to drink and take on nutrition, slowing down to a near crawl and being accused of drafting by another wannabe I just said bye bye and took off! Not what I wanted to do but Homey don't play dat! Again finally being back at my pace and holding all the way through the flats to the turn back toward the lakes I hear a disc wheel approaching... "Wow!" I'm thinking, "a really bad swimmer with strong bike legs... who is this guy?" only to see I'm getting "chicked" rather soundly. Sooooo, I pick up my pace just a tad and keep behind her a good 12-15 meters and ride. we traded positions properly and nicely with some chit-chat about the day and proceed to the bottom of Nasty Grade a two mile section of good climbing. Here we were blocked by a horse trailer slowly moving up the hill at one point she made a dash around... I stayed where I was making a later move. Giving a self-pep talk about the girl pulled away due to a technicality as I approached the top another GIRL rolled on by! This one I couldn't pass off. It was an outright "see ya!" only to be rubbed in by a spectator going, "Come on! You can catch her." I didn't bother to explain why I shouldn't try... Finally at the top of Heartbreak hill come the long fast descents that aren't for the weak at heart. At 53mph and a few gusts of cross winds I kept assuring myself the bike wants to roll forward and not to panic and trust the brakes! I almost caught second girl... the rest of the ride in was just like a training ride. steady, strong and within my target HR. Coach would have been proud. Upon the decent into T-2 I normally take my shoes off but chose my road shoes instead for comfort in this race so was unable to do so making it harder to run into T2. Which was harder than I thought... total bike time 2:46:31
T-2 Although I had a lot of time to check out the transition area... I didn't... and I usually do. Which is why I paid the price for the mistake. I over shot the row... went to the middle of the farther section and had to now look for my spot like a person who lost their car in a mall parking lot! Finally finding it and kicking myself I changed shoes, put my nutrition in my side pouch and realized I hadn't put out my pill box of Endurolytes! Already having wasted time now I would lose more digging in my messy transition bag looking for a little red pouch! Also missing my visor. Finally, finding the pill box I decided I could go without the visor and took off! Time 2:36
Run: What makes this race arguably one of the hardest there is in triathlon is this blankety-blank run! So you always want to start with a good attitude because I will go south... FAST! My pace felt good and within the first mile picked off two guys in my age group; good for my attitude. Judging by the bikes in transition I figured there were about 5 guys out there including myself. My goal going in was a top 5 finish. So I thought alright just hang on to this and you're there. But by mile 3 I was passed by somebody but who could not pull ahead. Soon I was in front of him again. By mile 4 I realized this was gonna get ugly. The hardest climb on the course was about to begin and I was starting to feel like doo dah! My quads began to cramp with every stride and I was glad I took the time to get those Endurolytes! As we began the climb my Nemesis came beside me and we matched stride for stride for a hundred yards or so then he pulled away. Now a pool length behind I wanted to just join the steady stream of those walking up the steep grade... but I remembered making a promise to Jamie Whitmore to think of her on that hill and when I did I though how could I walk this when she would give anything to run it. So I ran! well, I stutterstepped... It's steep people! That thought carried me up the next tough climb though and on the flat backside of the park I began to recover as the Endurolytes kicked in. Mile 7-8 more climbing but strides were steady and strong... mile 9-10 I started looking at my watch and thinking I could really PR big here. According to where the mile markers sat I did the math and it said an 8-8:30 pace would put me in about 5:05-10... the out and back didn't seem to bother me as I was thinking PR... but the guy in my AG that passed me with a choppy little stride did! Then when I got to the top of the hill and realized all that was left was a punishing steep descent down to the finish I looked at my watch and saw that the time was now saying between 5:10-15. Huh? Then it dawned on me... how could mile marker 55 on the bike and mile 12 of the run be nearly 3/4ths a mile apart? Something is wrong here! Total run 1:49:38
Finish: coming into the finish I was happy knowing a PR was definite just not sure by how much but I was ready for it to be over. Although the swim felt strong and wasn't, the bike was managed well and not blazing for my strength and the run started badly and ended uneventfully... passed by two I didn't even seem to care that my hope for a top 5 was gone... that was until I decided to look at the results and there I was in 5th position. I don't know how I missed it but I must of passed a few other guys and not noticed. It's easy to do when the coarse takes everything out of you! Total time 5:15:16
