BHannahs's Group - FULL! (Page 17)

Finished my race this morning did it in 1:07 which was 6 minutes faster than my goal. I came in 98th overall. Full report in a day or so.

Thanks to Brian and the rest of the group.

That's awesome, Adam!  Congratulations and great job - can't wait to hear the details!!!

Here is the full rather lengthy report of my race for those of you interested.

Hey, Adam.  Soreness for a few days after a hard effort can be common.  Doing a light ride on the bike or swimming (active recovery) a day or two afterward usually helps me recover faster.  Hope you're feeling back to normal soon! 

Alcatraz will be pretty crazy - I'm still a little surprised I am attempting to take it on.    Actually, with your affinity for open water, it might be a great race for you to look into at some point. I think it plays to your strengths.

At this point, the only races I have had to travel for I was able to by car.  That makes things easier since you can load everything that you may need into the back and go.  Logistically, you need to plan for a hotel for the length of your stay, and make sure you get there early enough for check in/packet pick up.  For packing, you need to plan for both everything that you need for the race (as well as clothes for pre- and/or post-race), as well as clothes to wear for the non-racing portion of the trip.  If you are anything like me, you can end up taking a LOT of stuff if you travel by car.

Alcatraz will be the first race for which I have flown.  I was originally planning to drive, but the more I thought about an eleven hour drive before and after the race, the more a two hour flight became appealing.  Packing for a flight is similar to any other destination race, but more attention needs to be paid to minimalism.  I am going to get all of my tri-stuff into my transition bag (it is a common TYR model - you see a lot of people with the same one), and have a suitcase for the rest.  Thankfully, I am flying Southwest, so there won't be extra charges for the two bags.  One thing to keep in mind when flying to a race is that CO2 canisters cannot be brought onto a plane, in either checked or carry on bags. If you use them for flat repair, you  need to buy new ones at the race site.  Also, if you have anything that might appear odd or suspicious to a TSA agent (sticks/rollers, gels, and bike tools are among things that might be included here), it is best to check them rather than trying to carry them on. 

Of course, the big question when flying is how to get the bike there.  There are a few options.  First, there is a company called Tri-Bike Transport that many races use.  They will pick your bike up from a local bike shop and take it to the race site, and back again after the race.    I have heard good things about their service.  The only draw back I have heard is that you need to give planty of lead time, so you'll likely be without your bike for a least a  few days to a week before and after the race.  Second,  you can take the bike on the plane.  There are bike boxes that will hold a bike that has been partially dis-assembled (the wheels, handlebar, and pedals are the main things that need to be removed) that you can buy or rent to transport.  Airlines have a reputation for excessively charging for bike boxes, so cost is the main drawback - you also need to be skilled enough to take your bike apart and put it back together (or arrange for someone at home and the race site to assist).  In my case, the Alcatraz relationship with Tri Bike Transport had not been announced when I was making my decision, and the cost of a bike box (for one race) and hassle of taking the bike apart and putting it back together sounded somewhat overwhelming, so I took a third option.  I looked into bike shops in San Francisco that rent bikes.  I found one that rents road and tri bikes and will be renting one for Alcatraz.  Since the bike portion is only about 25 miles (the event is really about the swim ), I didn't feel too strongly about needing MY bike, so I opted for convenience instead.  For an HIM or IM distance, I would have been more inclined to go with option number one or two.

Great question, Adam!

Thanks Brian. I was wondering about flying for tri's it would open up some interesting race opportunities in the furture.

BTW, that looks like one sick start jumping off a perfectly good boat in the middle of the bay - I also like (LOL) the idea of a warm up run to the transition area.

Heh, heh.  I'm more worried about the chilly water, the chop, and the jellyfish and sharks.    If I make close enough to the shore where I can encounter sea lions, I've had a good day! 

I just dropped the registration form in the mail for a 10K on Aug 22^nd. The race sounded very interesting so I thought it might be fun to do. It’s a point to point race. You park at the finish line and they transport you to the start in luxury buses.

I’m thinking this will just be a training session more or less and that I would just fit into my training schedule that week. For those of you that mix it up a little with tri’s and running races do you focus on the running races more during that training period before the running race or do you just fit it in as another training session?

I did purposely choose a 10K so I wouldn’t have to worry about training for the distance since I feel in my normal schedule I’ll be at that distance in another month so I don’t think I need to specifically focus on the race.

Ok, some times this just posts when I quote someone, and it doesn't give me a chance to add what I wanted to say.  I apologize for the extra post. 

Adam:  Typically, if I schedule a running event during the season, I just treat it like a training session, but usually my goals for a running race are to 'just have fun' - no specific time goals.  I might go a little harder in the race than I would if I were just training.  During the off-season, I might schedule a long race, like a 1/2 or full marathon.  Since it is during the off-season, and I won't be too concerned about doing less swimming and biking in order to focus on the running, I have used run specific training to try to do well in those races.

Carly:  Overall, I think your approach is good, with one note.  If you are combining the running plan with a tri plan, make sure that the combined running between the two plans doesn't increase your running time or distance too quickly.  If you are following the run plan and just substituting bikes and runs for the cross training called for by the running plan, you shold be okay - just be aware of what your body is telling you and if you are getting signs that you are overdoing it, pay attention.  Good luck!!!