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Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006
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Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 - Triathlon
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 Swim
Comments: Okay, my first OWS ever in a race.....well, first swim ever in a triathlon for that matter! I thought it was funny we started out in such a wide group. We were almost perpendicular to the buouys and just swam out directly towards it instead of alongside the buouys. I wondered if I ended up swimming more than I had to because I was never alongside the buouys. I kept following the feet and arms in front of me. The first 300 yards was a lot of kicking and being kicked and hands on my feet, but then it thinned out until I got to the first turn. I made the turn fine and tried to saw alongside the buouys as best as I could. Didn't swallow much water, which was good. I felt like I could have gone faster, but it was hard to do because there were people all around me and when I started to speed up, I would run into someone. The last turn towards shore was so-so, then I found myself really far off from the buouys again and spent a lot of time trying to get closer to it. I think I was wasting swim time. Then I got sandwiched and boxed in by 3 swimmers.....tried to get out, but had to slow down, or I supposed I could have tried to go around. Tried it once, but discovered I was wasting energy, so I just drafted towards shore. Finally got to the shore, but the lake has a weird drop-off, not a gradual decent into the water. Tried standing up, thinking I was close, but felt no bottom and had to keep swimming closer before I could exit What would you do differently?: Be a little more aggressive in the swim and trust my abilities as a swimmer. This is one part of the race that I can do well, despite the fact that I have not really been training for the swim very much. This also means that I should focus on the swim during the off-season so I can capitalize on this strength.  Transition 1
Comments: Had a bit of trouble getting the swim cap off, but nothing serious. Ran up the beach and across the timing mat and into the wading pool to get the sand off, then across the parking lot, but slowed down on the parking lot run to the bike rack. Took a quick swig of water from the bike and quickly tried to get bike shoes on after toweling off my feet and putting baby powder on. Sunglasses, race belt, then helmet and then ran with bike to the mount line and got on after crossing. What would you do differently?: For my first ever transition, I thought it was a decent time. I think next time I might just set an extra folded towel down next to the bike and just wipe my feet on it standing up and not bother with powdering my feet with extra powder. I had pre-powdered my bike shoes and running shoes....perhaps that's enough. I also should spend more time drinking and making have extra bananas on hand since I got really dehydrated (more to follow on that).  Bike
Comments: OMG. This was the hardest bike course I have never been on. Okay....so maybe this is not saying much about the riding courses that I have to train on, but the hills ate my lunch....or in this case, my breakfast. I was all excited to come out of the water and seeing half of the bikes still racked and noticing that I probably was in the middle of the last wave coming out of the water. I made it up the first "dam" hill okay. Started out about 15 mph and then by the top I was going about 10 mph. I won't bore you with the details...suffice to say that I was passed by 20 or more bikes while on the course and caught up with NOBODY!! The hills started early and I found myself having a lot of trouble maintaining my speed, even the speeds I had gained from the downhills. What's wrong with me? My weight? My 650' wheels on my bike? Me? Probably me. I felt like I was riding in molasses and it was demoralizing being passed so much and even late into the course I was being passed. Since it was a loop, you could tell where you were in the pack. Hated to see that on the way back I could count the number of bikes with one hand. Sucked. But it was nice to see the other tri club members and BTers when I was on the first half of the loop. I had fun yelling out names for encouragement. Saw Clifford and John...missed Gina because she was too far ahead already! But I did see the first riders come around while I was still going out around mile 4 or so. As I said, the hills gave me a bad time. I had to gear down to the first gear on most of the hills....pathetic. On the last "dam" hill, I set myself up by already riding on the first gear and the hardest resistance possible on it. Sadly I was only able to muster about 13mph at this point, even on the flat road leading up to the climb. My main thought was, "try to get up to the top, don't stop and don't fall off". I tried to spin my way up to the top, but each turn was getting harder and harder and my breath was getting heavier and heavier. I was running out of gears in the back too! Each click gave me a bit of reprieve, but then got difficult. My heartrate was probably through the roof as I heaved my way up the hill. The speed was dropping.....13mph, 11mph, 10...9...8.....7.....6mph....OMG, am I there yet? I was looking down on the ground praying that I was at the top. I could hear voices of the race marshalls at the top of the hill...someone say something encouraging!!!! Well, I finally made it up to the top of the hill and I DIDN"T HAVE TO GET OFF THE BIKE AND WALK!!!!!! By that time I was half dead, my legs wouldn't turn the pedals anymore and my heart was beating so fast, I couldn't catch my breath. I hear someone say, "you've got it, it's all downhill from here". They forgot to mention you still had to ride about 1/4 of a mile. And what's this? Someone passing me? Here? DAM!!!!! I can say that...I'm on top of the DAM. DAM, DAM, DAM! I hate this DAM. My feeble legs try their best and I finally make to the final turn and down the first "dam" hill to the transition area. Had to slow down on the turn down at the bottom, I'm just not a comfortable cyclist yet, especially on those turns. What would you do differently?: HYDRATE!!!!!!!!!!! I had a 24 ounce bottle of HEED and I didn't even drink HALF of it! No wonder I was dying on the bike course. I usually use a Camelback on my rides during training and just recently attempted to drink from the bike. I'm better at it now....seeing as how my first attempt at a training ride resulted in a dropped water bottle. I also need to just keep riding, riding, riding. I am just not a great cyclist yet....just average and I thought I was good too, but this bike course pulled me down a peg or two. Need to work on riding hills and getting those legs stronger. Why can't I go faster than 14 mph?!?!?! But that's overall speed.....I didn't even see 17 mph on the flats.....pathetic!! Transition 2
Comments: Dismounted correctly, didn't fall off the bike. Ran with it to rack the bike. Had to smoosh my bike into my racking area...the other bikes were too close, but I got it on. Took the bike shoes off and put the running shoes on. No problem. What would you do differently?: I forgot to take a swig of water. Again, not hydrating properly.  Run
Comments: I started out with a slight jog and made it jogging through the first turn into the park. Then I just couldn't run anymore! I stopped and walked and that might have been my biggest mistake. I just didn't have it. I was hot and I was tired. My legs didn't feel like jelly, I just didn't feel I could run. My breathing was labored, but it was okay. Funny thing was the longer I was into the run portion and the more I was walking, I was having more and more trouble breathing. I was very short of breath and started to hyperventilate a bit. I just couldn't run. In fact, I didn't run the majority of the run portion. I might have run overall, a total of only 1/4 of a mile. I just couldn't make my legs work. I was very disappointed and demoralized because I felt like I wasn't really fulfilling a triathlete code or something. The water stations were great.....they even had ice. I drank some, but not a lot, didn't want to have water sloshing in my stomach. I poured a lot of water on myself and on my head...something I am prone to doing in regular running races, but here I had to. It was hot. I walked until I saw the finish and then started to jog. The tri club was there and they were cheering me on, Jen too....and they were telling me to run in. I tried, but as soon as I started picking up speed, I got a cramp in my left calf. I hobbled a bit and slowed down to a jog again and just decided to jog across the finishline. I was not risking a major calf cramp and not being able to get across the finishing line. What would you do differently?: I need to run my a$$ off. I just need to add more running. I am so mad at myself and ashamed to have had to walk the majority of the run. This was the portion of the race that I was most disappointed in. There was nothing I could do different. My fitness level was not high enough to sustain me through the run. That and possibly that I was dehydrated from the bike course. I know I didn't drink enough water on the bike, so perhaps that contributed to my lack of energy for the run? Post race
Warm down: As soon as I crossed the finishline, I started to get dizzy and started seeing spots. I don't know if I was dehyrated or having a heat stroke or was it simply that the adrenaline had stopped flowing? But it felt terrible. Teresa from the tri club came up with water and an orange...that helped. I tried walking a bit and thought about going to get my bike from the transition area, but I started getting light-headed and the spots were starting to look like sheets of white. I had to sit down in a camp chair and I felt better when I did that. My breathing was very labored and I was very tired. I had not gone to the bathroom before or after the race....I think definitely a sign of dehydration. What limited your ability to perform faster: Hydration...or lack of it. Maybe not enough food before the race? Lack of potassium contributing to the calf cramp? Or maybe dehydration there too? Overall lack of fitness, stamina or endurance.....that probably hampered my ability to run in the run portion. Event comments: The course was a hard one for a beginner....and this is someone who prior to April 2006 was a couch potato. I thought the bike course was very demanding and for a beginner, very challenging. The run course was fine for a beginner, but this beginner hates to run and didn't hardly train near enough to run. Overall the Jefferson Tri is a great triathlon and I am glad that I did it. But, I am disappointed in how I did overall. It has humbled me and made me realize that even though I am a triathlete, I want to be a better triathlete. Perhaps I am being too hard on myself and should pat myself on the back more. Perhaps I need to remember that prior to April, I was fat, unhealthy, unfit and not an athlete by any means. Perhaps I need to remember that I did something on Sunday that less than 10% of the population can say that they attempted or would attempt to do. Perhaps I need to be proud that at least I am taking steps to change myself into a healthier and fitter person. Perhaps I should just say, "Well done" and it can only get better from here. Perhaps I am well-deserving triathlete. In all honesty, halfway through the bike course and halfway up one of those "rolling hills", I thought about quitting. I really asked myself, "Why are you doing this? You can quit right now and just walk your bike back to the finishline and be done." It was a fleeting thought, but it was a thought nonetheless. Of course I didn't quit and promised myself that my next goal would be to make it up the last "dam" hill and try not to get off the bike and have to walk. You know. I finished and I didn't pass out. I made it up the "dam" hill without getting off my bike and falling halfway down the hill. I may have walked the run, but I crossed the finishline on my own. I actually finished the race. I am a "dam" triathlete. Last updated: 2006-06-22 12:00 AM
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 2006-07-17 9:11 PM |
Extreme Veteran  530   Northwest Louisiana |  Subject: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 |
| 2006-07-17 9:23 PM in reply to: #485597 |
Extreme Veteran 349 Allen | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 Nice job, Triathlete! Yeah, get used to saying that - you are a triathlete. Keep in mind that you've done something that most of the population couldn't fathom doing. That's a great accomplishment. Great job knocking down those hills, especially those "dam(n)" hills! That was a pretty tough course and you handled it extremely well. Don't worry about not running on the run leg. I walked half of it myself! The fact that you filled in the "What would you do differently?" segment of the race report says that you have no intentions of not doing another tri, so hang with it. The only thing more disappointing than not running the entire run course is quitting the sport entirely! And I don't see you doing that!
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| 2006-07-17 10:34 PM in reply to: #485597 |
Extreme Veteran 530 Northwest Louisiana | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 Thanks!! Actually I did consider quitting midway through the bike course. I have to go back and edit my RR. But I didn't. I was close to not wanting to finish, but of course I am glad that I did. Hey, it can only get better from here! I plan to post pictures soon. It's amazing how little time I've had since coming home! |
| 2006-07-17 11:26 PM in reply to: #485597 |
Elite 3020  Bay Area, CA | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 It was probably the bike ride that made the run so hard. Sometimes it's better just to go to your lowest gear and just pedal up the hill slowly rather than try and push up the hill and kill yourself. Hills are hard, and it sounds like you weren't able to ride too many hills in training. Oh yeah, at the end? You WERE dehydrated. Not drinking on the bike can set you up for a really bad run. But you did it! Congratulations! You are a Triathlete! |
| 2006-07-18 5:34 AM in reply to: #485597 |
 Extreme Veteran 1491 northeast Ohio | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 |
| 2006-07-18 6:47 AM in reply to: #485597 |
Master 1848 Canandaigua | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 "because I felt like I wasn't really fulfilling a triathlete code or something." The only code in my book is you do your best and YOU DID!!!! Lots of good information in that report. You did great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulation!!!!!!!!! You are a DAM Triathlete and no hill will take your lunch again.. Rest, analyze and plan for your next one. Pictures if you have them please. |
| 2006-07-18 9:34 AM in reply to: #485597 |
| Veteran 164 silverton oregon | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 You did a great job. I started to train in May of this year and I can see myself in your report. I know I need to train harder on the bike and to run more. I still can't even run a mile without walking part of it. Luckly I live in an area with lots of hills and that's what I train on...but my race will have more hills then where I live I have learned more from your report then others, again thank you! Now you know what to expect for your next race and can plan accordingly.
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| 2006-07-18 4:17 PM in reply to: #485597 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 YOU DID A GREAT JOB! That course sounds really hard! Be proud! You are out there doing it! |
| 2006-07-19 7:27 AM in reply to: #485597 |
Master 2629 brummie land | Subject: RE: Jefferson Heritage Triathlon 2006 congratulations dam triathlete! moving race reoprt - well done  |
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United States
100F / 38C
Sunny
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 30-34
Age Group Rank = 7/8
This was my first ever triathlon! I started training for a triathlon in mid-April, 2006 because I wanted something to help me focus while I tried to get healthy by increasing my fitness. My first registered triathlon was the Sunrise #3 series in Shreveport on June 18, 2006. However, due to thunderstorms and lightning, it was canceled. I was very disappointed but set my sights on the Jefferson Heritage Triathlon. I was told this was a fun, easy tri.......look for more comments to follow about that one!!
Being that this was going to be my first tri, I decided to go ahead and make a weekend of it. I've heard that Jefferson was a nice B&B town and so Jen and I got a room at the B&B and arrived late Friday evening.
On Saturday, after enjoying a nice breakfast at the B&B, I decided to go and drive the bike course because I had heard about the "dam" hills on the course. Wow, I have never seen hills this steep. Okay, so I live in Shreveport and we are pretty flat....but these hills are steep! I had read Gina's race report and she made it sound so easy....."rolling hills".....hmmmmm, I forget that Gina is a tremendous athlete and this is cake for her! I was getting pretty nervous about this course as I drove it and saw the hills come and go....then of course there is the last "dam" hill at the end of the route.....a virtual 45 degree angle at the very end of a hard ride......I wished I had taken a picture of this hill so you could believe it. I parked the SUV and did a quick change and hopped on my bike to try to test out the last "dam" hill.......OMG....I was only going about 7mph by the time I got up to the top. How am I going to do this on Sunday?
By now it was 12:30 p.m. and hot as hades with no shade. We went back to the B&B and sacked out. I was beat. The heat was exhausting. Prior to going out to the course, we had tried our hand at antiquing....hmmm, not for me. That drained us too.
I took it easy the rest of the afternoon and waited to get the race packet and join in the pre-race party.
It was nice to see other Sunrise Tri Club members there and while I was sitting down eating my sphagetti, John (jcagg90) walked up and introduced himself. It was nice to finally meet him. Clifford (CBarnes) was also there, but I missed him.
I ducked out of the party early, around 7 p.m. and went back to the B&B and decided to just chill....we had practically dehydrated ourselves out at the park sweating in the heat!
Went to bed at 9 p.m. and was asleep by 10 p.m.
Set the alarm for 5:45 p.m. and finally got up at 6 a.m. Put on my tri club suit and headed out the door. The lady at the B&B was kind enough to freeze my water bottles. I had 2....a 24 ounce bottle with HEED and a 16 ounce bottle with just water. She had also packed us a breakfast....bananas, grapes, granola and some yogurt. I had a Powerbar Harvest Wholegrain that I ate about 1/5 of. I ate a bananna and a handful of granola and drank some water.
Saw more Sunrise Tri Club members when I got to the parking lot. It seemed like we all got there around the same time. It was 6:45 a.m. Found a spot to rack my bike at the end of the racking area. I think I had my bike racked next to John.
While I was setting up my transition area, the bike referee came around to check our bikes. OMG!!!!!!! My left endcap on my handlebar was gone!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!!! I had crashed my bike about a month ago while attempting a poorly executed 180 turn and in the process lost my endcap which was duly recovered by other club members on the same ride. I hadn't even noticed that it had fallen off recently. I couldn't tell you when it heppened. Luckily the referee was very nice and had some extra endcaps and gave me one, which didn't quite fit.....Jen should have taken a picture of me hammering in the endcap with the bottom of my bike shoes!
After that bit of excitement, I got body marked, walked around a bit and chatted with some of the tri club members and then hooked up with Gina (grvfrog), Clifford and John for a BTer's photograph. I forget whose idea it was to take it in the wading pool....but it was a fun photograph!
I finally went down to the beach and got in the water to fit my swim cap on and to test the water out. Did a short little swim to warm up, then proceeded on shore to hang out with the tri club women before the wave starts began.