Earlybird Triathlon

I missed out on signing up for this tri last year, so I was excited to get my registration in. Only then did I realize it was the day after Crazylegs. This could hurt.

The course starts in a pool, out to the road for the bike and then out to a off-road run course. I was assigned wave ten, two and a half hours after the start of the first wave. There were a max of 20 people per wave (three people for lanes 2-6 and four in lanes 1 & 6). I got there a little early to check out how the course laid out and how the pool to T1 transition worked. It was a good thing I did. They were a half-hour early through wave seven. I went to warm up and finalize my transition area. I came back and it seemed like things were taking longer. Wave 8 had only just started. So I got in the diving well to continue warming up. Wouldn't you know it, but my blister protecting band-aids immediately fell off. I guess it was better sooner than later. Once done, wave 8 was still swimming and we were nearing our actual start time. Unfortunately, that let me think that I had to wear my top for the race. I didn't plan on swimming with it, fearing that the pockets would fill with water and drag. So I thought I would be really smart, and leave it at the end of the lane to grab on my way to the bike. Really, I thought I was smart.

Swim
Finally our wave was ready. As we waited, I could tell the elite swimmer all go grouped together. Seems like tough competition. And then, all of a sudden we were in the water, checked in and sharing paces. I was third of three. Number one, a high school kid, was expecting a 5:25 split for his 500 yard swim. Number two estimated 6:00. I was expecting the same pace, so we all agreed to tap toes to pass. And then we were off. All of that waiting and finally, I was swimming. Within the first 100, I caught the number two swimmer. It took another 150 to catch number one. He started off like a rocket and quickly died. I can never remember my count, so a couple of tarzan strokes at the 450 confirmed one final lap. I love how much faster the yards go by in a race than in practice. One final turn and the drive to the final wall and I'm out, grabbed my top and took off running to my bike.

Swim split: 5:54, 1st OA/AG (includes run out to timing zone)

Bike
As I ran out to my bike, I realized the error of my ways. This is me trying to put on my top: one arm in, then the other, doesn't go down. Try again. Did one go through the neck? Or did one go through the arm and the first go through the neck? Nope I had it right, put it back on, quick, wait, now it's stuck, ouch, stretch, reach up, pull it down, okay, now put on your shoes and finish your transition. Oh, hello everyone, why don't you join me and pass me in T1. Great. So maybe it wasn't that smart. Everyone else just threw their bike shoes on, topless or not, and took off while I fumbled around. Lesson learned.

It was a beautiful day with plenty of friends reacquainting themselves. Wind, meet bikes. Bikes, meet wind. No matter how courteous each other are, they just never get along. One minute, the wind pushes you along, effortlessly pedaling nearly 30 miles an hour. Around the next bend and the wind is all up in your face, going nose to nose like Sweet Lou Pinella arguing a close call at home place. It's a love-hate relationship. After the turn, with the wind at my back, I pedaled as fast as I could muster. It was eerie because I felt no wind in my face. Sustained winds had to be near 30 miles per hour. Thankfully it was a short course (13.7 miles). However, the long straightaway back to T2 that begged to be downhill with the wind at your back was nothing but a nightmare. Instead it was slightly up hill and perfectly south into a southeast wind. Not only did you have to fight the wind in your face, but an occasional side gust from the neighboring naked corn fields taught a lesson in bike handling. The field ahead of me zigged and zagged with every gust. I climbed the final two bumps and I was back in T2, ready to run.

Bike split: 40:05, 19th/4th OA/AG (includes T1)

Run
Recent rains made the original course impassible. I didn't know if this was good or bad. Based on what I saw of the new course, I assumed it was bad. It was either up or down hill and rarely straight; a true cross country course. Out of T2, I quickly passed another up the first hill and then was passed by my bike rack neighbor. I only lost sight of him around the fifty plus turns in the course. As hard as it was, it was fun. No wind, in the woods, along a boardwalk, through mud and across a field. I also tried to cheer on others along the course. Several were walking, and hopefully appreciated my encouragement. I got passed on the finishing straight, which sucked, but I had nothing left to give chase. The course was long, too. That and the inclusion of T2 lead to higher times.

Run split: 26:01, 44th/6th OA/AG (includes T2)

Post-race
Because of the wave start and subsequent 10-second intervals in the pool, I was completely unaware of how I finished. The first time my name came up, I was third in my age group and fifteenth overall. I waited and waited and finally the awards started. And wouldn't you know it? The third place held up. My first piece of triathlon hardware. It's small, cheap, and relatively insignificant. There's no engraving, no marks, and nothing but a printed label that's not even attached to memorialize the day. Yet, I was more happy driving home with it in my pocket than I ever was when getting swimming medals as a kid. I even wanted to show it to the kids in the McDonald's drive-thru. I guess you get out what you put in. And all my hard work is starting to pay dividends.

Total time: 1:11:59, 18th/3rd OA/AG