Vineman Full Ironman : Official Thread (Page 18)

Not quite a full race report, as I did the bike portion of the relay. I initially registered from the Full, but 4 weeks ago I was side swiped by a truck and it's boat trailer. I suffered a bad knee injury that required stitches to close up (deep wound and loss of tissue), immobilization and crutches for 2 weeks (click for details and gnarly pics). My ortho said no race. After I gto my stitches out a week and half ago, I tried my trainer. Very difficult, movement was limited, skin needed stretching. However, after several days, I was able to do a full rotation of the pedal. Two days later, I was able to ride my trainer for 1 - 1.5 hrs. My training partner and I were supposed to the race together, and we still wanted to participate. She graciously offered to switch her Full registration and do the relay with me. (Plus, refunds were no longer available, but can make changes to current registration). My friend did the swim and run, and I did the bike. Mind you, I've not ridden for a month, with the exception of a few trainer rides. My right leg was now named "baby leg" due it's atrophied and weakened state. (quick background - in 2009 I ruptured my right quad, took a year to heal and just barely gotten 60% of strength back, yes same leg that was injured this time again). I'd pieced and repaired my bike as well as I could, getting it ready to ride.

Weather was perfect, people arrived really early to T1 and the line grew rather long before they let us in. The relay rack was placed all the in the rear of the T1 close to the bathroom. It felt like the little kids' table during Thanksgiving LOL Relay start was last also. It was awesome to watch everyone start and see the different colored swim caps start individually, but later to merge into a rainbow of colors going down the river. I observed people walking (though feet weren't supposed to touch the floor or at least make forward movement?), a few people not completing the swim, breast strokers, back strokers...a full gambit of swimming styles. Everyone in the relay area eagerly waited for their team mate to emerge. My friend came out of the water in 1 hr 22 min. She did awesome! That was her fastest time! She strapped on the timing chip and off I went.

I ran up the little hill from T1 as there were too many people to clip in. Got on the bike and rode. Felt so good to be outside on my bike again, but what a first ride back! My first 56 mi loop seemed to be just fly! I looked down at my watch and making the turn to start the second loop in 2:38. I had to ask a guy next to me if that was the half way mark lol. My legs were holding up. I wasn't pushing hard, just cruising. My baby leg wasn't complaining! Chalk Hill wasn't much of a hill at all! Then...around mile 70, my baby leg began to cramp. By 80, both legs were cramping and baby leg would cramp on uphills. Chalk hill now felt like a mountain! Both legs completely cramped up. On flats, I was able to maintain a decent speed. I didn't really have a goal in mind since I didn't know how much fitness I'd lost over the last month. The final 10 mi, I did what I could and rolled into transition. 5 hr 49 min. I'm not sure how it compares to others, but I felt like I passed. My second loop took about 30 min longer The headwind that picked up didn't help either.

A few things I saw on the bike

• people falling over at Chalk Hill, starting in the wrong gear and just falling down! 
• some car drivers suck and don't care about all the racers on the road, very dangerous!
• two accidents
• crazy mail truck (apparently, there was  serious injury with a rider hitting the mail truck because it just pulled out in front or stopped quickly in front of the rider, anyone know more about this?
• heard some woman crashed into the ravine and had to be rescued
• riders sitting up on their bull horns, INTO the head wind!
• experience PTSD when a truck and trailer came by

Gave the timing chip over to my friend and off she ran. The weather got a little warmer, but awesome for running. Watched my friend make her loops. She finished in 5:39. Overall time was 12:57.

I really enjoyed the venue and the people. I was still saddened that I was unable to compete in the Full, but glad that I was able to at least do a portion of the race. Watching the finishers' reactions - - cheering or crying, all were so excited to finish. I want to feel that too. I've only done halfs and olys. Vineman was to be my inaugural race into iron distances. I plan on doing one, whether it's Vineman or one of the Ironman series, I am going to finish. Once my doctor clears me to swim and run, I'll get started training again. Side note - a positive thing from my accident, I've got a new bike, picking it up next week!

I hope all of you achieved your goals and are healthy. I'm sorry I did not get to meet anyone. My wife and I were late to the expo but the weekend and the race went great. 4th in my age group (M40-44) missed the podium by 1 min. 10 sec.  Race report will be up in a day or so

drgary-- It's pretty impressive that you got back on the bike again and did the relay after that accident.  Good job.

Trooper -- Impressive time!

Felt very lazy being in transition in the morning and only doing the swim for my relay team.  (Hit my goal of getting under 1:10 for the first time for an IM swim and also my first time averaging under 1:40/100 yds for a swim over 2 miles...I was very happy.)

Hung out just below the top of Chalk Hill cheering folks on for their 2nd time up (and watching for my wife on her relay leg...first IM distance ride for her and she was not a happy camper--to say the least--on that second climb).  Maybe I saw some of you there...

Definitely a more crowded course than when I did it in 2009...really noticed it on the second swim lap (relays started in the last wave, so working my way through the pack upstream was a lot more congested than two years ago, I think).  Also noticed it driving to Chalk Hill...really took it slow (flashers on when I had to wait to get around riders), but there were more riders riding two and three abreast on the climb and that made it pretty dangerous on an road that was open to traffic.  Not much way to avoid that--and people weren't crossing the center line, but with more riders it just made for more frustrated drivers on the narrower roads, it seems.  They may have to consider capping registration at some point (I don't think they did this year, did they?).

Congrats to all the finishers!  I'm likely going to race the full next year (revenge for my hamstring pull in '09).

Thanks for being there on Chalk Hill.  Wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish at that point!

Race review/report is up on our blog if anyone is bored....  might help the folks using this thread for next year too....   

http://www.trinottobefat.com/2011/08/full-vineman-2011-race-report.html

Yeah, I've also got LOTS planned... taking a nice break now, but in 5 weeks I'm racing in Disneyland's 1/2 Marathon weekend.  Baowolf, I'm sure you'll find something to do.

We'll be there as well...but I'll be in spectator mode (this time for sure...unlike the VM relay, no swim to get pulled into at the last minute)...my wife is running it again (I've lost count, but it might be her fifth time...I've run it twice).

Before that comes Timberman 70.3 for both of us, however...

After a week in Yosemite after the race and then a week at a conference in Austin, I finally got my race report up. Looks like lots of folks nailed their goals. It was a great race for me. We really lucked out with a high temp of 73!

It was great having this forum with you all, and really cool to meet some BTers in the flesh. Thanks again for all the pre-race info.

Good luck to each of you in whatever's next.... it's all trail running for me for the next few months, which is a nice change of pace after all the hectic, super-structured IM training.

Congrats iron men and women!

I think that we need to go to races and create it. 

Done.