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 Swim
Comments: Sure enough, it was a scrum-- people everywhere, and very difficult to find a clear line and follow it through. I just kept on going, pausing when people cut me off, then getting back into gear. A few times I had a clearish spell, and near the end was actually feeling quite strong and good-- it just took that long for spacing to clear out somewhat! I did a good job rounding the buoy and sighting this time-- then again, sighting's easy for Chicago on the way back: just look at/for the skyline! Note that the swim time here includes the 400-metre run back to T1 from the time we got out of the water (for some reason the timing mats were placed by T1 rather than nearer the water exit-- dunno why). So actually, I swam better than this time suggests, which is good to know. What would you do differently?: One thing: when I kept half my breakfast in the small bag I took away from transition, I forgot to include a bottle of water. Should've done that, particularly on such a hot day! So next time when I have a long wait before I go, I'll be sure to drink more.  Transition 1
Comments: The official results didn't post transition times, and I opted not to hit my watch for this race, so dunno what the numbers are here. Felt okay, though-- after the 400-metre run on various surfaces (some smooth, some ow ow ow), the grass of T1 was a relief! Found my bike with no problem, got the rest of my wetsuit off (the usual half-off-with-cap-and-goggles-in-sleeve worked fine), then donned shoes, helmet, glasses, and gloves. Grabbed a quick swig of water, then off I went. What would you do differently?: Some people left shoes on the sidelines to wear on that 400-metre run-- I opted not to, but might next time: some of the asphalt had painful gravel on it, and I was hoping nothing was actually cutting my feet (and nothing did).  Bike
Comments: Looking back, I probably could've gone a bit harder, though I'm pleased with my general pace here. The time training up at the cottage went to good use: the hills up there were a lot harder than LSD's gentle rollers, so I had no difficulty with the terrain. The course talk had mentioned to watch for potholes-- and there were plenty, particularly between lanes (they'd closed off the inner two lanes in each direction for us, which meant that cars were whizzing by on the outer lanes as well). Saw some potholes that would indeed have swallowed a front tire and sent me flying if I'd hit them, so I picked my spots for passing carefully-- other riders weren't so lucky: saw several folk with flats, and water bottles littered the ground in particularly bumpy places. Still, I managed to get through it pretty well, and with no problems in my hands, either. (My butt hurt by the end of it, though-- there's only so much vibration a carbon seat post can absorb!) I also managed to drink pretty well from both water and Vitalyte bottles, which was good. What would you do differently?: Probably gone harder-- I was concerned about the run, though, particularly given the hot/humid conditions. Looking back, I realize the run was going to be long and hard that day no matter what, so I could've hit the bike portion a bit faster. Still, of the three elements that day, this one was my favourite! Transition 2
Comments: I have bike-specific rather than tri-specific shoes, so the spiffiness of taking my feet out while still pedaling and flying dismounts are beyond me. But I managed to dismount and move pretty well through the trees back to my transition area. Crowding meant I had to move one person's front wheel to get my bike racked, but then I changed pretty fast and headed on out to the run course. What would you do differently?: Umm...gone to a less crowded race? Seriously, I don't think there was anything I could do about T2's tree-lined terrain or crowded bike racks.  Run
Comments: By late morning, there was no way this wasn't going to be a slog-- the heat and humidity were tough on everyone. I saw several people pull off and sit under trees to try and cool down: there wasn't that much shade on the actual run course itself. So I opted to run when I could and walk when I had to: walked through every aid station, taking two cups of water each time so as to be able to drink some and dump the rest on my head. Even though the water was probably lukewarm from being out in the sun, it felt amazingly cool on my skin, which says something about the heat. After the turnaround, I actually felt a bit better: had a gel, and managed to run most of the way back, thinking "Each step there is one step closer" as a rhythmic mantra, which worked rather well. At one aid station, I grabbed some water and one lovely little lass asked me if I wanted more. I smiled and thanked her, but said I was fine. She then said, "Do you want a spritz?" I didn't know what she meant, but as I headed off, she tossed a cup of water on my back: Best Run Moment Ever. The organizers had clearly planned for heat: there was lots of water and Gatorade on the course (I had Vitalyte in my bottle belt that I brought for this particular occasion-- the bottles were frozen solid when I got them ready in the morning, but the liquid was HOT by the time I hit the run), and at the end there was not only a first aid tent for those needing it but volunteers handing out towels soaked in buckets of ice water-- felt so lovely and cool around the back of my neck! What would you do differently?: Not a lot I could've done: I did train in hot and humid weather beforehand, but it was just a tough day. So I HTFU'd and finished the darn thing! Post race
Warm down: Ice-water towel FTW! Also walked around, ate a banana, drank ice water and a cold can of root beer from the Chicago Tri Club tent-- one great thing about doing this race was being able to greet and cheer on other CTC members and have them cheer me on, too! A friend showed up at the finish line, so we walked a bit back to the swim area to collect my checked bag-- it was important to keep moving. I plan to have a massage sometime this week, too-- though at the moment I have The World's Dorkiest Sunburn on my back (the sunscreen either didn't reach far down enough-- I forgot to ask someone to make sure my whole back was covered-- or it washed off in the 3:20ish I was out there), so I'll wait until it subsides somewhat. What limited your ability to perform faster: The weather, the number of people in my swim wave, and my inner caution at doing an Oly for the first time. Two out of these three were beyond my control, and I won't have the third next time by definition, so I'm pleased overall! Event comments: A *really* well-organized race: the swim waves went off on time like clockwork, and as I mentioned above, there was lots of water and hydration stuff out on the run. Very efficient, lots of volunteers, and everyone really pleasant despite the rough conditions. This race is HUGE, so it's a bit of a different experience from my other races so far-- but all the more impressive for being so well-run as a result. Last updated: 2010-04-24 12:00 AM
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United States
Capri Events
94F / 34C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 2223/3859
Age Group = W 40-44
Age Group Rank = 56/125
Transition opened at 4:15AM and closed to all participants at 5:45, no matter when your swim wave started, so I was up well before the sun (3:30, to be exact) to put everything together, eat half my breakfast, then walk down to the transition area-- luckily for me, a friend lent me his apartment downtown for the weekend, so I really only had a 10-minute walk to get there, with no parking to have to worry about! Bonus!
When I left the house, though, even at 4AM it was humid already-- and the forecast was in the 90s. So I told myself that if I needed to walk any of the run course, I was allowed to-- the soupiness of the air was no joke! Nothing to be done about it, though, so off I went, determined to have a good day.
Found a good rack spot near one end and close to a short tree where some thoughtful soul had attached balloons: easy to spot that tree anywhere! Walked to the various entrances and exits to make sure I knew the easiest route to and from my spot-- the place was PACKED (with 8700 participants overall, it would be), but everyone was pleasant and we managed to fit everyone's stuff in despite the crowding. One guy who came in a bit late and racked next to me gave me a useful suggestion for my bike helmet-- to nestle it in the brake cables near my handlebars rather than putting it on the ground: worked very well indeed, which was cool (I don't-- yet-- have tri-bars, so didn't think I could keep my helmet off the ground. Turns out I can!). Walked out to the swim start area (almost a mile away) and watched early sprint waves go out (including some folk who were either weak swimmers or overwhelmed by the mass start or both-- the lifeguards were busy for a while), ate the other half of my breakfast around 6:20, then gradually got into my wetsuit so we could be corralled towards the swim start for our 8:16 plunge.
Stretched when I first got up, then made sure to walk around and keep myself limbered up. Deep-water swim start meant that I couldn't get in and swim around at all to warm up, so I stretched and rotated my shoulders to do what I could.