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Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon
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Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon - TriathlonSprint
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 Swim
Comments: This was my first competitive open water swim (OWS); and my second OWS of any kind since last summer's practice sessions. The appearance of overwhelming anxiety and light-panic did not disappoint through the first 200m. The water was a little take-your-breath-away-type cold; and I ended up getting stuck in the front of the wave (though to the outside). Made the usual rookie mistake of starting too fast, and expending too much energy before making it to the first buoy. Had to even backstroke it for a few seconds to pull myself together. This was also when the winds started picking up (weather.com says winds bewteen 8-9am were between 13-16mph) creating some light-to-medium chop that began: a) slowing many swimmers down (including myself) and b) pushing alot of swimmers off course. While it wasn't fun, it wasn't the worst I had seen. The day before, my buddy Ed and I had unsuccessfully attempted to pre-swim the course the day before in even "rougher" conditions: 1-2 ft. swells with 10-ft separation, whitecaps, and 20mph headwinds. Basically a first-time OWS competitor's nightmare (more details in my 5-5-07 blog entry). Back to the race, the "washing machine" wasn't as nerve-wracking as I had built it up to be, though it was no walk in the park. While I wasn't "swum over" by anybody, I did constantly find myself swimming onto or between other swimmers--making contact--and losing my rhythm. And losing rhythm is an energy-sapper. After rounding the first buoy, I forced myself to block out all the externals, and "swim my race" and concentrate or form and breathing. While my sighting was below average, I managed to stay on course fairly well and not overswim the distances. Before I knew it, had rounded the final buoy and was headed towards the boat ramp (thank God!, and this was only an 800m swim). What would you do differently?: Practice more OWS, esp. sighting, bilateral breathing (which I don't normally do). Practice more anaerobic swimming (to simulate race start).  Transition 1
Comments: Found Ed, my buddy who started the same wave as me, at the T1 ahead of me (damn him! LOL). He was sitting (sin!) getting his wetsuit off and getting ready to mount up. My QR Quickjohn suit (being sleeveless and having no material below the thighs) came off almost instantly. And my other gear (socks and shoes) slipped right on. (Note: my sunglasses were in my Bento Box for putting on later). So, we exited T1 together. Our rack space was about 120m from the mounting line, and there were a fair number of competitors walking their bikes to the line ahead of us and in our path. Since I was still "recovering" from my swim escapade, I decided to do the same. What would you do differently?: Learn to run with shoes clipped to the pedals.  Bike
Comments: This is where I made up most of my time. I simply found gears I could spin at a relatively high cadence, and just hammered away (almost recklessly sacrificing my run--but I knew I could just hang on for the run--at least for 4 miles). I would conservatively say I passed just close to 100 riders (not bragging--just an observation; and hey, this was a beginner's race with lots of mountain bikes and stuff so not that huge of an achievement), and was not passed on the bike myself. I felt in control the entire time. My secret weapon? Good cycling fitness, and pre-riding the course the day before in even stronger wind conditions. This meant I knew what the terrain was up ahead, the necessary gearing, and could power up the rolling hills knowing a recovery was just over the crest. I cannot overstate what an advantage pre-riding the course was. What would you do differently?: Nothing. Maybe practicing descents in the aero position over rough roads. Transition 2
Comments: T2 was pretty fast. Rack bike, helmet off, cyling shoes off, running shoes & visor on. Go. What would you do differently?: Nothing.  Run
Comments: "Hills kills". Is that a saying? If not, it should be. Basically, if you weren't accustomed to running hills, then you were not a happy camper. Fortunately, I've practiced a good deal of hill running and it paid huge dividends. While my legs were pretty dead from hammering on the bike, I was able to pretty quickly get my form back. And while the hills definitely physically took their toll, it just didn't have the same psychological impact I knew it was taking on other runners. I made up some time on the run course, and passed a fair number of runners on the course. Ran up to a guy in a Team Javelin uni on the homestretch (last 1.5 miles or so), said "how's it goin'?" and it turned out to be fellow BT'er, Snaps10 (Daniel T.). Small world. We started chatting a bit, probably too much (wasting precious energy), but it was like running into an old friend. We ran together almost to the finishing line. What would you do differently?: Even more bricks in training. Even more hills in training. Post race
Warm down: Running around looking for the wife and kids. A little stretching. What limited your ability to perform faster: Poor OWS skills (esp. coping with winds and chop) and inexperience. Event comments: For a first time, or just a good time, this Napa Valley Sprint is just the ticket. It's pretty low key, and everyone is nice and friendly. Profile Album Last updated: 2006-08-31 12:00 AM
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 2007-05-07 8:05 AM |
Expert  755    SF-Bay Area |  Subject: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon |
| 2007-05-07 9:02 AM in reply to: #790978 |
Pro 4612 MA | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon Whoohoo congrats Ron! You're officially a triathlete now. How did you celebrate? Great job at the race, and awesome results for your first tri!! |
| 2007-05-07 12:30 PM in reply to: #791086 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon Celeb_ithil - 2007-05-07 7:02 AM Whoohoo congrats Ron! You're officially a triathlete now. How did you celebrate? By driving 2.5 hours home, by myself, cause the kids wanted to all sit together (in mom's car). It was actually a nice, quiet time to think and reflect though. Great job at the race, and awesome results for your first tri!! Thanks, DK. If I ever decide to start up a cheerleading squad (that'd be a first for triathlon wouldn't it?), I'm gonna give you a call! Here's better sized pics:
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| 2007-05-07 2:39 PM in reply to: #790978 |
Veteran 190 Visalia, CA | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon |
| 2007-05-07 3:08 PM in reply to: #791831 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon snaps10 - 2007-05-07 12:39 PM good time running with you buddy. great job at the race. Right back at you! Hope your long drive back wasn't too bad. See ya at Big Kahuna (or not if you get your deer tag) Either way best of luck! BTW, did you see fellow BT'er, joebowler, in the transition area later? He was hard to miss in the BT uniform. We chatted for a while, and I helped him snap some pics. Edited by guncollector 2007-05-07 3:09 PM |
| 2007-05-07 3:47 PM in reply to: #791886 |
Veteran 190 Visalia, CA | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon i saw him on the bike, thought to myself, "that looked like a bt uniform" then i saw him on the run and thought, "yeah, that is a bt uniform, ill find him after the race". never saw him afterward. i was racked on the first rack before the mount line though, so i really never went past except to hit the mat and after the swim. where did you get the pictures at? i looked at the website but only could find 2006 photos. |
| 2007-05-07 4:22 PM in reply to: #791936 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon snaps10 - 2007-05-07 1:47 PM i saw him on the bike, thought to myself, "that looked like a bt uniform" then i saw him on the run and thought, "yeah, that is a bt uniform, ill find him after the race". never saw him afterward. i was racked on the first rack before the mount line though, so i really never went past except to hit the mat and after the swim. where did you get the pictures at? i looked at the website but only could find 2006 photos. Actually, they're my own pictures with a little bit of Photoshop work. Hey, are you able to pull up the split times yet from the Envirosports.com Results page or the Athleteslounge.com Results page? |
| 2007-05-07 5:24 PM in reply to: #791986 |
Veteran 190 Visalia, CA | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon nope, it's going to be hard seeing as you didn't have to cross the timing mats twice. so both transition times will be added to the bike leg. (out of the water over the mat. to transition off on the bike transition to run, run back over mat. off on run, back to mat.) i didn't reset my bike computer from riding around that morning, so i don't know my bike time either. i just know it's gonna be really long. i got my splits (sort of) after the race, but adding them up in my head on the way home they didn't add up to my total, and my place has changed from 106th to 133rd ???? |
| 2007-05-07 5:56 PM in reply to: #792037 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon snaps10 - 2007-05-07 3:24 PM nope, it's going to be hard seeing as you didn't have to cross the timing mats twice. so both transition times will be added to the bike leg. (out of the water over the mat. to transition off on the bike transition to run, run back over mat. off on run, back to mat.) i didn't reset my bike computer from riding around that morning, so i don't know my bike time either. i just know it's gonna be really long. Let's see...timing sensors at: swim exit/entrance (mats), mount/dismount line (not mats, but looke like two taped-down strips), and finish (mats). swim time = 1st to 2nd pass over swim mats I'm certainly no expert, this being my first tri too, but shouldn't that be the way the times are figured out? They had to have used the same timing outfit that did the Napa Valley Vintage Half-Iron the day before--and I'm sure those guys wouldn't put with some rinky-dink splits reporting system. I checked the 2006 Results and they had all the splits, including T1 and T2. i got my splits (sort of) after the race, but adding them up in my head on the way home they didn't add up to my total, and my place has changed from 106th to 133rd ???? I'm totally guessing...17' swim, 3.5' t1, 49' bike, 2' t2, 35' run--adds up to my 106' finishing time. I'm reverse engineering from my known bike & run capabilities--though my swim time seems short (for the windy conditions during swim and considering the swim is still my primary limiter). Oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.... |
| 2007-05-07 6:01 PM in reply to: #790978 |
Veteran 190 Visalia, CA | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon lol, yeah, i was looking at those two cords, i believe one of them was a power cord to one of the motorhomes parked across the way. i noticed it the night before in the bathroom, but maybe it was timing. i hope so, id like to see what my t1/2 times were. |
| 2007-05-08 8:52 AM in reply to: #790978 |
Veteran 226 | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon Congrats Triathlete!!! Awesome job on your 1st tri 7th in age group!  I sure hope they post splits soon it's driving me crazy. It was great meeting you and thanks for playing photographer |
| 2007-05-08 12:07 PM in reply to: #790978 |
Expert 683 Denver | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon Nice job out there and congratulations on finishing your first triathlon!! The hill running in training definitely paid its dividends on that course, huh?! That quiet ride home sounds like the perfect way to go too. Good luck at the rest of your races this year. |
| 2007-05-08 3:04 PM in reply to: #790978 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon I don't know what happened, but they just posted revised results with splits: Here was what they originally posted as my result yesterday:
And, here's my results as of this afternoon:
So, I seemed to have dropped a ways down the rankings. Now, I know you're supposed to be happy with having "raced your own race", etc., etc. But, man its disappointing and mildly embarrassing to have to go back and tell people your initial results were wrong, and you didn't do nearly as well as you thought. BTW, you can see the horrendously slow swim time above. Sheesh. I knew I was slow, but didn't think I could've been that slow. Oh well. Train on... |
| 2007-05-08 3:11 PM in reply to: #790978 |
Expert 755 SF-Bay Area | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon I don't know what happened, but they just posted revised results with splits: Here was what they originally posted as my result yesterday:
And, here's my results as of this afternoon:
So, I seemed to have dropped a ways down the rankings. Now, I know you're supposed to be happy with having "raced your own race", etc., etc. But, man its disappointing and mildly embarrassing to have to go back and tell people your initial results were wrong, and you didn't do nearly as well as you thought. BTW, you can see the horrendously slow swim time above. Sheesh. I knew I was slow, but didn't think I could've been that slow. In fact, the more I think about it, there is no way I was out there for almost half an hour swimming. I wonder if when they cut-off the previous wave, the mat didn't accidentally read my and my buddy Ed's chips--because the starter did ask us to step back from the mats at that moment. . . . Edit: Okay, after calling my buddy Ed to commiserate my drop in the rankings, and then realizing there was no practical way I was out in the water for 28+ minutes--because the race started at 8:00am and while I forgot to start my watch, I know I was back at the bike rack (after walking up that hill) at 8:32am--and Ed and I swam in the 5th wave! Then, we realized they had again revised the scores, and here they are now (I'm back to where I was though I don't know if I even trust them anymore)...
Deep breath, deep breath....ah....all better now.... Edited by guncollector 2007-05-08 3:27 PM |
| 2007-05-11 10:53 AM in reply to: #793403 |
Pro 6582  Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon The bro is a triathlete! |
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United States
69F / 21C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 58/228
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 7/28
Woke up at 5:00am, went to the bathroom for morning constitutional (as instructed by Joel Friel's TTB), washed up and had some very light breakfast (a Balance Bar Trail Mix). Dressed in my racing gear, re-checked all my gear against my Race Checklist. Re-read Chapter 10 of Joel Friel's 'Triathlete's Training Bible', especially his "Race Day" suggestions. Then packed up the car, and waited for my buddy Ed meet me in the lobby of our hotel (not being a "morning person", he ended up being a 1/2 hour late).
Essentially none, as we arrived to the race site with less than 35 min. to spare to Start Time. So, our "warmup" consisted of frantically finding rack space, registering, and affixing our race numbers and putting on our wetsuits.
Note to self: Don't share rides with people who can't rise early and arrive to the race site early. Race with them...sure...but let them make their own way to the site.