UCSB Kendra Chiota Payne Memorial Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

So the horn went off and I sort of fell into the water. I was told by a UCSB Tri team member not to dive under the waves, as I'd probably end up hitting a rock. I started to swim forward and it was coldy cold cold! The waves were small enough to swim through and not have to dive under. We were swimming diagonal to them, which was an odd sensation. On the second wave I rode up it and when I dropped back down the other side, I hit the sandy bottom. Dang! It was still shallow.

I rounded the first buoy, trying not to swallow those diagonal waves. I cut it close and almost hit the rope holding the buoy in place. I made the left turn and was now swimming sort of parallel to shore. A few times I did start to feel panicky. I had been warned that there were huge kelp beds in this swim, but they're still freaky. It creates a lot of dark shadows below, which is not a good thing. Several times I had to lift my head and calm down. I can't do breaststroke in a wetsuit, so I was doing this odd stroke that was somewhere between a water polo head above water freestyle and doggy paddling!

Then I saw a woman pass me but stay ahead of me at about my speed. I decided that I'd try drafting off her...and it worked! I rode behind her for a good 5 minutes or more. Plus, her bubbles helped me not see those dark, kelpy shadows below.

We rounded the last buoy to head back to shore and she was picking up speed. I couldn't keep up with her and had to let her go, but at least the current behind me to help propel me forward. I looked up and saw my husband and kids up on the bluff near the transition area! I was careful to stay to the right of the staircase, as were told that there were rocks we'd hit near the stairs. Nice. I felt the bottom, stood up, and started running out of the surf line. No sooner did a volunteer say "be careful...the rocks are slippery" and a wave hit me, I slipped, and I fell straight back into the water! Hope the race photographer caught that one! :) I looked down at my HRM and was shocked to see I was out in 16 minutes! It's not a PB, but it's pretty good considering that this was the most challenging swim I've done. Only my times in Long Beach and Catalina were better! I somehow managed to even go faster than the pool swim at Ironbruin! Go figure!

I really needed a wetsuit with sleeves. I would have rented one, but I'm hard to fit. I should have looked for a wetsuit top to wear over it. I need to get more OW practice. In the fall when I was training in OW a lot, I didn't get so panicky. I keep talking myself out of OW practice because of the cold.

So, just when the difficult swim was over, I had the joy of having to climb MANY stairs back up to the transition area. That was just cruel. I had a really hard time with the wetsuit and couldn't get it off my heels for the life of me. It took me a while, but I finally got transitioned and ran out to the mount line.

I need to figure out how to get that d@mn wetsuit off my heels more efficiently. I feel like I should race my T1, but I'd rather rest a little there than on the bike.

I was pumped for this bike race! It had a lot of rollers, which I love, but no big crazy climbs. Also, it was only one loop so the scenery never got redundant. Plus, it went through all these areas that I remember from college, so it was such a trip down memory lane!

I got clipped in quickly then headed toward the main entrance of campus, and turned right onto the bike path. It headed downhill toward Goleta Beach. I spent a lot of time there swimming and sunning back in the day. It also went past the Beachside Bar/Cafe, where I worked as a senior. I then followed the Goleta bike path. I couldn't predict what was coming next, but at every turn I was remembering it. My husband and I used to ride this path a lot as it takes you to downtown Santa Barbara.

So we wove around the marsh area then into a suburban Goleta neighborhood. There were two wood bridges that were interesting to ride over that I had totally forgotten about. This part of the course was a series of rollers. I wasn't able to open up and go as fast as I'd like because I didn't preview the course before hand, and couldn't remember where all the twists and turns were. Luckily, the volunteers were everywhere and very helpful.

This part of the bike path then became the Maria Ignacio Bike Path. I used to ride this in college as it's kind of rustic. It goes near a river and there are a lot of trees around. I then went under the 101 Freeway and the train track as an Amtrak was going overhead. That was cool.

The trail then ended on Ribera road and I was now riding down a residential street. From here to Cathedral Oaks was a constant, but low grade climb. Nothing too bad. I hung a left and was now on Cathedral Oaks for the whole back part of the course. I was cruising along and loving this course when I passed someone! Woo hoo! Then someone else. I was loving this. Just as I'm having such a great time, the guy I passed last passes me. Now, I have to say that most people I have encountered in triathlons and wonderful, supportive people. This guy rides past me and said "On you're left big mama!” What the hell??? Are you kidding me? I was so pissed off! How dare he call me that? Then I realized something. Here he is...he looks the part. He has the aero helmet, the tri bike, the tri suit, and yet he doesn't have the skills to back it up. He is back here with the back of the pack women and just got passed by a slow, fat triathlete! Ha! His sad little inflated ego must have been hurt. So, I now went from sun shiny triathlete winding through the meadows to the aggressive shark on the prowl. I was after this mother f**ker!

He had passed me on an uphill, but on the downhills and flats, he might as well have been going backwards. I flew passed him and said in a sarcastic drawn out way "On your left". He said something offensive and I told him to "f**k off". I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. This guy was such a prick! I've never encountered anyone remotely like that in any of my races. On the next uphill he passed me and said "you're lucky my feet are still frozen from that swim". Whatever. At this point I was back near Winchester Canyon and decided to dig deep, stay positive, and try to find my happy place...whatever. I was frustrated but didn't want to let one jerk ruin my otherwise great race.

But of course the third time I passed him I have to say "On your left...for the third time." Oops...where did that happy place go? He passed me yet again as we started to descend back down toward the 101. As we passed over the freeway I told him I'd see him later knowing that we were now in Ellwood Beach and there weren't any uphills for him to take me on.

This is where the bike ride turned into a total trip down memory lane. I rode past Ellwood Beach Dr. which is the street that my apartment was on senior year. That was a great apartment out near the trails on the bluffs. My husband and I were dating when I lived there and had a lot of good times there. I was then riding up Hollister on the road that we rode on the night we got engaged. My husband had surprised me on our second anniversary by showing up at my apartment, unexpected and proposing. We had wine and with my buzz I decided we couldn't celebrate without champagne. Neither of us could drive, so we rode our bikes down this same street to Albertsons. On the way home I was wearing a backpack with a bottle of champagne and two flutes, and he was balancing a cake on his handlebars. What a hilariously fun ride!

I took a right turn on Pacific Oaks and was now heading past the condo of a guy I dated sophomore year. I was also back near some dirt paths that I used to ride on. At Phelps I hung a left. As I approached Storke Road to go through, there were two cops who were supposed to stop traffic for me. Neither noticed me coming and were waving cars through. I had to hit the brakes so as not to get hit by a truck! That sucked.

At the end of Phelps I was on the campus bike path. This was how I used to ride to school senior year, and I haven't been on that bike path since. Very cool! I took it up to El Colegio which is the road south of IV that runs into campus. I looked back and couldn't see the mean guy anywhere! Yay.

As I rode through campus I went into the tunnels that go under streets. I forgot all about those. It really took me back! I had so much fun snaking my way through campus. I was sightseeing and definitely lost some speed from looking around so much. It was cool to go past the Rec Cen that I used to swim at, the Administration building where a group of students sat in a hunger strike for days demanding more funding for the Chicano studies department, Campbell Hall where freshmen classes of 900 students were held, my old chem lab, my old physics lab, the lawn where students marched in protest to prop 187, the building I was in during a genetics class when the El Nino storms got so crazy and so much of the town was flooding that school was cancelled (the only time it was), and many new buildings that just look out of place! After my little ride back in time, I turned back out onto the road that goes past the dorms and took me back to the transition area.

I feel like I had a great ride, though I wouldn't let some lame guy get to me like he did. I shouldn't have stooped to his level.

Now, I was shocked that in 16 miles of riding, my body was still cold in places. One of those places was my right foot. During the last 4 miles it became completely numb. I couldn't feel anything below the ankle. That was also the ankle that my timing chip was on, so I feared it was too tight as well. I had a hard time walking on that foot through T2. So when I got to my rack, dumped the helmet and gloves, I sat down. I sat and massaged that food for a few minutes trying to get feeling back into it. It was still ice cold. It started to feel better, so I got my running gear on and headed out of transition, by way of a porta potty!

I normally run through the transition area, but with that numb foot I didn't dare. I wish I hadn't lost so much time massaging the foot, but didn't know what else to do. Also wish I had gone to the restroom closer to race time so that I wouldn't need the pit stop!

So my run started as I exited the porta-potty! :) I headed down the hill past the Marine Science lab and past where the swim start had been. From there it was up a steep trail onto the bluffs. When I got to the top I noticed that my lower back was hurting A LOT! This happened at Ironbruin as well. So I stopped, stretched it, and hoped it would be better. I've been having a lot of back pain lately, so I need to go see my sports med doctor about a referral.

As I started running along the top of the bluffs, the view was as breathtaking as I remember. The ocean was gorgeous, although the winds were insane at this point! Unfortunately, my back just kept aching. I couldn't run. I had to walk a lot. Even walking hurt, so I stopped. I stretched, I twisted, I cracked it, and I did whatever I could to find relief. I jogged when I could, but walked the rest. This was discouraging.

As I continued along the bluffs, I was now looking at the campus lagoon. It looked nicer and less brackish than when I was in college. Couldn't smell stagnant sulfur like I used to! ;) I looked across at San Nic, my dorm from freshmen year. What a great place! I had so much freaking fun there.

I kept running around the bluffs and down a hill to the 1 mile marker and ade station. Oh wait...did I say ade station? I mean I the truck that was loaded up with what was the ade station.

I then went up a large flight of stairs and was near the new dorm that was recently built called Manzanita. I then ran up along the outskirts of IV, hung a right at the dining commons and past the San Raf dorms. I hung a right and was now on another bluff looking down at the lagoon. My back was still bugging, but I was doing more running. I didn't see anyone else on the run course, but was convinced I was not last. Then I heard a volunteer get on her walkie-talkie and say "Number 31 just passed....yes, she's the last one". D@mn! I don't want to be DFL again! No way! Since that thinking screwed me up at Turkey Tri, I decided to live in denial pretending that this volunteer just didn't realize that there were hordes of slow people back behind me that she just hadn't seen yet! ;)

I was now running around the west side of the lagoon then the north. This brought back memories as our graduation ceremony was held on the lawn here. What a great day (except that I was really on the 4.5 year plan and had to go back to class the Monday morning after the ceremony!) This was also the walk of shame connecting IV, where we partied, with the dorms, where we went to puke and/or pass out. Ah...the joys of being a young, stupid freshmen at a notorious party school! As I ran past the UCEN I noticed that the rape light was gone. This was a light that we used to joke about. It seemed to be on a motion sensor, but it was on and every time we'd walk by the light would go out and we were in the dark. We were convinced some pervert had rigged it this way and that any day he'd jump out of the bushes and attack us in the dark...hence the nickname "rape light". But...it is no more!

I ran past the rest of the lagoon and up a hill. That put me out near the dining commons and I had a slow quick run though the finish chute! I was glad to be done.

I don't know what I could have done about the run, but I do need to get to a doctor about this back pain.

I walked back toward the transition area to grab my Endurox and my phone. I called my husband and he and the kids were down playing at Goleta Beach. I warmed-down by walking back to the swim start surprised to see my thermal still there. I headed back up, packed my gear, and rode to Goleta Beach.

We drove into IV as there was a chicken burrito at Freebird's with my name on it! This was one of my FAVORITE places to eat in college, and still is. A lot of other racers and volunteers were there as well. After, we walked to the IV bookstore. I bought a new UCSB t-shirt since I didn't get a race shirt. I had to leave with something new to wear! We then drove back to Long Beach! Time for an ice bath!


My weight is an issue, as always. This was an "A" race so my last 3 months of training were supposed to have me peak for this race. But, I've been so inconsistent that it didn't happen. The cold water, and lack of sleeves was a problem for the swim. Finally, my sore back hurt my run time.


On the good side, this race had a great, one-loop rolling hill bike course. It was scenic and fun to ride. The run was a fun trail run with gorgeous views of the ocean up on the bluffs.

On the down side, I feel that this was not an inclusive race. If you're fast and lean, then this race will accomodate you. If not, you'll be made to feel inferior. I have raced much harder courses whose staff did not make me feel that way. I paid what everyone else paid and deserve to have a shirt that fits. Also, the race seemed very focused on the college aspect of the race, but not the age groupers. When I did Ironbruin, there was a good balance between the two, but not at UCSB. I expected a little more of my alma mater and was disappointed. The announcer kept talking about the UCSB team and the SB Tri Club and making a lot of inside jokes about them that no one else understood. I would like to see this race be more inclusive in the future, since it such an amazing venue!