What a beautiful setting for the race morning! Perfect weather, the sun coming up over the horizon, no wind, and just a nice nip in the air! I took off from the burbs and headed souteast towards Hudson Wisconsin...home of the 9th annual St. Croix Valley Triathlon. My last triathlon of the season this year (and only #2 overall) and I was pretty excited about the race. 1/3 mile swim, a deceiving, yet short 10 mile bike, and a 4 mile run. Not bad, right?! LOL (hamstR).
I arrived around 6:35 in the AM and traffic in town was thick as theives. Cars with bikes everywhere...the smell of triathletes was in the air (gross). As I meandered down the river road, i found the check-in area, but it was packed with cars and people, so I went up the hill around the corner and on the other side of the road blocks and found some good parking just north of check in...maybe 2 blocks away! Score for me. I start to unload "The Lethal" of the roof rack, get the front tire outta the trunk assemble and pump up the tires. I have everything else int he TRI bag, including my wetsuit which I was still in debate to use or not. Tires pumped, backpack snuggly fastened to me and pedaling away in my flip-flops (no, not just flip-flops...but could you imagine...anyway) toward the transition area. I rode into the T-spot and there were already people everywhere, I mean it was shoulder to shoulder packed with racers and fans. I have zero problem with the race fans (friends and family members) being in the transition area pre-race..just as long as we can get what we need to get done, done. So, that being said, it was all good, I just didn't expect so many people...it was actually nice to see so many smiling faces. So, I set up my area right between bike out and run out. Actually think I scored one of the better spots overall, but for some reason it wasn't too full yet...whatever. The racks were perfect height for saddle loading which is nice cause it seems to be able to hold more bikes without cramming them in as opposed to when they are bars to bars. So...time to loosen the load (so to speak) and on to the bathroom. There were biffy's and right by my 'T' area set-up there was a park bathroom! I opted for the flushables this time around, had to wait a bit, but it was worth it. I had my rear zip tri suit on,so using the facilities is a bit more of a chore, I'm over it though.
Got the system cleared out and headed over to my area again to start putting on the wetsuit. I love wearing wetsuits, though, today we probably didn't really need it...it still feels a bit faster (and who doesn't, honestly, like a bit of full body compression). nice beach are for an out and back swim..the swim was 1/3 mile so i was confident that my shoulders would be able to hold up with my 'side-stroking' genius. I was in wave 1...WHAT! Yep, wave 1. Apparently this was an 'older' mans, and womens, race so age group males from 16 to 34 (or 34 and under). Mr. Bongers did the count down and away we went.
The swim was weird right away. usually I opt for the outside to stay outta peoples way, but today i stuck right on the buoys. Tried my best to stay in freestyle mode, but I just can't get a rythm going so I switched it up to side stroke and got comfy. So I'm pulling water sighting yhe buoys on my right wtih my left side in the water...going at a nice pace, mind free of garbage and just trying to find a rhythm. Next thing I hear is this..."Hey, you can still touch here!!!" Then I hear..."these weeds are crazy thick!!!" Now, since I'm on the inside of the pack, I flip over to see whats going on next to me...people are actually walking the swim and holding conversations! Are you kidding me right now, I thought to myself...all kidding aside, this was a first! Got to the turnaround and have been passed by a few good swimmers, but am feeling pretty good about where I was at at this point, so I kept plugging away. The way back to the beach was great...good tempo, easy breathing and sooner than later the beachfront was upon me...so I stood up and headed to T1, wetsuit already half way off!
SWIM: 225 out of 510 2:02 100 yard pace 1/3 mile in 11:52 (I'll take it)
Up the beach, through the tunnel and right into T1. I felt good...sighted my bike and bright red towel and headed in that direction (wetsuit now peeled). Suit off, helmet on (always first thing), feet dry as could be, and I'm on the 'Lethal' and on my way outta the valley. Climbing out of the river valley toward the hilly farm land and I hit a bump, and then I hear....yep, the sound of a water bottle falling to the ground and rolling away quickly. I only brought one bottle and put it in my aero rack behind my seat....bad move. I didn't want to lose any time stopping to pick it up and thought I would be fine with my 'chomps' and my GU.
Into the country through the rolling hills and 'S' turns (tight corners too). Brand new black top and boy is the 'lethal' smoothe! So we're cranking through the miles (there are only 10 in this race) and i come around this corner at a nice clip...and look ...up....holy hell, that is one big hill. It didn't seem to have an end. Now I know what they were joking about before the race. Now mind you, I have been training in the BIG gear all month for this race...I had zero idea that this should have been a small gear race. So I am up out of my saddle hammering as hard as I can and barely moving toward the crest, or what I thought was the crest, of the THIS hill. FINALLY made it to the 'second' top of the hill and was totally shot, out of breath, and I couldn't find air. I relax back down into AERO and then look ahead....oh boy, another biggie on its way. Staying focused and not anxious, i drop a few gears to gain speed and start acceleration up this thing knowing that the 5 mile turn around is close (and it was) and when i got to the top I turned to go back down that monsterous climb (x 3) that I had just made.
onward and downward I hammered the gears! Biggest ratio and just flying, legs on fire but in the best possible way. Now is about mile 6.5 and that big boy that I went up not too long ago is now my fastest descente....EVER. holy horse manure, I looked down at my Garmin and the speedo says 43.7 miles an hour. I'm getting nervous, but 'lethal' is holding her ground so nicely so I tuck harder and see that big...um...corner, hard right corner, oh Sh*&$!!! Still on the descente I'm up and out of aero, peeing my pants in gloriousness and I look over and see multitudes of people pushing, yes pushing, their bikes up the hill. Again a first for me on the bike to witness such a thing. But ya know what, at least they were out there trying their best...mad props! About two miles to go and my calves are cramping (lack of H 2 the Izzo)...a guy with fancy wheels starts to pull away, much to my dismay, and I get passed for the second time on the bike by another guy who looks fit as a fiddle...whatever that means, but I'm feeling good. Coming back through town and toward T2, down into the valley again and, what the bloody hell, a hard right...I'm sideways, literally, and I love it. Bike portion... OVER! 20.9 MPH (16th overall) and it was a tough 10 miles believe it or not.
Into T2, bike racked, shoes off...running shoe on, nope, in-sole slipped forward...shoe off, other shoe on, nope...in-sole slipped on that one too. SWEATY soles anyone? Finally figured out to hold the back of the in-sole while trying to put my feet in. The one drawback to going sockless in a race, so the time I saved is the time I lost and it all comes out even n the end. Cool thing is this, running and cycling barefoot is bada$$!! LOL...so I'm off to the run, finally.
legs were shot right outta the gate. Sipped water in transition and could feel it sloshing around a bit, but no biggie. i was passing people, but being passed as well. The start fo the run was real nice path down by the river (sorta) and then up through town and over the river bridge (st. croix river that is). Feeling pretty crappy at mile 1 just over the bridge, but keeping a good pace, but not fast enough for me to gloat about. hard left toward the bars and me and another guy in my AG were chatting about quitting and going in for a drink. We laughed about it and then moved on...maybe on the way back. So off to mile two and the turnaround, and thats wehn my legs finally came back. now we are moving at the pace we should be (sub 7's), but the earlier portion of the run makes me want to punch myself in the throat, oh well. So i hit it home, and again the story goes...the other guys that I have been pacing were dialed in as well. A few more passed, but no more gettin gpassed and 1 mile to go (4 mile run). I waited too long to hammer down, but here we go. Made up a few more positions and on to the finish where I can hear the announcer (he calls me 'tattoo man') and then around the back side of the boat house to the finsish. And there ya have it! Finished, and TRI season is officially over :(
place 47th out of 510. Time: 1:12:52
missed my goal by 2 minutes 52 seconds...but was in the top 10%!!!
I love racing. The people are great at races, the energy is wild and it just feels good to get up, out of bed and go get something done...for me, and for my kids, and for my Mom, and this one was for Greg (you will walk again...if not on earth, surely in heaven)!
Thanks for keeping up...more reports and stuff to come as we go!
Bishop out!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment