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Stawberry Fields Triathlon
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Stawberry Fields Triathlon - TriathlonSprint
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 Swim
Comments: THIS WAS THE WORST SWIM I'VE EVER HAD. I was absolutely ill prepared for swimming in the surf. The running start down the beach went well. I have come to learn that I really don't mind the contact and chaos of the typical mass start so I ran with the group and started in the outer middle. The run down to the water, staying with the group, into the water, jumping over the first few bits of whitewater and even diving under the first few waves, good, fine, no problems. I'm in deep enough water now so I settle into my freestyle stroke for about 20 yards or so. Without any kind of warning or notice, I am accosted by a wall of whitewater. I swallow half of this wave and manage to inhale the other half. Caughing and sputtering, i settle back into my freestyle stroke just in time to ingest 75% of the next wave. I'm done. My heart rate is through the roof, I'm exhausted. I'm relegated to breast stroking out to the first buoy. It occurs to me, as exhausted as i am, that I would have a very hard time with any more of these waves. For a moment I start to panic. Watching one or two other guys DNF and call for a ride back in to shore certainly doesn't help my head any. I decide to breast stroke the rest of the way. I lapse into "survive it" mode as I gasp and sputter and do everything I can to avoid getting pummelled on the way in. I'm not too proud to admit that a ride back in to shore on a Wave Runner looked mighty tempting at about the first buoy. After that swim, the run up the beach and over the dune to the transition area is fairly lacklustre. More like an ill controlled stumble. Definitely a BOP finish. What would you do differently?: In hindsight, i wonder what the hell I was thinking. Did I think I would magicaly float over the top of the breakers or did I just think they would perfectly coincide with my breathing patterns? Practice in the surf, sight for the upcoming waves to avoid inhaling them, learn how to bodysurf again, this all seems like common sense now.  Transition 1
Comments: This was a poor transition, mostly because I was so frazzled from the swim. I spent a few moments longer than I needed to trying to get my head straight again. Its not that I dawdled, i just didn't get after it. What would you do differently?: I need to learn to clip my shoes into my bike and strap in on the run. This would have been a great time saver. Also, work on my own attitude again. Getting a little more competitive and fired up would serve to speed things along here. I should also give up on the notion of socks. Putting on socks over wet feet is a loser of a proposaition.  Bike
Comments: I got after the bike. I was feeling sorry for myself from my poor performance in the swim and needed to boost my own ego. I also remembered my mistake of conserving energy for later in the last race. To hell with that, this is a sprint, there is no later.... NOW! I set a goal of maintaining 20 mph average at the beginning. About two thirds through the course I was passed by an exceptionally cute,... uh, ponytail in a red tri suit. I owe her a thank you card or something because just chasing her probably knocked a good one to two minutes off my time. What a spectacularly graceful rider and a phenomenal physique, Thanks Red! What would you do differently?: Get a real tri bike. I love my road bike but its simply the wrong tool for the job. Transition 2
Comments: Two things went immediately wrong. I had a hard time with my sholaces. I have used speed laces in the past and vow to use them from now on. The time spent screwing around with my laces was a ridiculous waste. This next was a stroke of bad luck. The snap on my race belt broke just as I was attaching it. Cheap damn thing. I screwed with it for a bit and then tied it crudely in a triple granny knot and headed out for the run. What would you do differently?: Never again forsake the speedlaces. Speedlaces are good, speedlaces are fine and right.  Run
Comments: This was a good run for me. I am a slow runner so anything sub 8 minute mile is great. It momentarily irks me to see people I recognize from my age group that are passing the 2 mile mark as I am coming out of transition, but only for a moment. I felt like I paced myself well, not too slow and still had a little bit of energy at the end to sprint down the chute. The one embarrasing mistake was taking off my glasses and hooking them in my shirt. As I sprinted down the chute and right before crossing the timing mats, my glasses popped out of my shirt and I did one of those bobbling "I've got it, I've got it.... I've got it... I don't got it" miniature juggling acts right in front of god and the world at the finish line. Glad to provide a little finish line comedy act. I'm sure it was very entertaining. Boy was my face red. What would you do differently?: Short of chasing the red tri suit to better my time (yeah, she smoked me badly in the run), nothing. Post race
Warm down: Crossed the finish line. Went back for my glasses while hiding my face What limited your ability to perform faster: The swim was the biggest dissapointment by far. A distant 2nd would be my transitions. A little better showing in both and i could have pared five minutes off of my overall time. Still not in line for any hardware but abetter showing. Event comments: What a great day. This was a very well organized race. Plenty of volunteer help and a well laid out course with good trafic control. My friends from the California Velo Club finished their first race with a respectable time and had fun. I had a great time. I am much happier with my own effort here than I was with my last race. I'll be back next year. Last updated: 2007-01-07 12:00 AM
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 2007-03-29 1:02 AM |
Regular  63  So Cal. |  Subject: Stawberry Fields Triathlon |
| General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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United States
Stawberry Fields Triathlon
65F / 18C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 199/449
Age Group = 35 - 39
Age Group Rank = 31/67
I got up too early (wasn't sleeping anyways, not really...) and drove the 40 minutes or so to Oxnard. I was tired so I stopped to grab some coffee on the way.
As an aside a group of total jackasses that I work with and ride mountain bikes with on the weekend had signed up for this race as a relay team. This group, known amongst ourselves as the California Velo Club, is a lot of fun. We argue, we posture, we nominate officer positions, we vote to impeach these officers, we have our own swag in the form of water bottles and various logos, we manage to avoid getting a lot of work done in the process. We do just about everything a cycling club should do.... except ride (Maybe an average of once per month, maybe).
Background in place, three other members of the velo club are competing as a relay team in this. This will be their first race. As is their custom, they are bickering and posturing amonst themselves on the morning of the race. This is only relevant as thus....
One of the guys calls to ask some last minute advice while I'm in route to the race and I manage to get my earpiece tangled with my coffee cup as I answer the phone. The resulting mess is considerable. 16 ounces of Starbucks drip coffee is capable of covering a suprisingly large surface area. This also serves to prove that my tri bag is not really waterproof, or er, coffee proof at all.
The balance of the prerace was unremarkable. Just the usual schlep with my coffee saturated gear to the transition area and an uneventful setup of my trasition area.
This is a very well organized transition area. Setup on the grass. Very nice.
While I was suiting up I ran into fellow BT'er Rob (RH1977). For chrissakes, man, this guy is literally half the size he was at the Catalina Tri last time I saw him. He raced as a Clydesdale in Catalina, now he's an age grouper. Rob and I finish suiting up and walk out to the beach.
I jump in the water briefly. This is awkward because people are warming up as the first few waves of racers are starting, so I cut the warmup short. A few minutes, tops.