The Toyota Challenge - TriathlonSprint

Ok where to start on this....?
I figured 3-4 weeks ago the water temps would not be too bad, so when McFuzz offered his wetsuit I decided "Naww I will not need it." So that was a mistake but I lived thorugh it.

Most mornings it is just beautiful, the sun comes up, the birds sing, the clouds are hanging up in the sky, the breeze is just that a breeze. This morning the sun came up, the buzzards were circling, the clouds were looking like little old ladies when Metamucil is on sale, and the breeze was more like hurrican force. Ok it was not quite THAT bad, so the wind was only blowing about 15 mph in gusts.

I got behind the line of folks headed off in my wave, I have learned stay out of the front if you are not a fast swimmer. The horn sounded, and I started off. I wade in as I am getting deeper, I am figuring out that I really SHOULD have taken McFuzz up on his wetsuit offer. Ok I can still do this. Get to the first bouy about 50 yards off of shore, make that right turn and start swimming away. Hey it is chilly, but I am doing pretty well. I didn't go out too fast, so I am not winded at 100-200 yards. The wind was at my back, and was not impacting anything over here.

I get a little off course, no problem I correct and keep going. It still feels like I have been swimming a LONG time, and I have not hit the first big turn. About 4:00 in I finally get that far, make the turn without much problem. Start along the short side, the waves are getting a little worse but not too bad. About a minute later make the next turn, oh my....

Ok here is where the faint of heart should stop reading and just pick up on the bike section. The wind that was blowing was causing great heaping swells (Ok for those of you swimming Oceans I know this was nothing, but for us main landers this was pretty bad.) I would get about 5-6 strokes in and then have to switch to breast stroke to make sure I could breath. I would still get hit with waves of water, and ended up drinking far more than I wanted.

Between the waves and the chilly water I was feeling the effects a little, I got as tired on this swim as I have on any this year. The chop was pretty horrible, I heard multiple people comment afterward it was the worst swim they had ever done.

I kept plugging away switching between breast and crawl every few strokes. I would get some good pulls in, then have a wave come over just as I was trying to breath. I feel most comfortable breathing on the right side, but today it would not have made a bit of difference. The waves were breaking over my head, so I would have been hit either way. Finally I hit the next turn 14 minutes later. This was only about a third of a mile long. On a clear day I think I could have done it in half the time.

Another minute and the next to last turn is done. Breathing is going well, I am not cold any more since I have been working so hard. My arms were starting to feel the affects of the swim, getting a little heavy.

About 5 minutes later I was making the final turn getting ready to come out of the water. Boy was I glad to be done with this swim.

So lets recap here. 4 minutes to the first bouy, 5 minutes to get around the next to last bouy. 9 minutes for the side where the wind was "with" you, and 14-5 minutes on the other side... I wonder where I lost all that time?

I think if the wind had not been there, I might have been close to my goal time. And as someone once said "If wishs were horses, beggers would ride."

They don't have a horrible choice, so bad will have to do.

1. Use the wetsuit.
2. Figure out how to strap an outboard motor on my butt.
3. Sign up for the Duathlon.

I got out of the water, started jogging up the beach and the wet muddy hill. Got my cap off, grabbed my Garmin and stuck it on my wrist. Not running too hard, but I have been swimming hard, so I am pretty tired.

As I am running up the hill I see my family, my daughter starts chasing me video taping me (I guess). They had watched the start and stuck around until I got out of the water.

I had stuck my shoes on the bike, that was good (well kind of) but I didn't use anything to keep them tops up (that was BAD). I started trying to ride AFTER jumping on the bike, except I could NOT get the dang shoes to stay right side up. Knocked the right one off the pedal stopped and stuck it on my foot. I nearly did the same with the left, but I finally got it right way up and opened enough to get my foot in.

Got both shoes on and tight, after screwing around for way too long.

Not try to do something fancy, like sticking my shoes on the bike. Just put them on my feet and run with them.... DOH!

The beginning of the bike was pretty smooth, the wind was being blocked by the trees and what wind was not being blocked was more a cross wind than anything else. I had not warmed up prior but I knew the bike was shifting right, so that was not a problem.

I got into the aero position pretty early on, just kept pedaling and going. I have no idea how many people I passed or passed me, I think I passed more than passed me, but I really am not sure. I was averaging about 17 MPH in the first part, didn't drink much but with the cooler temps it was not as critical to drink. I was actually getting worried because I knew I wanted to be faster than that. But I was also trying to not push too hard and kill the run.

As I was riding I started trying to do the math, I had go so far and had this much farther (I think) to go what will my time possibly be... too many numbers. I knew it was going to be pretty close, but I was thinking I could still pull it off.

Got to the back stretch, the wind was at my back.... wow I was moving. 23-24 MPH average, and it was not feeling that hard. I could feel myself sweating some, so I made a point of getting some water and gatorade. I was feeling even better about my chances to have a break through bike.

Then I hit the hill from no where, well I should have expected it. We had a really nice downhill, I had flown down it. I think I hit 35 or som on that part, then the looming hill.... ok not a problem, shift down.... keep going down..... aaaaahhhhh I don't want to go to the granny gear. So I stand up and pedal, I managed to push through that uphill.

Flat for just a bit, but now the wind is in my face. Dang speed is down to 14-15 MPH, ok not a problem only 2-3 miles to go. Get another downhill, this time since I had driven this part at least twice now I knew the uphill was following. I did go into the granny for this one, passed maybe 1-2 on this hill, and was passed by 1 guy. How was he pushing up that hard? Hit the top of the hill, I know I am only a mile or mile and a half from the finish. So I push into the wind to fight through it, got to the dismount area, pulled my foot out of the shoes, and ran sock footed to the rack.

I find when I am biking, I don't tend to think a lot. I just pedal. I made an extra effort today to thank the officers at all the cross roads. This route had more than many of the routes I have been on. I had been watching my MPH and time more than cadence. I don't know how close my cycle computer was to the actual time.

I really should have either driven or ridden the route, so I knew this hill was coming. Other than that, not a whole lot. It was not the best bike, but it was a solid ride for me.

I think this transition was one of the best I have done. I had bought some yanks, and that helped not having to mess with tying shoes.

Only had to grab my race belt, and head out.

Nothing it went pretty well and fast.

Well it didn't feel like it, but I think this was the best run I did in a tri this year. I ran all of it except for the one drink station, there I grabbed a water drank it and walked while I did it. When I came back I did the same.

Came out of the transistion area, headed out to the right. There was a drink station right out of transition, I skipped that, not sure I should have. My legs were feeling a little on the heavy side, but that is from lack of bricks I think.

The run always seems to be the part of the tri that gets me. I think it was from lack of base miles, and just being generally slow right now. I know I can run faster, but after so long of continuous pushing mentally I tend to shut down. I tend to be hard on myself because of this. I know if I can push through mentally it will get better.

This run was hard, but it was also a rewarding effort. I likely could have done better, but I was pretty happy with it over all. I had meant to take a gel on the bike, but had not put any in a pocket (well they were in the coat pocket, that I left in the backpack) so that was bad. They were not offering any at the water stations until I was on the way back from the turn around. But I am getting a head of myself.

The first mile was pretty routine, just pace myself the best I can off the bike. There was a gal that I wanted to chase, but she took off a lot faster than I felt comfortable going, so much for that. So I just held the pace that felt good (well that seems like an oxymoron to my right now, a pace that felt good would have been walking but I was running.) I think I was pacing about 10:30 maybe a little faster. I just kept picking them up and putting them down.

Since I am a pretty slow runner, I tend to get passed a lot on this part of the course. I think there were 8-16 people that passed me, but I sure couldn't tell you for sure. The worst one was when a 76 year old man blew by me.... come on now, what is the deal? Maybe having the AG on the calf isn't such a good thing.

I am just trying to run my race, I knew going out that hitting my goal of 1:35 was pretty much shot. I could tell I was way off from that mark, but I still pushed as hard as I could. I passed the mile marker, thought it looked like I was under 8:30 (I doubt that) and just kept going. I hit the water station, grabbed a glass drank it and walked while I did so, then took off again. Hit the turn around, boy it felt like it was a LONG way but the Garmin was agreeing it was 1.45 or 1.55. Hit the water station, grabbed a water and a gel. Drank and tossed the cup, ate the gel and just kept going.

About this point I am thinking "Ok less than 15 minutes and you are done, just keep going." Passed the 12 mile marker (since this was also the same run course for the HIM) and knew that I had 1.1 miles to go. This is were I think I did better than most races. I just dug deeper and pulled out what I had left to give. I didn't speed up, I knew there was far too long left for that, but I did just resolve to keep going.

Shuffling along the dam, someone really should have mowed this prior to this race, trying to keep an even pace and not trip. Got back onto the road way, still had a little ways to go, but I think I picked it up just a little. Mentally just knowing that I had only minutes to go until I was finished. Saw the final turn in, I wanted to pick up the speed, but I just kept going the best I could.

I was glad my kids weren't standing around this time, although it would have been neat to have seen them there. I don't know that I had enough that I could have sprinted to the finish this time.

Nothing really, it was a good run.

Walked around drank some water, got some pasta and food. Looked around for my family, only to realize they had left and gone back to the lodge.

Headed back to the finish area, cheered a few finishers and ate my food.

Headed over to the transition area, packed my bag. Saw 2 of that ladies I had talked to earlier, they were just coming in off the bike. They got hugs from their husbands, and headed out to the run.

Got my backpack, loaded it and took off to the lodge. Check out was 11:00, and we got a late check out, but that was only noon. It was 11:30 or so by then.


The running is the area I need to work on. Over the off season I will work on the speed and running.


HFP does a pretty good job at the races they run. I have noticed they tend to run slow, but given the venues and set up it is not always a bad thing.

This race was to have started at 8:15, I think they actually went off at 9:00. No one seemed to mind, although I think that meant the roads and officers blocking them had to be out there longer.