2008 Fathers Day Gold Coast Sprint Tri
This Fathers Day I competed in the LI Gold Coast Tri in Port Washington at Bar Beach. I slept over at Mom's with the kids so I would only have to wake up at 5 and not 4 so I could get more sleep... RIGHT. First Nora wakes up with night terrors... twice... so I had her sleep in my bed. Second, it seems all of Huntington decided to move the party scene from downtown to the former JJs parking lot behind my mom's house... until 4:30ish am. I didn't really need the 5 am alarm cause I was up and pissy.
So come 5am I pack up the truck with my gear and realize I need some coffee or I'm falling asleep and going down in a fiery crash on the LIE. So what's open at 5am on a holiday sunday? Duncan Donuts of course so I in my infinite, sleep deprived wisdom I order a large coffee, two gatorades (I need to keep hydrated) and a crossaint. Breakfast of champions.
I get to Bar Beach and it is next to a waste treatment plant—people neglected to tell me this, Ziggy I'm looking at you— the day after a major storm. I get there, set my bike and gear up get on my wetsuit and head down to the water. The beach is covered with goose poop... mmmmm ecoli. The water is grey with a fine layer of diesel fuel on top and me without my pepto. It's FREEZING, the fog is in so thick you can't see the other side of the harbor and the tide is coming in.
At the race start the Elites are all lined up, they dive to start their .5 mile swim. I look out into the water and see Pete Ventura swimming like he's on a treadmill. The lifeguards are paddling to stay in place. Crap, rip tide. Luckily I was in the 10th heat. So the people before me created a current so my swim wasn't that bad. I placed 205 out of 1007. With a time of 16:35 for a 1/2 mile. Not my best, but not to bad.
At the transition, I get off my wet suit, get on the bike— for the fashion conscious, wearing a shiny grey bathing suit, hot pink skirt, blue helmet riding a cyan blue bike with sliver shoes... looking good — I begin by 12 mile ride. I't pretty flat and I am going a respectable 18 mph. I hit the first hill up seagate drive, not to bad road is rough but I have a decent speed. Now I think that is it for my hills... OH NO ITS NOT. I make another turn up Harbor Park Drive. Its a mother of a hill not terribly long but riddled with tire flattening potholes and one steep uphill. My nice 18mph dropped down to 9mph. I get through that hill make a turn and I am hit with that smell... sewage treatment. Nice. I have to do this twice. I place 671 out of 1007 With a time of 46:10 for 12 miles. I'm happy with that ride, as I practice more hills this time will get better.
At the next transition I remember to take off my helmet, get on my sneakers and start my run. My legs are jello. I haven't ran in 2 weeks because I hurt my knee. This is not fun. I figure I'll take it slow and just finish. I'm running slow, but in my HR zone. The run is flat right on the water It would be beautiful if it wasn't for the fog and the smokestacks. I do the run soaking wet (nothing dries cause of the fog) and by the second lap I feel a blister forming on my arch. Luckily the finish line is in sight so I dig in and pass a girl right at the finish. I love that. I finish 749/1007 with a time of 34:35 for 3.1 miles. Slow. Last race I ran 9 min miles this one was an 11. Knee felt ok after. A little creaky. I'll do a yoga for runners today and get in a good stretch.
My total time was 1:42:50. My goal was 1:39:00 just a little off. A faster run would've done it.
This morning I look at the times and I realize that 233 people didn't show so my bubble burst a little knowing where I placed was close to the bottom. 205/774 swim, 671/774 bike, 749/774 run. Bummer, but at least I got out there which is more than I can say for the 233 no shows. I placed 35/57 in my division females 35-39.
I keep on TRIing.
Mo
So come 5am I pack up the truck with my gear and realize I need some coffee or I'm falling asleep and going down in a fiery crash on the LIE. So what's open at 5am on a holiday sunday? Duncan Donuts of course so I in my infinite, sleep deprived wisdom I order a large coffee, two gatorades (I need to keep hydrated) and a crossaint. Breakfast of champions.
I get to Bar Beach and it is next to a waste treatment plant—people neglected to tell me this, Ziggy I'm looking at you— the day after a major storm. I get there, set my bike and gear up get on my wetsuit and head down to the water. The beach is covered with goose poop... mmmmm ecoli. The water is grey with a fine layer of diesel fuel on top and me without my pepto. It's FREEZING, the fog is in so thick you can't see the other side of the harbor and the tide is coming in.
At the race start the Elites are all lined up, they dive to start their .5 mile swim. I look out into the water and see Pete Ventura swimming like he's on a treadmill. The lifeguards are paddling to stay in place. Crap, rip tide. Luckily I was in the 10th heat. So the people before me created a current so my swim wasn't that bad. I placed 205 out of 1007. With a time of 16:35 for a 1/2 mile. Not my best, but not to bad.
At the transition, I get off my wet suit, get on the bike— for the fashion conscious, wearing a shiny grey bathing suit, hot pink skirt, blue helmet riding a cyan blue bike with sliver shoes... looking good — I begin by 12 mile ride. I't pretty flat and I am going a respectable 18 mph. I hit the first hill up seagate drive, not to bad road is rough but I have a decent speed. Now I think that is it for my hills... OH NO ITS NOT. I make another turn up Harbor Park Drive. Its a mother of a hill not terribly long but riddled with tire flattening potholes and one steep uphill. My nice 18mph dropped down to 9mph. I get through that hill make a turn and I am hit with that smell... sewage treatment. Nice. I have to do this twice. I place 671 out of 1007 With a time of 46:10 for 12 miles. I'm happy with that ride, as I practice more hills this time will get better.
At the next transition I remember to take off my helmet, get on my sneakers and start my run. My legs are jello. I haven't ran in 2 weeks because I hurt my knee. This is not fun. I figure I'll take it slow and just finish. I'm running slow, but in my HR zone. The run is flat right on the water It would be beautiful if it wasn't for the fog and the smokestacks. I do the run soaking wet (nothing dries cause of the fog) and by the second lap I feel a blister forming on my arch. Luckily the finish line is in sight so I dig in and pass a girl right at the finish. I love that. I finish 749/1007 with a time of 34:35 for 3.1 miles. Slow. Last race I ran 9 min miles this one was an 11. Knee felt ok after. A little creaky. I'll do a yoga for runners today and get in a good stretch.
My total time was 1:42:50. My goal was 1:39:00 just a little off. A faster run would've done it.
This morning I look at the times and I realize that 233 people didn't show so my bubble burst a little knowing where I placed was close to the bottom. 205/774 swim, 671/774 bike, 749/774 run. Bummer, but at least I got out there which is more than I can say for the 233 no shows. I placed 35/57 in my division females 35-39.
I keep on TRIing.
Mo
Comments