first race recap
was nervous, like I always am, and to top it off, I arrive LATE. So late, that I was the last one to get my stuff from registration. The transition was all crowded, and I barely had space.
I made my way to the water, and I arrived as the first wave was started by CANNON. It was 4 minutes per wave, and I was in wave #6.
I bumped into Matt West, a triathlete I coach in the pool and part of my impetus for this race, as well as Stephen McKenna, another swimmer who I race at meets (but who has yet to beat me in the pool). I tell them I'm worried about the run, and ask for advice on the swim.
In just a few minutes, my wave (including Matt and Stephen) line up. I decide, "fuck it, might as well start in the front and middle..." and I stand right behind this random guy who swims in and out just as I get ready.
The cannon starts, and we're off! Or more like a slew of arms and legs are off. I can't make heads or tails of it, but soon, I find Stephen and I draft off of him. I don't know the course, and I know he does. That goes well until there's more of my group up on my right and they push me over, and Stephen goes gone off to the left. So I speed up, and pass the people on my right, and pretty soon, I'm in open water. So I try to navigate and keep it all up.
Soon, I start passing people from the wave ahead of me (the collegiate Olympic distance) left and right. It gets a bit harry with the waviness, and I get lost a bit, but I keep on keepin' on. I round the last few bouys, and I don't feel tired, but I can't keep a straight line so that my energy is used well. No damn line on the bottom. Regardless, I start heading towards shore, as some folks in boats tell me that I'm going the wrong way, and then as suddenly as I started, I'm on the beach again. I have to run about 200yards to get to the "beep" where my time on the swim stops. I figure, that I must've swam an 18 high, but with the run at the end, it was a 19:52. I was first in my age group (behind eventual winner, Matt West). It felt good.
I was TOTALLY confused at my transition. I got passed by at least two or three person from the collegians, and some folks from my group got a bit closer.
The bike was FREEZING. I really should've worn socks. My feet FROZE. I wasn't going nearly as fast as I'd gone in training bricks. I was stuck at 22.2 mph. Of course, that didn't count the slow ass start (15mph for several miles), and the shitty dismount/transition where I fell. But the ride itself was nice. I passed a ton of people, and only 4 people from my age passed me. The last guy from my group passed me as I fell on the "transition line". I couldn't decide wether to unclip my feet, or to unlace my shoes, all as I was tired, on the line, and at a dead stop. Bad planning.
My second transition felt like an eternity. I was tired, and my shoes didn't want to go on, and my insole slipped. But I was off none the less. After T2, I was 5th out of 20 in my age group.
Then the run.
HOLY SHIT. I'm not yet a runner. At all. I tried some advice from a runner about running on the balls of my feet, and trying to land so that my feet are at the center of gravity. Well, my feet barely moved, and I must've been taking 3 feet long strides. Immediately, I was being passed. In the beginning, there was hope. I passed one person who was doing a Duathlon. But that was it. I got passed by 30 to 40 people. Perhaps more. Including one 62yo lady who ran me down like a dog, and a 57 year old man with a hunchback. It felt like EVERYONE passed me. I saw people that I left way back on my swim.
The worst of it was that my heart wasn't even beating fast. I was talking and chatting with the volunteers like the Sunday morning it was. However, my knees were in excruciating pain. It felt like what I imagine arthritis to feel like. It felt like my ligaments were being pulled and torn and my joints were rubbing and swelling. My muscles weren't even working. It was ALL PAIN. I was actually going the SLOWEST of everyone in my age group. I was 20 out of 20 on running speed.
Regardless, I keep it up. I didn't stop running, in spite of the pain. I shuffled all the way to the finish, and ended up 11th out of 20 in my age group with a time of 2:39, nine minutes off the time I thought I would do.
Of course, Stephen barely passed me on the bike, and finished 2nd in our age group, and Matt West finished first overall. But I was happy.
If I get my run on, and with a bit of experience, I hope to beat Stephen. And with some time, perhaps challenge Matt. I know I can beat them both in the pool, and with some more training, perhaps on the bike. My run has A LOT to improve, but from 10 minute miles, there's quite a lot to go.
It was fun.
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