Message posted by: Robert B.
This race was Sept. 1. I wrote it in Word to paste here, then after I wrote it, realized that olympic race reports probably shouldn’t be longer than IM reports. Sorry!….
My first olympic distance tri. I did a sprint back in 2005. I started seriously training in May after signing up for the Austin Tri. I used the Ontri training program as a guide, but mixed it up as my schedule permitted, and did more bricks than the program included.
On Sunday afternoon (day before race), after registering and getting my kit at the Hyatt, and then checking in and setting up my bike in the transistion zone, we went out and I had a large plate of crab linguini alfredo plus more wine and beer than I should have had. Went to bed at 9:30 and I slept pretty good, except had dreams of the race, and woke up a few times. Got out of bed at 5:30. My wife drove me to the race site, but they had the main roads blocked for the race, and we ended up being forced to drive over Town Lake into the city center with no apparent way to get back because they had coned off the return lane for the race. We ended up driving between the cones and down the race path to the other side. We finally got close to where I was supposed to be, and it was a little after 6 AM, we were flustered about the road being blocked, so when I got to the body marking area I realized I forgot to grab my Gatorade bottles, and my wife was headed back to the hotel.
Nothing to panic about though, yet.
Got body marked, got to the transition area, and they said in 20 minutes they were closing the transition zone. I’d better move. Got to the bike, laid out my stuff, and really had to go so I get to the porta potty line and there’s a line of about 30 guys. Then I look down and see everybody has their chip on except me. Uh-oh. It took about 15 minutes to get through that line, in and out, run back to my bike, they announce “let’s clear out the transition zone people, or we can’t start the race”. It’s about 6:45 and I race to get my chip on, my bib attached to my shirt (for the bike portion), call my wife on my cell to meet me by the swim start with the Gatorade, then off to the swim starting area. Down my large coffee, two breakfast bars, and three cups of water. Start to loosen up and stretch. I was wishing I could get in the water to warm up, but they didn’t allow that. I’m in the 5th wave, starting at 7:25. I’m looking around for my wife and kids.
At about 7:15 I see Anne and the boys. Anne manages to get a quick photo of the boys and I. Anne’s got the bottles, and I tell her to hang on to them, I’ll grab ’em when I get out of the water. Then they call the 45+ group to form up. We move out to the pier and wait a few. This is it. I’m loose and relaxed, a little nervous but not bad. OK, time too jump in. The water’s a little chilly but not bad. Side stroke to the starting line, get goggles positioned, wish people around me good luck, then the countdown. I found my self in the middle of the pack. Not really where I wanted to be, but oh well, too late now. Then we’re off. Can’t believe I’m actually doing this!
After about 300 m I start feeling a little winded, and begin to think to myself maybe I should have done a sprint. But I usually feel this way at the start of a swim, and after 600-700 m I usually get in a groove. This seems much longer than the pool though. I got kicked and hit a couple times, but I expected it, and I just adjusted position. I finally get to the railroad trestle and I thought that was where we make the turn, but NO! there’s still at least 300m more until the turn. This is going on forever. I’m about at the turn and some pink capped females pass me. The first of the women’s group that five minutes after me! That’s a little discouraging but I make the two turns OK, and it’s time to head back. I kept drifting to my right, and had to keep slowing for sighting about every 15-20 strokes. That slowed me down a lot. Toward the end I got the hang of lifting my head while continuing my stroke, and that started to work OK. A few times I had somebody to my
right, and used him to judge my direction. After what seems a long, long time I get to the final turn, and start the home stretch. Just keep moving. I’m finally there, a volunteer grabs my arm and I’m out. A little dizzy but not bad. Make my way up the path and see Anne and boys, they are cheering me, I smile, and she hands me the bottles. I’m running to the bike, a volunteer offers me a drink and sees the Gatorade, and it must have appeared that I swam the whole thing with two Gatorade bottles!
T-1 Could have gone much better, but I had lots of dirt on my feet, and one of the pins for my number bib was not there, so I had to make a quick fix which probably cost me close to a minute. I wear my running shoes, and don’t have bike shoes, so a little more time is spent tying the running shoes.
I ran the bike out and did another stupid thing. I grabbed my gloves thinking I can put them on while riding (?). It turns out I can’t so I had to stop and put them on as I was just holding them. Next time they stay in my bag. That cost me at least 45 seconds. The bike went OK, all urban, 3 loops, so a number of turnarounds and 3 long grades on Congress St. (but the downhills were fun!). I passed a lot of people and many passed me. Some of the more experienced types with the tri bikes wizzed by very close on my left (and some on the right) without saying a word while I was also passing people on my right. I let them know how I felt about it, as I always took care to glance behind me before pulling out to pass and I let people know I was passing when in tight spots. My legs were feeling pretty good, but the balls of my feet and toes were going numb, I guess because of the constant pressure. I went through only one of the 16 oz.gatorade bottles on the ride. Halfway throug
h the final lap, I couldn’t hold it any longer so pulled off the road and went behind a tree in a park to pee. Much better. Then finished it up and ran the bike in to rack it.
Starting in on the run, I was feeling pretty good physically and mentally, but this was the part I was worried about. The run is my strongest skill, but I worried about how I was going to hold up. I had done the total Oly distance before but only in the gym, not the real thing. My legs felt great starting out, not heavy at all, no pain anywhere. All the bricks I did really paid off. There were only a couple grades. The first time around these hills weren’t too bad, but the second time around they were a little tough, esp. the bridge. I kept assessing how I felt, and aside from legs being tired, felt really good. In the 2nd loop, I passed a man who had “73” on his calf. 73 years old! Whatever feeling sorry for myself thoughts I had, stopped right there. What an inspiration! Anne and the boys were situated a few hundred yards from the finish, and I passed them up and back on both loops, and their cheers and high fives really got me going. I felt very relaxed throu
gh it all. I could have done without those 3 or 4 kids with the water guns, esp. on the first loop. I made a wide turn around them but one of ‘em got me on the butt. As expected, the last mile and a half or so was tough, esp. ascending the bridge, but once I made the turn and was on the downturn, I felt great. It was so great through it all to see and hear the volunteers and spectators cheering everybody on. It was really a great atmosphere. I passed Anne and the boys one last time, slapped their out-stretched hands as I went by, told the kids with the water guns I was all theirs and their eyes just lit up, and they lit me up with their blasters. I started to pour it on and sprinted through the finish line. A volunteer handed me an ice cold towel, another got my chip, and I headed for the porta potty, then to the New Belgium tent for a brew, where I hooked up with Anne and the boys.
I saw the clock at 3 hrs. and 20 minutes when I finished and was a little bummed because I was hoping for under 3 hours. I thought that swim was what did it; that was tough. It was only later that I figured out that the clock time was from the start of the race. Pretty dumb of me.
So the final times were:
Swim: 34:19.35 (2 mins slower than pool)
T1: 5:54.15 (this needs work)
Bike: 1:22:43.50 (about as expected)
T2: 1:59.75
Run: 49:56.15 (about as expected)
Overall: 2:54:52.90 (I can live with that)
OK, so now I have to work on my swim and bike, and be better organized and make sure next time I get there two hours before the start!
I can’t describe how good it felt not only to finish, but to be part of the whole experience. They did a wonderful, first rate job of the entire triathlon, it was well organized, and the volunteers were outstanding. I cannot wait until my next triathlon. I am hooked. I owe thanks to my wife Anne, my two boys Ty and Nathan at home, and my older kids Justin (in Navy) and Natalie (in college) for their support and encouragement. In addition, the Ontri community has been a valuable source of learning and encouragement and I thank you all as well.
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