Kure Beach Double Sprint Results and Reflections

Race #3 completed this morning. I was up at 4:30 to load the car and get some oatmeal and coffee down before leaving. I got to KB just before 6, got my timing chip and marked (they write your bib number on your arms and legs), and headed to the bike transition area for tech support. Tech support was the usual pumping up tires. It's sort of amazing to me that triathletes aren't generally more bike savvy. I'm no genius, but I can pump up a tire. I was on the beach by 7:45 to set up my beach transition area before the 8 am start time. This race is unusual in that there are two transition areas rather than one. The beach TA is used for transitioning from the swim to run, and then back from run to swim at the end of the race. There I place a bucket of water to rinse my feet, my running shoes, and socks. The bike TA just housed my bike and helmet. I didn't get really nervous until right before the race, which went like this:

Swim 1 (375 meters): The water temp is a very comfortable 80 degrees. The wind wasn't bad, and the Frying Pan Shoals buoy predicted 2' at 7 secs, so I planned on decent swim conditions. Despite this, there was a fair amount of chop on the water, and the waves were 2-3'. I still had my best race swim yet though. I was in the second wave, which started at 8:04. My coworker Covi and I stood at the back of the pack to avoid being run over by better athletes. At the buzzer we all ran out into the water and started pushing through until it was about waist deep, which was a bit out. I think there was a little bit of a rip, because before I knew it I was rounding the first buoy. I still sidestroked a lot, but there was more crawling than previously, so that's good. I eventually made it back onto the beach, where I dragged my ass through the soft sand to the TA, dropped my swim cap and goggles in my water bucket to await my return, and put on my running shoes.

Run 1 (1.5 miles): I'm a slow runner, especially after a swim. My legs felt like dead weight. It got better the further along I went. There were lots of nice folks standing on their lawns (the run went through a residential area) cheering us on and spraying hoses into the street for anyone who wanted to cool off. It was a very hot run. Volunteers did a good job distributing water at 3 or 4 points on the run course. Covi and I ran the last half mile or so together. Arrived at bike TA and slapped my helmet on.

Bike (20k or 12 miles): The bike course was almost perfectly flat and smooth and very fast. It ran out and back in 3 mile legs, and so was done twice to get in the full 12 miles. Heading out there was a little headwind, but not bad. Covi and I jockeyed for position. A lot of people passed me. I drank my bottle with electrolyte replacement and snacked on GU Chomps. Overall the bike went pretty well, but there isn't a lot to say about it. I checked my computer when I got home and I averaged 19 mph (its probably a little higher because my ride to and from the TA and any walking around with the bike is included in that average). The bike is still my favorite part. Into the TA, racked the bike and stowed my helmet.

Run 2 (1.5 miles): Out of the TA and back to the water the way we came originally. Not far into this run I had to stop and stretch my legs for a minute, which wasn't good for the rest of my race. Second run was hotter, because the sun climbed higher while I was biking, and there wasn't much breeze in that neighborhood. Finally got back to the beach, stripped the shoes and socks and picked up my cap and goggles, which I put on as I ran up the beach to the swim start (about 250 yards on soft sand, brutal).

Swim 2 (375 meters): I kept telling myself that the last swim would go fine, and mostly it did. It felt sooo good to get in the cool water. Once again I was around the first buoy in no time at all. I sidestroked very little this time, I think because my nerves were settled and I was almost done. Usually the swim is first and I think I get psyched out by the fact that I'm racing and swimming in the ocean. This time I relaxed and just freestyled along at a comfortable pace, breathing every other stroke and checking my heading every now and then. I felt cramps looming in my legs, so I trying not to use them too much. They set in after I rounded the second buoy and turned towards shore. At first it hurt a lot, but it didn't really matter because part of my swim training has been with a float in the pool so that I don't use my legs at all and I use my upper body to pull through the water. But when I got to where I could put my feet down I did so because I was exhausted, which exacerbated the cramps. I bodysurfed in as much as I could, but I had to run up the beach about 20' to the finish line, which was very hard and very painful because my thighs were locked up in a continuous cramp. Still, I managed across and just got out of the way and started rubbing the muscles to relax them. I hobbled over to a water table and sat down and kept massaging my thighs and drinking water until I could walk.

Then I was done. I got my stuff and packed up and drove home.

Results:

Swim 1 (375 meters): 11:00

Run 1 (1.5 miles): 15:11

Bike (20k or 12 miles): 36:14

Run 2 (1.5 miles): 16:33

Swim 2 (375 meters): 13:46

Total Time: 1:32:42

Place Overall Men's: 229/289

Place Men 30-34: 32/33

.

Still not last in my age group! Not the improvement I was hoping for, but that's ok. TRAIN HARDER. This may have been my last tri for this year. We're moving to FL in August. So now I'll go into a long term training mode, and hopefully by the time I pick it back up again I'll have something to show for it. Either way I'm having fun and getting fit.

Kure Beach Double Sprint Triathlon

Sunday morning I'll be in my third race, the Kure Beach Double Sprint. Once again, the format is a little unique. It begins with a 375 meter ocean swim, then a 1.5 mile run, a 12 mile bike, another 1.5 mile run, and finishes with a repeat of the swim. It's called a double sprint, but the distances are actually the same, so it's really just a normal sprint with more transitions and wacky order. I've been training with some intensity, so I'm feeling pretty good about it. Right now they're calling for warm weather, light offshore breeze, and small seas, which is good for me. I'll post my thoughts on the race on Sunday afternoon/evening.

Good luck to folks paddling around Bald Head tomorrow. I'd join you if I weren't racing the next day. Cheers.

Surf and Turf Super Sprint

Finished my second race today, the Surf and Turf Super Sprint in Surf City, NC. Woke at quarter til 5, got my stuff (prepacked) and drove up to Topsail. There by 6. Met the boss, got my packet, helped set up Tech support area, set up my transition area, and then pumped tires for an hour. Nothing too exciting here. I ate a Clif Bar for breakfast and downed a gel 15 mins before the start at 8.

The Swim (750 meters): was brutal. Ocean swim, comfortable at 70 degrees in my ls spring suit. I started with the second wave. Seas looked fairly calm to me from the beach at 7, but I think the tide was coming in and it picked up by 8 to fairly choppy for a swim (my first ocean swim). Had I been surfing I would have called it waist/stomach high. Getting out through the breakers was pretty rough, despite my comfort with being in the surf zone from almost 10 years surfing. Once I made it around the first buoy I settled into a pace that was OK, but all I could think about was getting it over with. I finally rounded the last buoy and swam for shore. The run across the beach to the TA was pretty rough and my legs felt like they would give out, but I was stoked to be done with the swim and going into the first bike leg.

Bike 1 (4 miles): Into the wind on the first half, with it for the second. Averaged 17/18 into the wind, 20/21 with. Drank some water from my bottle with GU2O electrolyte replacement to stave off cramps.

Run 1 (2 miles): Not too bad. Ran my standard pace of 10 min/mile (too slow). It seemed longer than 2 miles. There was a beach leg, mostly on hard sand, but the stairs over the dunes and soft sand on the upper beach was rough.

Bike 2 (4 miles): Better than the first bike, same average into the wind, but picked it up slightly for the second half. Ate a GU gel halfway thru to help me through the last run.

Run 2 (1 mile): A little faster paced than R1. Jubilation at being almost finished.

Times and Places:

Swim: 22:21
B1: 15:12
R1: 20:58
B2: 13:12
R2: 9:27
Finish Time: 1:21:07

Place Overall Men's: 96/131 competitors
Men 30-34: 11/13 competitors

Lessons Learned and Reflections: Again, I need to get better (if not faster, at least more comfortable) at swimming. Specifically I need to practice swimming from the beach out through the breakers, and then back in. I'm going to spend as much time in the pool (and ocean) before Kure Beach as I can. I've got to run and bike faster, and in succession. I WILL IMPROVE BY MY NEXT RACE (June 28). I was finished by 9:30 and Aimee was there, so we walked over to the beach and I stood in the water for a few minutes to cool down, then packed up and rinsed off, changed, watched half of the awards ceremony, then drove home. Halfway home I was suddenly exhausted and starving. At home I showered and ate 3 black bean enchiladas and then went to work for the day. Tonight my folks are in town and took us to our favorite restaurant for my favorite curry, and it was excellent as always. I'm not too stiff yet, but I'm sure tomorrow will be a different story.

24 Hours to the Surf and Turf Super Sprint

Right now tomorrow I should be either running or on a bike in my second triathlon in Surf City, NC on Topsail Island. I've got to get up there by 6 a.m. to get my race packet and help with tech support for Two Wheeler. I've been training some; not dedicated swim/bike/run for hours every day, but making sure I get some physical activity in. I joined the Y and I've been using the elliptical and swimming there. I ride my bike rather than use my car all the time, and I've gone on a few runs too. Today I'm resting, getting my stuff together, and hanging with my folks. I'm a little nervous about the swim; it could be calm and glassy or big and mean based on what the wind does in the next 24 hrs. Otherwise I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it goes.

...Tri, Tri Again

I've signed on for my second race, the Surf and Turf Super Sprint Triathlon in Surf City, NC. The race is next Saturday morning (May 16) and consists of a 750 meter ocean swim, a 4 mile bike, a 2 mile run, a 4 mile bike (again), and a final 1 mile run to finish. It's a strange format. It's pretty soon after White Lake, but I can't think of any good reason not to do it. My entry is comped by my employer, I already bought all the essentials that I needed for the first race and therefore have what I need for the second, and I get a T-shirt out of it. I rested on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and then started training again. Yesterday I ran to work (almost 4 miles) and today I rode the bike to the Y, joined and swam. I'm wearing about ten too many pounds of fat right now, so I'm going to up my cardio and burn that crap off.

I haven't posted my official results from White Lake yet because they've got my time off by 10 minutes. I've been assured by the organizers that it will be fixed, at which point I'll put it up.

White Lake Sprint

I finished my first race this morning in about 1:40. I drove up to our cabin (Two Wheeler Dealer is a sponsor and does tech support, so we warrant a cabin) to spend the evening and prepare for the race. There were about 8 guys in the group. My boss, Jim, was kind enough to cook burgers and walk me through race procedure. Reggie Barnes hung out with us, which is pretty cool because he was a pro skater and is pretty connected in the action sports world and owns Eastern Skateboard Supply, which is one of the biggest skate product distributors in the country. I once met Tony Alva and Skip Engblom at his annual open house, which was super cool. Anyway, I never got nervous last night like I thought I might, and even managed a decent night sleep. Today began before dawn. I had a cup of black coffee and a banana for breakfast, then took my stuff to the transition area and set it up, again with Jim's able guidance. We did the tech support thing for a while, which mostly consists of pumping up tires, and at around 7:30 I left to get dressed and ready.

.

Because of the previously mentioned mix-up (the event folks had me registered for the Half-Ironman rather than the Sprint) I got stuck in the first open place available for the start time, which was female age groups, the 5th wave, starting at 8:12. Immediately before the race I ate a powerbar, went to the john, put on race shorts and wetsuit (courtesy of Kim, thanks), grabbed my swim cap and goggles and walked down to the water to wait for my wave.

.

The Swim (750 meters): I jumped in when the 3rd wave was starting and started to make my way up to the start line. I got some pretty funny looks because everyone else in my wave was female, and I was a little scruffy this morning from not shaving for a couple days. At about 8:15 they announced our start in 10 secs, I started my stopwatch, listened for the air horn, and started swimming. The swim course consisted of three pretty evenly spaced legs, forming a big triangle. I immediately swam over to the left of the pack to have a little space for myself and started swimming. At the completion of the first leg I was getting a little winded from the freestyle stroke and switched to a sidestroke for the rest of the swim. I have got to become a better swimmer. I'm surprised that it was that bad, because my training went pretty well, but I think that I was caught up in the fact that I was actually swimming in the race and not in the pool and didn't focus on a pace that was comfortable for me. Also, Kim's wetsuit was a little small for me and it was the first time I swam in it, so I think that didn't help either. Regardless of these excuses, the answer is that I need to become a better swimmer. The second half of the swim was pretty much all sidestroke, I was breathing heavy, and I wanted the swim to be over. I crawled out of the water 20 mins after I started and started jogging down the pier. I stopped and stripped out of the wetsuit and carried it into the transition, where I pulled on my socks, shoes, and helmet, downed some water with an electrolyte replacement powder mixed in, grabbed the bike and trotted to the bike start line.

.

The Bike (14 miles): consisted of two laps around the lake, each 7 miles. I spent the first half of the first lap recovering from the swim at a pace of about 18 mph. After that I was feeling pretty good and picked it up to around 20 for the remainder. I think I could have gone faster, but I was concerned about leaving myself enough to run, so I settled into a pace that I was comfortable with. The course was flat and mostly smooth with two spots where you had to make right turns. On the second lap I was starting to feel really good, and passing people who had passed me before (though there were some fast people that passed me throughout the ride). I tucked into aerobars and focused on racing, and it was a thrill. I don't know exactly how long I was on the bike. The computer says the wheels were moving for 46:05, but that includes moving into and out of the transition area, so I'm guessing 45 mins on the bike (I'll know more when the results are posted on the web).

.

The Run (5k): My run transition was pretty fast, I think. I biked in my running shoes, so all I had to do was rack the bike, take off my helmet, put on a hat, and start moving. I did take the time to finish my electrolyte drink and grab a pack of Jelly Belly energy beans (which I had pre-opened). The first couple of minutes running felt pretty weird, coming off the bike, and I was a little worried that my calves would cramp up, but they never did. There were people packed around the start of the run, which was also the finish (it's an out-and-back course), and they were all cheering and yelling, which was motivating. I felt OK during the run, not great, but I was doing it, and I was excited to be almost done. I saw Jim and a few other people on the run course. At the turn around I was getting pretty anxious to get to the finish, but I maintained a reasonable pace. I picked it up with about a quarter mile left, and sprinted out the last 100 yards or so. People were yelling and I heard my name announced and that was it. I was done.

.

Aftermath: Aimee came to welcome me across the finish line, and I gave her a sweaty hug. I exchanged congrats and handshakes with friends and coworkers. Aimee and I walked down to the lake and I sat in it for a minute and waited for my heart rate to drop to a normal level. She brought us a picnic lunch, which she went to get while I took a cold shower and loaded everything into the car. We ate ham and avocado sandwiches and sat on the pier listening to the awards ceremony. Then we left. I came home and took a nap, then we went for a walk downtown and got a coffee. I feel a little stiff, but pretty good (of course, there are a couple of Advil and a rum and ginger ale helping that). I'm happy with my race. It was new and it was fun. I'm glad I did it, and I think I'll do some more. I need to get better at all three sports. I'm interested in seeing how I compare to my peers, so I'll post the official results as soon as they're available. Cheers.

Race Prep

Tonight is my last night at home before the race. Tomorrow morning I'll go to work, after which I will leave straight for White Lake. Since we're doing race support, the shop has a cabin right at the finish line. I'll crash there tomorrow night, wake up in the morning very early, pump up some tires until it's time to go, and then start swimming at 8:06. Tonight I'm gathering everything I need, or think I need, for the race. I dreamt last night that I was in the race and didn't have all kinds of things that I needed, like my race number, goggles, or helmet. It was a stressful dream. When I told my boss and coworker, both Ironmen, about it this morning, they laughed and told me I was on the right track, which I interpreted meant that it was good I was worrying because that would make sure I had everything I need. Right now it's all laid out in on the guest bed.

There was a little mix-up in the registration, so right now I'm registered for tomorrow's half Ironman race, which I laughed heartily at. I've been assured that it'll be worked out. We'll see.

I got a haircut for the race. I'm ready. Check Sunday night to see how it all went down.

White Lake Sprint Triathlon, 7 Days Out

I rode 47 miles on the bike today! That's the most miles I've ever clocked in a single day. I did about 15 before work on my FX, and then my coworker and friend Kim asked if I wanted to ride out to Snow's Cut on River Rd. after work (about 28 miles round trip). I need the training, and she's done multiple tri's including an Iron distance race, and has been a personal trainer, so I said hell yes. At 5 I grabbed a Giant Defy 2 from the store and we hit the pavement. The ride out was into a reasonably stiff headwind, which made for a tailwind on the return trip. I hung with her for the first 2/3 of the ride, but she was waiting for me at lights by the end. I probably bit off a little more than I could chew, but that's OK cause I got a good ride in. At one point we were going 25/26 mph and it was awesome. I was absolutely starving by the end of it, but I still had to switch bikes back at the store and then pedal home, another 4 miles. I got some killer cramps about a mile from home and had to stop and stretch/rest. Then I devoured a meal of spicy spaghetti w/ spicy sausage meatballs, Caesar salad, and bread.

Lessons learned:
1. I need to work on my endurance and speed.
2. I need to make sure I take enough water and nutrition with me all the time, so that if my body is craving calories and hydration, I can take care of it.
3. Invest in a good pair of bike shorts. Tonight I wore tri shorts, which have less padding, and it felt like it.

Tomorrow Aimee and I will be joining Mike for a paddle up Alligator Creek on Eagle's Island in hopes of recreating Thursday's encounter for Aimee. Then I'm going to cook my baby dinner. Have a good Sunday. Cheers.