Las Palomas Rocky Point Triathlon - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic


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Puerto Penasco, Sonora
Mexico
Red Rock Company, Inc.
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 49m 43s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

We drove to Rocky Point on Friday morning. Despite concerns about the border crossing and reports of violence, we had no trouble with directions (Red Rock provided excellent directions to the resort, as well aas great information regarding travel to and from), other vehicles, or officials. We checked into the resort and got settled. The resort was beautiful, and our room overlooked the pool and the beach where Red Rock was setting up. In addition, the transition area was right next to the building, so by walking to the end of the hall and looking over the balcony, I could literally have dropped my stuff into transition.

As a destination race, it is always a delicate balance between 'race' mode and 'vacation' mode. I had been sick leading up to the race - I have bronchitis and had just finished a round of antibiotics and was still trying to recover. I had no real time goals or aspirations, since training had taken a hit over the week or two leading up to the event. That, coupled with the beauty of the resort and the interest in being in a new place made it very easy to slip into vacation mode.
Event warmup:

The event had a late start (10:00), and the resort offered a buffet breakfast - this turned out to be too tempting to resist. While I ate more than I probably should have, I didn't go completely overboard. That said, my breakfast was still settling when I got underway a couple of hours later. We went back to the room and I took my bike and equipment down to the transition area. I was able to come back up to the room to get into my race clothes and wetsuit before going back downstairs. It really could not have been any more convenient.

It was my first ocean swim, so I was a little nervous, but I had done a little practice the previous afternoon, and I got into the water for a few strokes before going to the start corral. I really felt ready.
Swim
  • 52m 19s
  • 1000 meters
  • 05m 14s / 100 meters
Comments:

After getting started, I felt comfortable for a little bit. However, after rounding the turn buoy, the swells were coming from my right and I started getting into trouble with my rhythm. In addition, I could hear wheezing with every one of my breaths - it sounded like static from a radio with no reception. As much as I tried to cough, I couldn't clear my chest and get good breathing. This made dealing with the swells insurmountable. I tried breathing on the right and would get hit in the face with the waves. I tried breathing on the left and the swells would drop me 3-4 feet down and break my rhythm. I had no answers for how to make forward progress.

I continued to struggle with some breatstroke, as I wheezed my way forward. I was constantly considering calling for a kayak and taking a DNF, but silly pride and not wanting to travel all that way to not finish the race prevented it.

I finally reached the last turn knowing I was among the (and possibly) the last person in the water. I knew I had not been healthy enough to be out there but had given it a shot. It was disappointing to have put so much work into swimming over the winter and not be able to show it in the season opener, but my health and my lack of experience in the conditions were too much to overcome.

I reached the beach and talked to J about whether to continue. After all of the trauma of the swim, I knew that cutting my losses and stopping would have been understandable, but I wanted to give the bike ride a shot if for no other reason than to get the bad taste of the swim (saltwater and defeat) out of my mouth. I knew I would regret taking a DNF and it would have been a long ride back to Arizona if I had.
What would you do differently?:

I should have gone to the doctor a week earlier. I might have gotten a second round of antibiotics and been healthy on event day. I'm not sure if I would have dealt with the waves and swells better, but I would have had more of a fighting chance.
Transition 1
  • 04m 27s
Comments:

The positive aspect of finishing the swim last is that it is really easy to find one's bike in transition. The negaative is that it gives the bike more time to blow or get knocked off the rack. When I arrived, my bike was on the ground and all of my drinks had spilled. I'm not sure if the bike was blown over (the new wheel cover could have caused it to get blown more easily) or knocked over by someone on their way in or out (if that is the case - not cool). I was about to start a ride in the rising Mexican heat and humidity with very little in the way of fluids. I chalked it up as a continuation of the misery that the swim had wrought.
What would you do differently?:

Hurrying through would not have done any good. I needed to check the condition of my bike and re-assess whether to continue.
Bike
  • 1h 22m 58s
  • 25 miles
  • 18.08 mile/hr
Comments:

One reason that I wanted to continue on to the bike was that I recently got a wheel cover and wanted to try it out under race conditions. Despite an occasional coughing fit, I was able to pedal away and stay down on the aerobars. The first out was great and I was holding a great speed. I was able to do some passing, which was encouraging, since I finished the swim and T1 completely alone. The bad news is I was passing people who were on their 2nd or 3rd laps.

The first turnaround provided an opportunity to face the wind, and it was a drastic change. I held a good position and just kept spinning through it, trying to ignore the decease in speed. I started lap two feeling a little better and having seen the whole course.

The crowd thinned out on lap two and was desolate by lap three, but my pacing and discipline were strong. I kept coughing intermittently, but unlike the swim, I was able to get a strong enough cough to get some stuff up and out.

I rolled into T2 knowing I had a pretty good bike split despite the increasing winds. The wheel cover and aero helmet (as well as a having spent a lot time on the trainer over the winter) definitely made me faster. My bike split was the 43rd best of the day (top 1/3), which took a little of the sting out of being last in the swim and near last on the run. At least there would be a bright spot.
What would you do differently?:

Solid, disciplined ride.
Transition 2
  • 03m 8s
Comments:

I re-assessed whether continue again in T2 and decided that I might as well give it a go. I would walk when needed and at least on dry ground I would have the ability to control my coughing and breathing
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - needed some time to think things over and knew I would have the run course pretty much to myself.
Run
  • 1h 26m 40s
  • 6.2 miles
  • 13m 59s  min/mile
Comments:

After the swim, I knew the run was going to be a struggle. I really didn't have much left at this point, and it was hot and humid. Also, my spilled drinks on the bike had left me dehydrated and I wouldn't have much opportunity to catch up.

The course was hilly and wound around the golf course on the paths. Under healthy conditions, it might have actually been fun. There were no long hills - it was up and down for about 30-60 seconds at a time the entire way. Nothing was flat. I ran as much as I felt I could, but needed a lot of walk breaks, which obviously killed my overall pace, along with the uphills which came along frequently.

I took water at all of the aid stations, but it was a little late to start implementing a hydration plan. I am grateful to Red Rock and the volunteers for still being out there for us stragglers. They hung in there to the very end.

I finally made the last turn and started heading back toward the resort. It had been a long morning, but I finally made the turn around the building and onto the beach. Red Rock was still announcing finishers and I felt a little bit of a lift (the first time I had felt like I was part of the event since the second loop of the bike course - it had been a lonely slog since then) and headed for the chute. The announcer was goading people to hit the slip and slide they had set up in the chute, so I decided even though I had a rough race, I would play along and slide. At least I would be soaked in some water in addition to the seawater and sweat that I had already accummulated.
What would you do differently?:

Not much - I was finishing out the string on a long day and narrowly avoided my first DNF.
Post race
Warm down:

Grabbed my bike and equipment and I was about 10 feet from the elevator that took us back up to the room - after the morning I had, it was nice to be that close to the room and shower.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Illness - my training leading up to the race had been good and I have dropped a little weight over the winter.

Event comments:

Red Rock, as usual, did a fantastic job. This is a great destination race, my issues on the swim notwithstanding. The resort is very nice and being able to stay so close to the venue and transition cannot be beat. The volunteers were great and the aid stations were well stocked and open late, which was great for those of us in the BOP.




Last updated: 2011-11-24 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:52:19 | 1000 meters | 05m 14s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Bad
Suit:
Course: Out to turn buoy, parallel to shore, and back to shore.
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Bad
Breathing: Bad Drafting:
Waves: Navigation:
Rounding:
T1
Time: 04:27
Performance:
Cap removal: Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Run with bike:
Jump on bike:
Getting up to speed:
Biking
01:22:58 | 25 miles | 18.08 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 43/
Performance: Good
Wind: Headwind
Course: Three laps of an out and back. There was a nice tailwind on the way out which turned into a stiff headwind on the way back.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 03:08
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:26:40 | 06.2 miles | 13m 59s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Course: Mostly on the cart path of the Las Palomas golf course.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 5