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Timex Triathlon
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Timex Triathlon - TriathlonSprint
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 Swim
Comments: This wast the worst experience of my entire life. I'll take miles 20-25 of a marathon, at least there I never felt like I was going to die. Have no fear, my performance was WORSE than indicated here. This should be a DQ because I had to have assistance from the kayak. Last Wednesday I got sick. Been sick all week, but felt good this morning. Got into the water, promptly cut my foot on the concrete (have to go get a tetanus shot tomorrow). I just couldn't get a breath. Even sitting here typing it feels like something is constricting my chest. I've been open water swimming over the last month, and did just shy of a mile on Wednesday, and none of that mattered. I couldn't breathe, and as I struggled from buoy to buoy, barely able to float even when doing the back stroke. I felt horrible. Felt like a complete and utter failure. Why have I been training for months? Why do I do open water swims. What is the square root of 7,587? Honestly, I didn't have my sense of humor out there. Did manage to freestyle in the last 150 yards or so, but got out of the water feeling like a whipped dog. What would you do differently?: I don't know. Is it that I suck? Is it that I'm sick? Guess swim more, but even then I'm not sure.  Transition 1
Comments: Given how horrific my swim was, transition was a godsend. Looking at my transition times I was pretty strong. Snapped my garmin into the quick release, pulled on socks. I had to slow down a bit here to try to make sure I didn't rip of the flap of skin from the water. Snapped on race belt and helmet, started running. Helmet felt wrong, so I messed with that as I ran. What would you do differently?: Swim better. I felt pretty good about the transition.  Bike
Comments: By now I had already considered that I had DQd. I just wanted to get a good ride. I rode solid, but didn't really try to kill myself. I also vowed that if I saw someone on the side of the road walking I'd see if I could help them...see if I could help someone else's day. I did end up finding someone walking on the last lap. Stopped, but he said he thought he had a rim tape problem, so nothing I could do there. Did a good job of avoiding that horrific expansion joint on the bridge. Couldn't drink enough because I was trying to keep a decent pace, but it was cool, so it didn't really matter. What would you do differently?: Better swim. Transition 2
Comments: I tried to carry more speed through the dismount line (ie, run off the bike), but failed utterly when one of my shoes hit the ground and popped off. Had to stop and get it (volunteer was kind enough to pick it up for me). Into transition fine, had garmin snapped to my quick release tightened shoes, was gone. Broke one end of the Yangz thing, but that's no big deal. What would you do differently?: Slow down more at the dismount line.  Run
Comments: The run was pleasant. I worked on keeping a high cadence and just relaxing. My left foot was bothering me a bit from the cut, and my old friend "arch blister" was on the right, but honestly they didn't make much difference. I pushed more through the last mile and still felt good. I could have gone harder, but this is a decent time for me. What would you do differently?: Better swim. Run harder earlier. Post race
Warm down: Stop and talked to my wife briefly (and said Hi to my yougest, along for the ride), and then went to the medical tent to look at the cut on my foot. Wasn't too bad, but had grass in it from transition. They cleaned it up (iodine feels so nice) and bandaged it up. Told me to go get a tetanus shock this week. My original plan was to stick around and try to socialize, but honestly, I felt like a complete loser given my swim. What limited your ability to perform faster: Being sick certainly didn't help. I felt fine on the bike and run, but the swim just demoralized me. I'm not sure what to do but to try to get back in the water. Will probably try to take a few days off though to get over whatever I have. Event comments: Very well run. Last updated: 2007-09-23 12:00 AM
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 2007-09-23 7:08 PM |
Expert  1330    Arizona |  Subject: Timex Triathlon |
| 2007-09-23 7:09 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Expert 1330 Arizona | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Special thanks to BT'er "standswithfist" for hunting me down pre-race to introduce herself. |
| 2007-09-23 7:13 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Expert 1073 scottsdale, az | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Good job! I felt much like you on the swim ( I was the last pink cap swimmer), I started freaking out immediately after the start, was pummeled by people, couldn't catch my breath, it was frustrating! Awesome job on the bike and run though!!! I did great swimming laps in a pol for the last month, and have been taking lessons, open water swims are another ballgame. I've heard from a lot of people, they get easier over time. |
| 2007-09-23 7:26 PM in reply to: #975920 |
Expert 1330 Arizona | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Thanks. Good job. I know for me it was the lowest I've been in a long time. I had to be either last or next to last of the blue caps. I know "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger", but honestly, without the kayaks I'm not sure it wouldn't have been the former instead of the latter. Next time, I want floaties.  -Jot |
| 2007-09-23 9:43 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Elite 3602  Mesa, AZ | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Aww I am so sorry to hear about your swim. SICK + SWIMMING is not a good combo! Just an FYI, and as you know, hanging onto a kayaker (as long as you do not make forward progress) is NEVER a DQ. They are there for that reason. Your race looks fantastic other than that and we ALL have our days where something doesn't click. That is the beauty and curse of triathlon (great bike, great run, not so great swim). That is why when you get that PERFECT day when they all click it will just be even sweeter! Looking forward to meeting you at some point as well! Hope you feel better and that foot heals up quick! Just look at this as a reason to go out and SMASH that next swim so this is just a faint memory!  |
| 2007-09-23 10:22 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Master 2411 Goodyear, AZ | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Sorry I didn't get to met you today, another time! Way to recover from the swim and still pull out a great race! |
| 2007-09-23 11:23 PM in reply to: #976127 |
Expert 1330 Arizona | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to see the Dr tomorrow (hopefully anyway) and once that's done, just focus on swimming for the next few weeks I think. I think I'll try the splash and dash before SOMA and then figure it out. Can't make this weekends as I want to be there for the kids soccer game on Saturday. -Jot |
| 2007-09-24 11:57 AM in reply to: #975913 |
| Pro 3715 AZ | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon I knew you were worried about the swim, and I am sorry to read it was everything you were worried it would be. But just keep at it!! My first OWSs were horrible too. Everytime I just try to improve a bit and have a better race. Your confidence will increase with time, and you will feel stronger with your ability to fight through the frey, and what you need to do to race YOUR race. BUT you didn't quit and you kep going. That's where the real victory lies. You had a strong bike and run and hopefully you are coming away from the whole thing wanting to work even harder on your OWS and wanting to kick some butt and take some names on your next OWS race!!! You did awesome! Don't let those nasty voices in your head tell you anything different! |
| 2007-09-24 3:36 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Master 2216 | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Hey! Don't be too hard on yourself. You stuck it out in a bad situation and saw it through. Not only that, but you set aside your own personal interests to try to help someone out. You should be proud of yourself. Put it behind you and know that 99 % of the other people in the city couldn't do what you did. They didn't even try. |
| 2007-09-24 5:08 PM in reply to: #975913 |
Master 1696 Surprise, Arizona | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Congratulations on getting through the swim. The Timex last year was my first tri, and I freaked out during the swim as well. Took me 42:18 last year, and I thought I was going to drown. I can give you some details if you PM me (I also cut my foot on the way into the water, although not as badly as you appear to have done). You can and will get over the OWS problem - just keep at it. It took me about 6 or 7 events before I started feeling better. And here's the big coincidnece - I am the person you offered to help!! I was walking it in and you stopped and offered assistance (I should have known it was a BTer!!). I am really glad that I now have the opportunity to thank you, publically, for being willing to sacrifice your race to help me out. You have some SERIOUS good race karma coming your way, and you will have a fantastic race the next time out. Take care - I am going to add you to my list of training logs, and I will be checking in to inspire you going forward. Yesterday, your perseverance and sportsmanship demonstrated all that is great about triathlon. There will be other races and opportunites to improve on the course, but you took the time to make a lasting impression on a fellow competitor, and that is worth more than any split time or hardware that could have been gained! |
| 2007-09-24 9:51 PM in reply to: #977407 |
Expert 1330 Arizona | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Thanks to everyone. I went to my Dr. today, and after about 2 minutes into our conversation he said: "Where was this race?" "Tempe Town Lake". "You are the second person to come in today with the exact same symptoms!" Evidently a woman came in earlier. Had a hard time breathing on the swim. Had been sick for about 5 days earlier. He said if he got another one he was going to have to blame TTL. The cut on my foot is pretty small, but annoying. I'm going to call off my OWS tomorrow so I don't get Saguaro gunk in my wound. (Also, my shoulder is really sore from the tetanus shot...oh, and yes, I'm still sick ) I'm considering coming out to the ESTCK swim on Thursday. Bhannahs: Small world! I thought about it later and felt guilty I didn't give it more of a go for you. Thought maybe you had just pinch flatted the tube. My training log will likely continue to be empty. I have an excel SS from the Triathlete's Training Bible (TTB) that I use. I think I might run tomorrow, and then after that I'm going to try to ramp up my training and focus on swimming more. Thanks to everyone for their support. I'm not someone who normally needs external validation, but it really is helping. -Jot |
| 2007-09-25 2:41 PM in reply to: #975913 |
| Veteran 135 Mesa, az | Subject: RE: Timex Triathlon Hey Jot! First OWS, now no matter how you swim the next one it will be a pr! Seriously you do not suck, as you usually swim the first 2/3s of a mile faster than me on Tuesdays and when you get the mile under your belt you will be beating me (not that I am any kind of a speed demon but I am a lot better than I was at the beginning of the summer, sorry you couldn't make it this morning by the way). My first OWS in a race is next week and I will be happy with finishing it. I think finishing is the most important. Good times are icing on the cake, but the cake itself is finishing. Edited by pauldelamancha 2007-09-25 2:43 PM |
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United States
USAT
80F / 27C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 503/546
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 70/79
Got to bed last night about 9:30. Didn't fall asleep until after midnight, slept fitfully until I had to get up.
Got up at 4:20. Grabbed a Clif Bar and a Diet Dr. Pepper, loaded the car and headed down. Got to the garage nice and early, setup my transition, hit the portapotty.
Just tried to relax. Feeling nervous but good.