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 Swim
Comments: At 0805 the horn goes off and I am breast stroking to the yellow buoy. I feel comfortable about the sighting but the wetsuit makes my breast stroke unbalanced. I have to force my hips down to keep feet under water with frog kick. After rounding the buoy I actually pass a few people by back stroking which feels more efficient with the wetsuit. I flip over and breast stroke to make sure I am on course. (My rotary breathing for freestyle is a work in progress.)There are only 3 people behind me so I am definitely in the BACK OF THE PACK, no worries about being kicked in the face ..lol..! As I exit the water there are wet suit strippers to ease me out and I run to the transition area to throw down cap, goggles and wetsuit donning running shoes, sox, helmet, sunglasses, lip balm, sip water and energy drink then I run my bike to mounting area feeling good and efficient about my transition 1 time. What would you do differently?: Maybe wear a shortie wetsuit or johnny style and SWIM LESSONS are in my future ! PRACTICE !!!  Transition 1
 Bike
Comments: I am feeling pretty good and in the flow even though I am pretty much alone. There were a few stragglers behind me but they might have been Olympic contenders. As I head out down Morningstar Road I am blasted with heavy 25 mph headwinds, so I hunker down and say to myself it will equal out with strong tail winds at the finish for we finish on same road coming back. I pump my legs truing to keep upper body quiet and still glance up to see low cumulo-nimbus storm clouds rapidly approaching on that stiff wind. Oh well, I could use the cooling off and I am already wet from swim, being in my tri suit for whole race. After the 4 mile marker the deluge comes thankfully without lightening. It is a brief shower necessitating shaking off my glasses for visibility. I am glad that I drove the course Friday for I feel comfortable with the route even though there are few bikers in my vicinity. The Police are excellent protection and direction at the several round abouts that we have to negotiate. There are Club Med volunteers cheering us on as well ! I do pass several near the 7 mile marker and a really cute guy passed me at 5 mile marker…good incentive to chase…lol…My legs and breathing feel good and strong on this rental bike with 110 psi in my rubber though my female parts are feeling very impacted by this seat as well as my sit bones. Good thing I took Motrin at 0700 as a prophy for my sit bones. As I unmount my bike I see Nicole and a huge SMILE erupts as she snaps a photo and cheers me on…GOD I LOVE MY FAMILY !!! What would you do differently?: Need to buy my own TRI back for training. Would love a Bianchi..training on an Ironhorse hybrid currently...building quads on hilly courses. Transition 2
 Run
Comments: As I start out on well marked (signs for every mile on both biking and run courses) running golf course path Club Med Volunteers are there cheering me on saying “Gait looks great ! Keep it up”. Needless to say shortly thereafter I am breaking my run to a fast walk trying to catch my breath. My breathing is labored so I run to my breath, using the landscape as incentive, “just run to that palm tree…etc) I end up walking probably 70% of the course passing 2 aid water stations with volunteers that cheer me n saying “Hey, you’re still upright and going so no worries…Atta Girls” Meanwhile, I am very aware of how BEAUTIFUL this space is that I am in and how FORTUNATE I am to be here and have a strong body to do this..etc…feeling very HAPPY…then thoughts of Hey, this IS a RACE...get your butt in gear and runnnn…lol…As I am nearing the last half mile I figure I have conserved enough energy to finish with a strong sprinting gait so I stride out the last hundred yards to cross the finish line with the announcer announcing my name and number …very exciting to see Steve and Nicole there to applaud and congratulate me and take pictures and my new race friends Sue and Dan. Everyone is wearing the same HUGE SMILE !! ENDORFUN HIGH lasted about 3 days but started at finish line. I probably left some energy out on the course, could have pushed harder but finished strong, placed FIRST in my Athena 40+ category which I discovered by looking at the Race Board as the Olympic racers were still to finish. What would you do differently?: Hopefully when I am under 150lbs and no longer an Athena running with a 20 pound back pack my breathing/stamina will improve. BABY STEPS... Post race
Warm down: Walking cool down ,water and croissant,banana OJ and cappacino What limited your ability to perform faster: Fitness...started a walk to run program to combat the last 12 years of sedantary living in June 2010 and just now feeling some improvement...hope to be at my goal with another year of training TRI fitness to be under 150lbs at 58 years of age. Event comments: I hope to return in February to best my PR !! THANK YOU CLUB MED and TEAM GOLLNICK for a Fabulous Experience !! Profile Album Last updated: 2011-11-18 12:00 AM
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United States
Club Med Racing
70F / 21C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 98/105
Age Group = 40+ Athena
Age Group Rank = 1/3
– it had rained all last night but I was hoping we would have a sunny clear start to the race, my prayers were answered it was a calm sunny morning. I arose out of bed at 0530 got dressed in my tri suit, went to bathroom a few times, brushed teeth, ran comb through hair, had a shot of coffee and ¼ C plain yogurt and ¼ banana (could only really eat like 4 TBSP of it so I took bowl in car with me just in case hunger came), sweating nervousness, sipping water and high C energy drink enroute to Club Med leaving Hobe Sound at 0617 arriving transition right at 0700 an hour before my start time. There are many many traffic lights on 1A even without traffic issues at 0615- 0645 am.
The Olympic Tri starts at 0730, Sprint Tri first wave at 0800, my wave “first timers” at 0805.
I set up my transition area securing #100 box for bike and transition bag, hanging bike helmet with sunglasses, bike gloves and lip sunscreen from handlebar, placing water bottle and energy bottle in bike holders, and arranged running shoes with sox. Next, I go to Body Marking with black permanent marker, my number 100 on left deltoid and left shin and age 57 on back of left calf then get Microchip Velcro anklet (which I double secure with a safety pin).Then I took bag with wetsuit, body glide, swim cap and goggles down to beach area hitting the wash room to relieve bladder.
After cheering on the Olympic starters at 0730 beachside at 0745 I donned my wetsuit over my tri suit, sharing my plastic bag with like 6 other racers suiting up, trying not to overheat due to nerves AND wetsuit. At 0750 I am in the bay ,brackish waters, getting acclimated and trying to destress about the 550 yard swim, my weakest event. To avoid getting kicked I orient myself off to the left of the course near start line.