I was pretty tired after the Storrie Lake Tri, but not as bad as I had expected. We had a neighborhood party to get to once I got home, so I figured I'd just be hammered on Monday. I was pleasantly surprised to not be so bad, but I did get a lot of headrushes and had to be outside for my work a lot (I'm a project manager for our county municipal utility department). It was a busy day, but I did get a quick swim in just after work, right before having to rush over to Mila's pre-school to get her before they called child services. No, I made it before the "overtime" charges start, but just barely. Then, I felt tired.
We were so tired in the evening, and the kids just didn't want to get to sleep. That is when all of this extracurricular triathlon stuff gets tough. I have to step back sometimes and be sure it's not taking away from my family. When I think it is, then I back off. There are times when I get selfish and head out for a long training session, but those are getting few and far between now. It is mostly quickie 45 minutes to 1.5 hour sessions. Luckily, most races are only around 2 hours. I'll have to figure something out before the two long races later this year.
We had our Tuesday night time trial tonight. It was again quite breezy (unfavorably), dry, and "hot" for Los Alamos. We used to get some cool evenings with some moisture starting about now, but dry, warm, and windy has been the rule more often than not these past 3 or 4 years. Ugh, I'm tired of it. I could go for a month of rain about now.
The TT went better than the two previous ones. I had to change my gears on the back. I was trying to use my "in shape, tough guy gears" before, but I put on a much easier cog for the climb out of the canyon this evening. It worked. I didn't turn into a mess of lactic acid so badly and had something to give on the rollers from the ski hill turn-off to the finish at the back gate. I didn't have the big-11, but with the headwind, I didn't really need it. If our conditions get more favorable, I'll put the tough-guy gears back on.
Great to see people turning out. The "nooner" (as Dina likes to call it =) is also well attended. Great job to all of you. I'll get the results posted here and on the email lists sometime tomorrow, I hope. I'm in charge of that nasty construction project (among other things) in the Western Area, so I'm not as on top of things as I would like to be.
But, life is good and I can't complain.
Get registered and get to training for the rest of the open water series races! The course at City of Lakes is just so AWESOME! You all gotta go do it if you can!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Storrie Lake(+Billy the Kid) Race Report - June 23, 2013
Ha ha! Here I thought I was getting the ball rolling for new reports last year when I put the Storrie Lake and Billy the Kid Tri race reports up, but it seems we have all run out of blogging steam. I think the usual tri club bloggers have all had some big things happening, and that is likely why no one posted anything since I did about a year ago.
Anyway, here is a repeat of the same two races, one year on:
Billy the Kid Triathlon - Ft. Sumner, NM
Once again, the "BtK" Tri has featured in the Chasing3 Open Water Tri Series. Once again, it was not the best run race, promotionally speaking. This year was lacking a lot of organization, but it is a beautiful venue and an interesting course, so it was still worth it. This year's version was more or less a DIY tri, with just some folks turning out to go through the motions of a regular triathlon.
I'll leave out the gory details of poor organization. But, everything was affected. First off, the swim was totally wrong in it's distance. It was quite long - probably exactly what a 70.3 swim should be. That's OK, we need the practice. The bike is not a 40km, but the course is challenging an consistently bumpy, so it still takes a while. The run is long, and for some reason, they added more to it.
If you haven't heard me whining about it, I've had an ever-increasing back problem over the past few years that is really beginning to bug me, especially when I run. Something happened late last season that made it worse, and I had a horrible start to my run training. I've had to go see doctors, but you know how that is...mostly disappointing because they aren't really sure about anything. They just tell me not to run and go get therapy. So, the upside is that I have been getting some great PT and have become very aware of what is happening to my muscles and nerves due to the collapsed disks and injured facets of my lower vertebrae. I've had to completely change the way I run, and do many other things, and it seems to be working, but I can't run "fast" like I used to. It's frustrating, but at least I'm not all in pain like I had become there for a while.
The run at BtK was a bit frustrating. I had done two XTERRA races the week before, both with less than fast runs, and the BtK was rough. I also took a wrong turn (or rather, missed a turn) and had to double-back, but it didn't really matter. I had been holding 2nd throughout the race, but with a very strong Frankie Benavidez always behind within striking distance. This guy is fit and strong this year, and it didn't take him too long to dispense with me on the tough run. I watched with envy as he sped up the road away from me. Rance Irvin had the race locked up from the gun, with dominating performances in all three disciplines.
Lots of other folks out there had solid efforts on that tough course.
OK, on to the Storrie Lake Triathlon-turned-Duathlon:
By now, you've probably heard that there is a drought in the Land of Enchantment. Storrie Lake just looked sad. There was enough water to host a full triathlon, but the water was very turbid and we would have had to wade through knee deep mud and muck to get in and out of the water. They made the right call in changing it over to a duathlon.
Poor Angie at Chasing3...she's had a rough year this year. More on that in a later post, but she's been beaten up with some of the great events she has promoted over the last couple of years, and she just hasn't caught a break this year. Now, this deal with the drought and having to alter the race to a duathlon.
Quite a few NM folks rallied though, and for that, I applaud you. I am not quite sure why some people have issues with Chasing3 and the Open Water Series. Again, more on that later.
Anyway, the day dawned beautiful. I mean, very pretty, with the big moon and totally calm winds, and even a little chill in the air. What a day for a race!
I was very concerned about my back for that first 5km opener. I haven't been able to train well this year, and certainly have no speed in my legs. I knew it was going to be ugly, and somehow, I had to keep my form and not get hurt. I think I did a very good job, without losing too much ground. But, it is still very frustrating to see where I could/should be, vs. where I am. I was impressed with the speed of the leaders, and especially Danny Montoya, who put in a wicked 5km opener with a 15:11 or something like that. Very fast!
I suffered a bit, but got better after the first mile. Mile 2 improved, especially with the big hill we had to climb. I still like running uphill, so that's good. I also ran downhill fairly well. The flats are more difficult. I came in with a 16:38, about 9th, including teams. I had some ground to make up on the bike.
Once out on the bike, it took a while longer to find my legs than usual, but it's probably because I had just run, not swum. Thankfully, I did find my legs to some extent. They were good, not 100% great. I'll complain about my lack of training again, but keep it brief. I've barely ridden my tri bike this year, and just don't have a lot of time in the saddle period, compared to years past. Lots reasons for that, but I can tell that it is affecting my road tri power and speed. Hopefully, I'll get a little better before the season is done.
Since there were a number of dudes up the road, I got to see how they ride and what all was going on. There were some shenanigans with riding too close and etc., but whatever. It happens sometimes and I don't think about it unless it is really bad.
Again Rance Irvin was crushing it and us. I thought I was really having a fast ride because I was slowly grinding up to Marty Moriarty (who was competing in a relay) up the long hill past the Sapello turn-off, but at the turn-around, I saw that Rance was way out in front and going away further. I kept at it, and slowly ground my way up to Danny Montoya, who was having a stellar day and a great ride on the bike. I don't think I've ever seen him ride so strongly, so big kudos to him. He was really giving it hell!
Unfortunately for me, Danny is a really fast runner, and it didn't take him long to whip up on me on the run. He ran so fast that he actually got out of sight by the later part of the run. That is hard on the mental aspect, knowing you're getting the tar beat out of you and there's nothing you can do.
But, I do have some positive feelings about that run, and the opening run. Overall, they felt better and more natural. It's been exhausting to go out running and have to think about posture and "neutral spine" on every single stride. I was able to run during the race and not think about it quite so much. So, I was not all that disappointed.
I had worked up to 2nd place, lost it quickly on the run to Danny, then held 3rd until the very end, when a hard-charging Tchad Leeds came pounding up behind me. I was already pushing my back's limit by that point and could not accelerate to beat him at the line. So, he took 3rd at the finish. Later, he would receive a double penalty: one for drafting and one for littering. Those refs are serious when they warn you at the start about that stuff. I've had to learn the hard way more than once myself. The final result was that I got 3rd and he was relegated to 5th.
Angie had lots for the racers afterward, with prompt awards, food, and just plain fun post-race atmosphere. It was a great day to out at a race!
Big thanks to Angie and Chasing3, and all of the volunteers they found, and the Storrie Lake rangers and state police and volunteer fire fighter folks, etc. They all made the race safe and fun.
Next up for most of you...the VERY awesome City of Lakes Triathlon in Santa Rosa. You don't want to miss it. Those courses are so cool. I will have to miss it due to family vacation obligations, but will be back for the Cochiti Tri...woohoo!
Anyway, here is a repeat of the same two races, one year on:
Billy the Kid Triathlon - Ft. Sumner, NM
Once again, the "BtK" Tri has featured in the Chasing3 Open Water Tri Series. Once again, it was not the best run race, promotionally speaking. This year was lacking a lot of organization, but it is a beautiful venue and an interesting course, so it was still worth it. This year's version was more or less a DIY tri, with just some folks turning out to go through the motions of a regular triathlon.
I'll leave out the gory details of poor organization. But, everything was affected. First off, the swim was totally wrong in it's distance. It was quite long - probably exactly what a 70.3 swim should be. That's OK, we need the practice. The bike is not a 40km, but the course is challenging an consistently bumpy, so it still takes a while. The run is long, and for some reason, they added more to it.
If you haven't heard me whining about it, I've had an ever-increasing back problem over the past few years that is really beginning to bug me, especially when I run. Something happened late last season that made it worse, and I had a horrible start to my run training. I've had to go see doctors, but you know how that is...mostly disappointing because they aren't really sure about anything. They just tell me not to run and go get therapy. So, the upside is that I have been getting some great PT and have become very aware of what is happening to my muscles and nerves due to the collapsed disks and injured facets of my lower vertebrae. I've had to completely change the way I run, and do many other things, and it seems to be working, but I can't run "fast" like I used to. It's frustrating, but at least I'm not all in pain like I had become there for a while.
The run at BtK was a bit frustrating. I had done two XTERRA races the week before, both with less than fast runs, and the BtK was rough. I also took a wrong turn (or rather, missed a turn) and had to double-back, but it didn't really matter. I had been holding 2nd throughout the race, but with a very strong Frankie Benavidez always behind within striking distance. This guy is fit and strong this year, and it didn't take him too long to dispense with me on the tough run. I watched with envy as he sped up the road away from me. Rance Irvin had the race locked up from the gun, with dominating performances in all three disciplines.
Lots of other folks out there had solid efforts on that tough course.
OK, on to the Storrie Lake Triathlon-turned-Duathlon:
By now, you've probably heard that there is a drought in the Land of Enchantment. Storrie Lake just looked sad. There was enough water to host a full triathlon, but the water was very turbid and we would have had to wade through knee deep mud and muck to get in and out of the water. They made the right call in changing it over to a duathlon.
Poor Angie at Chasing3...she's had a rough year this year. More on that in a later post, but she's been beaten up with some of the great events she has promoted over the last couple of years, and she just hasn't caught a break this year. Now, this deal with the drought and having to alter the race to a duathlon.
Quite a few NM folks rallied though, and for that, I applaud you. I am not quite sure why some people have issues with Chasing3 and the Open Water Series. Again, more on that later.
Anyway, the day dawned beautiful. I mean, very pretty, with the big moon and totally calm winds, and even a little chill in the air. What a day for a race!
I was very concerned about my back for that first 5km opener. I haven't been able to train well this year, and certainly have no speed in my legs. I knew it was going to be ugly, and somehow, I had to keep my form and not get hurt. I think I did a very good job, without losing too much ground. But, it is still very frustrating to see where I could/should be, vs. where I am. I was impressed with the speed of the leaders, and especially Danny Montoya, who put in a wicked 5km opener with a 15:11 or something like that. Very fast!
I suffered a bit, but got better after the first mile. Mile 2 improved, especially with the big hill we had to climb. I still like running uphill, so that's good. I also ran downhill fairly well. The flats are more difficult. I came in with a 16:38, about 9th, including teams. I had some ground to make up on the bike.
Once out on the bike, it took a while longer to find my legs than usual, but it's probably because I had just run, not swum. Thankfully, I did find my legs to some extent. They were good, not 100% great. I'll complain about my lack of training again, but keep it brief. I've barely ridden my tri bike this year, and just don't have a lot of time in the saddle period, compared to years past. Lots reasons for that, but I can tell that it is affecting my road tri power and speed. Hopefully, I'll get a little better before the season is done.
Since there were a number of dudes up the road, I got to see how they ride and what all was going on. There were some shenanigans with riding too close and etc., but whatever. It happens sometimes and I don't think about it unless it is really bad.
Again Rance Irvin was crushing it and us. I thought I was really having a fast ride because I was slowly grinding up to Marty Moriarty (who was competing in a relay) up the long hill past the Sapello turn-off, but at the turn-around, I saw that Rance was way out in front and going away further. I kept at it, and slowly ground my way up to Danny Montoya, who was having a stellar day and a great ride on the bike. I don't think I've ever seen him ride so strongly, so big kudos to him. He was really giving it hell!
Unfortunately for me, Danny is a really fast runner, and it didn't take him long to whip up on me on the run. He ran so fast that he actually got out of sight by the later part of the run. That is hard on the mental aspect, knowing you're getting the tar beat out of you and there's nothing you can do.
But, I do have some positive feelings about that run, and the opening run. Overall, they felt better and more natural. It's been exhausting to go out running and have to think about posture and "neutral spine" on every single stride. I was able to run during the race and not think about it quite so much. So, I was not all that disappointed.
I had worked up to 2nd place, lost it quickly on the run to Danny, then held 3rd until the very end, when a hard-charging Tchad Leeds came pounding up behind me. I was already pushing my back's limit by that point and could not accelerate to beat him at the line. So, he took 3rd at the finish. Later, he would receive a double penalty: one for drafting and one for littering. Those refs are serious when they warn you at the start about that stuff. I've had to learn the hard way more than once myself. The final result was that I got 3rd and he was relegated to 5th.
Angie had lots for the racers afterward, with prompt awards, food, and just plain fun post-race atmosphere. It was a great day to out at a race!
Big thanks to Angie and Chasing3, and all of the volunteers they found, and the Storrie Lake rangers and state police and volunteer fire fighter folks, etc. They all made the race safe and fun.
Next up for most of you...the VERY awesome City of Lakes Triathlon in Santa Rosa. You don't want to miss it. Those courses are so cool. I will have to miss it due to family vacation obligations, but will be back for the Cochiti Tri...woohoo!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Storrie Lake Race Report (from Clay)
Well, it's about time we started putting this year's race reports on the blog. I've been meaning to, but man I've been busier than usual this year. It just so happens that I found some free moments thanks to getting sick from something that Mila contracted somewhere and now I'm here at home in the middle of the day suffering in our overly warm, un-air-conditioned house.
The Storrie Lake Triathlon is such a cool race. The course is fantastic and the organization is superb. It is definitely one of the best races around and at the top of the heap as far as New Mexico is concerned. In my opinion, anything that is produced by Chasing3 is going to be one of the best races we have. Just as a side-note, I'll rank my favorite local triathlons like this:
1. Storrie Lake, Cochiti Lake, Elephant Man, XTERRA Four Corners (tie) [all open water, great courses]
2. Milkman, Dam It Man, Bottomless F-1 (tie) [all short distance with great open water and great courses]
3. Socorro Chile Harvest (great course, outdoor pool swim)
4. Billy the Kid Tombstone Olympic (needs some improvements, but lots of potential), Grady Williams in Farmington (now cancelled, was a cool race)
5. Patriot Tri & Candyman (sort-of repeat races at the Rio Rancho pool, but well-organized with great courses)
6. Spring Fling (yet another pool swim at Rio Rancho, good for an early season tune-up, but you have to watch out for traffic on the bike course...some improvement needed there) & Jay Benson (kind of a boring course and lots of trouble with the base, etc.; this one is a must for an early-season tune-up with it being the Abq World Championships. It's also very well organized and promoted by my sponsor, Sport Systems)
Sorry, that was a long side-note. I just wanted to give some perspective on how great the Storrie Lake Triathlon is. And another early apology here...I'm going to vent about my less than expected result in every painful detail (as Dina describes it).
This year, as in many years previous, the water level was low. It was VERY low this year, but just fine for putting on a race in the 2-loop format of 750 meters per lap, which I quite like. The bike course is fantastic, but unfortunately the DOT put in those huge drunk strips that causes some issues here and there. At race speed, I just have to ride in the lane because of space issues passing other riders, etc. It works out well most of the time, but I did get crowded and honked at by a big truck right at the sprint race turn-around. The run course is so cool with a mix of quiet back roads, some dirt roads that are scenic, and a challenging section coming back to the finish along Hwy 518, which is also scenic. It is a great venue for a triathlon. Add in the nice camping at a well-kept state park and you have everything you can ask for.
Las Vegas is also an interesting town. It's a bit different, yet also very familiar New Mexico. It's a quirky place with two universities, so there are lots of modern amenities, but also with that rough-around-the-edges feel of most New Mexico towns. We ate at El Fidel restaurant, at the historic hotel of the same name, and just loved the awesome food there. What a treat!
This year's weather was also a 180-degree difference from the year before. It even showered nicely the evening before, giving a fresh feel to the morning. Race day weather was just beautiful, though it got a bit hot by the time the race was finished.
I had high hopes for this race, as I have been feeling great and training pretty well, or at least as much as my life allows these days. Unfortunately, Mila got very sick the week prior, as did Dina and so things started to get a little messy around the house. We bailed on our original plan to take the camper and make it a family camping trip, so I had to go solo, which isn't as much fun as it used to be, especially when Mila was so upset and Dina was very tired when I left on Saturday. That made it hard to leave.
I was lucky to hook up with my buddy, Keven Kandalaft in Las Vegas, and we scoped things out with a couple of his buddies from Boulder. One of his friends is a wicked fast swimmer and was the first out of the water for the swim prime.
On to my own race: race start was an early 7am, so Kevin and I got up at 4am to get breakfast down and get out to the lake and get set up and warmed up with time to spare. It was all so easy and I was very ready to go with even some time to fiddle with the brakes on my new Felt DA. It's a great bike, but it's a little tight with the brakes under the stays.
Normally, I would have been so amped up and ready to go, but I was feeling a little lethargic. That is not normal for me on race mornings but I ignored it and did everything I could to get my mind on the game. I went and got a good swim warm up, but just didn't feel spunky. We meddled around a bit for the timers to get set and for the kayakers to get into the water and in that time I felt a wave of something "not quite right" but didn't know what it was exactly.
I actually got off to a pretty good start on the swim, but was hurting far too much and too early. I stuck it out as best I could and found a couple of feet to follow toward the end of the first lap of 750 meters. I just focused on following those feet the whole second lap (I think it was Kristin Moriarty and Philip Sunderland, with Chris Werth touching my feet from time to time). Overall, the swim was good without the usual bloody scrum at the front and some good open water, so I hoped for a miracle out on the bike...
Once out of the water, I felt super gassed. I was all full of acid and didn't feel good on the longish run up the boat ramp. In comparison, I felt awesome running up that same ramp last year...I remember it well.
Out on the bike, I messed around WAY too long with my shoes, and Kristin Moriarty had to ask me if everything was all right as I left T1 just ahead and she had to get around me messing around. I finally got them on and barely could get past her for the longest time. I watched as my main competition, Randy Arriola, pulled away from me with some authority. It was not a good feeling and it only seemingly got worse until I just finally got angry with the situation and went all-out over the first climb in a do-or-die attempt to jump start my body. I had hoped that I was just "blocked up" and needed to blow it out of my system to get going, but the weak feeling never really subsided. It did get a little better once I got some recovery on the descent into the Sapello valley, and I motored with everything I had up that long, gradual hill to the turn around. Things didn't seem too out of hand when I saw both Randy and Rance Irvin at the turnaround, only about a minute and some change ahead of me. I figured if I could find my legs on the way back, I might have a chance if I could also keep things on the mend in the run.
But, there was no miracle to had on that day. I did gain a little time back on Randy on the return, coming in less than a minute behind him at T2 (which I suppose is a miracle considering how I was feeling). Rance flatted just ahead of me, so that variable was taken out of the equation. He has not been running his best this season with some sort of foot problem, so I had figured I had a chance to catch him if my run held up. Randy runs well, so with him able to kick my butt on the bike, I figured he was really gonna give me hell on the run.
One of the main problems I was having, besides feeling super-weak, was that I wasn't able to ingest anything without it making me feel sick and wanting to come back up. I didn't take in nearly enough fluids for the event (less than one water bottle), much of which DID come back up while out on the bike. That wasn't good.
Coming into T2, Randy was just about leaving and was about 30+ seconds up on me. I tried to hustle through, but I realized I was in trouble when all my muscles were cramping while trying to put on my shoes. I sucked it up after taking a few extra seconds to stand straight up and grab my abdominal muscles that had seized up on me (and are still sore right now) in order to make one last big attempt at bending down to get my other shoe on. Once my shoes were on, I hobbled out of T2 and did my best to find a quick rhythm.
I did manage to relax and find a comfort zone for a while, the problem was that it was slow and I just didn't have anything more to give. I just locked into that and focused on doing everything as efficiently as possible. Again, I could barely take anything at the aid stations, yet I was dehydrating rapidly and knew I needed fluids, so I mainly just threw water on myself and used it to re-hydrate my lips. At one point, I just decided to turn my mind off to the situation and see how far that got me before I started thinking about the situation getting more critical.
Somewhere at the far end of the run course, I was feeling downright ill. I wanted to quit, but there was nowhere to quit. I would have just died out in the middle of nowhere so I kept on going...plus I was miraculously still in 2nd. I looked down and realized I wasn't moving that slowly and that I had a long way to go before I was walking, so I kept it up. I managed to make it to with about 1/4 of a mile before a hard-charging Richard Sena came flying by me. Needless to say, I had no response and that final 400 meters felt like an eternity!
I was bummed about the whole thing, but really, I'm also a little amazed that I ended up 3rd. I had a feeling that I had been getting stronger and should have been quite good, but something caught up to me right during the race and knocked me down a few notches. I was pretty ill afterward and just did what I could to get myself home and to take a nap. I was sick all through the night but slept well anyway. I still felt crummy today too, but another long nap has helped. I'm gonna rest for a couple of more days before doing any light training. It'll also help me get caught up on some things, so it's not all bad.
The cool thing was to log on today and see how everyone did in their IM and 70.3 races. Congratulations to all of you who did those events!!!
Again, sorry for all the gory details.
The Storrie Lake Triathlon is such a cool race. The course is fantastic and the organization is superb. It is definitely one of the best races around and at the top of the heap as far as New Mexico is concerned. In my opinion, anything that is produced by Chasing3 is going to be one of the best races we have. Just as a side-note, I'll rank my favorite local triathlons like this:
 |
| Race Director, Angie Kandalaft (owner of Chasing3) putting on one hell of a great race!!! |
1. Storrie Lake, Cochiti Lake, Elephant Man, XTERRA Four Corners (tie) [all open water, great courses]
2. Milkman, Dam It Man, Bottomless F-1 (tie) [all short distance with great open water and great courses]
3. Socorro Chile Harvest (great course, outdoor pool swim)
4. Billy the Kid Tombstone Olympic (needs some improvements, but lots of potential), Grady Williams in Farmington (now cancelled, was a cool race)
5. Patriot Tri & Candyman (sort-of repeat races at the Rio Rancho pool, but well-organized with great courses)
6. Spring Fling (yet another pool swim at Rio Rancho, good for an early season tune-up, but you have to watch out for traffic on the bike course...some improvement needed there) & Jay Benson (kind of a boring course and lots of trouble with the base, etc.; this one is a must for an early-season tune-up with it being the Abq World Championships. It's also very well organized and promoted by my sponsor, Sport Systems)
Sorry, that was a long side-note. I just wanted to give some perspective on how great the Storrie Lake Triathlon is. And another early apology here...I'm going to vent about my less than expected result in every painful detail (as Dina describes it).
This year, as in many years previous, the water level was low. It was VERY low this year, but just fine for putting on a race in the 2-loop format of 750 meters per lap, which I quite like. The bike course is fantastic, but unfortunately the DOT put in those huge drunk strips that causes some issues here and there. At race speed, I just have to ride in the lane because of space issues passing other riders, etc. It works out well most of the time, but I did get crowded and honked at by a big truck right at the sprint race turn-around. The run course is so cool with a mix of quiet back roads, some dirt roads that are scenic, and a challenging section coming back to the finish along Hwy 518, which is also scenic. It is a great venue for a triathlon. Add in the nice camping at a well-kept state park and you have everything you can ask for.
 |
| Looking out over Storrie Lake from T1, with boat ramp exit in the foreground. It's a pretty setting for a lake. |
 |
| At last year's race: Bear, club prez Bill Dunn, Timo |
I had high hopes for this race, as I have been feeling great and training pretty well, or at least as much as my life allows these days. Unfortunately, Mila got very sick the week prior, as did Dina and so things started to get a little messy around the house. We bailed on our original plan to take the camper and make it a family camping trip, so I had to go solo, which isn't as much fun as it used to be, especially when Mila was so upset and Dina was very tired when I left on Saturday. That made it hard to leave.
I was lucky to hook up with my buddy, Keven Kandalaft in Las Vegas, and we scoped things out with a couple of his buddies from Boulder. One of his friends is a wicked fast swimmer and was the first out of the water for the swim prime.
On to my own race: race start was an early 7am, so Kevin and I got up at 4am to get breakfast down and get out to the lake and get set up and warmed up with time to spare. It was all so easy and I was very ready to go with even some time to fiddle with the brakes on my new Felt DA. It's a great bike, but it's a little tight with the brakes under the stays.
Normally, I would have been so amped up and ready to go, but I was feeling a little lethargic. That is not normal for me on race mornings but I ignored it and did everything I could to get my mind on the game. I went and got a good swim warm up, but just didn't feel spunky. We meddled around a bit for the timers to get set and for the kayakers to get into the water and in that time I felt a wave of something "not quite right" but didn't know what it was exactly.
 |
| Last year's swim start |
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| The women's wave starting in the 2011 race |
Out on the bike, I messed around WAY too long with my shoes, and Kristin Moriarty had to ask me if everything was all right as I left T1 just ahead and she had to get around me messing around. I finally got them on and barely could get past her for the longest time. I watched as my main competition, Randy Arriola, pulled away from me with some authority. It was not a good feeling and it only seemingly got worse until I just finally got angry with the situation and went all-out over the first climb in a do-or-die attempt to jump start my body. I had hoped that I was just "blocked up" and needed to blow it out of my system to get going, but the weak feeling never really subsided. It did get a little better once I got some recovery on the descent into the Sapello valley, and I motored with everything I had up that long, gradual hill to the turn around. Things didn't seem too out of hand when I saw both Randy and Rance Irvin at the turnaround, only about a minute and some change ahead of me. I figured if I could find my legs on the way back, I might have a chance if I could also keep things on the mend in the run.
But, there was no miracle to had on that day. I did gain a little time back on Randy on the return, coming in less than a minute behind him at T2 (which I suppose is a miracle considering how I was feeling). Rance flatted just ahead of me, so that variable was taken out of the equation. He has not been running his best this season with some sort of foot problem, so I had figured I had a chance to catch him if my run held up. Randy runs well, so with him able to kick my butt on the bike, I figured he was really gonna give me hell on the run.
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| Since Dina can't race this season, I thought it would be nice to add her to the blog. Here she is leaving T1 at the 2011 race |
Coming into T2, Randy was just about leaving and was about 30+ seconds up on me. I tried to hustle through, but I realized I was in trouble when all my muscles were cramping while trying to put on my shoes. I sucked it up after taking a few extra seconds to stand straight up and grab my abdominal muscles that had seized up on me (and are still sore right now) in order to make one last big attempt at bending down to get my other shoe on. Once my shoes were on, I hobbled out of T2 and did my best to find a quick rhythm.
I did manage to relax and find a comfort zone for a while, the problem was that it was slow and I just didn't have anything more to give. I just locked into that and focused on doing everything as efficiently as possible. Again, I could barely take anything at the aid stations, yet I was dehydrating rapidly and knew I needed fluids, so I mainly just threw water on myself and used it to re-hydrate my lips. At one point, I just decided to turn my mind off to the situation and see how far that got me before I started thinking about the situation getting more critical.
Somewhere at the far end of the run course, I was feeling downright ill. I wanted to quit, but there was nowhere to quit. I would have just died out in the middle of nowhere so I kept on going...plus I was miraculously still in 2nd. I looked down and realized I wasn't moving that slowly and that I had a long way to go before I was walking, so I kept it up. I managed to make it to with about 1/4 of a mile before a hard-charging Richard Sena came flying by me. Needless to say, I had no response and that final 400 meters felt like an eternity!
I was bummed about the whole thing, but really, I'm also a little amazed that I ended up 3rd. I had a feeling that I had been getting stronger and should have been quite good, but something caught up to me right during the race and knocked me down a few notches. I was pretty ill afterward and just did what I could to get myself home and to take a nap. I was sick all through the night but slept well anyway. I still felt crummy today too, but another long nap has helped. I'm gonna rest for a couple of more days before doing any light training. It'll also help me get caught up on some things, so it's not all bad.
The cool thing was to log on today and see how everyone did in their IM and 70.3 races. Congratulations to all of you who did those events!!!
Again, sorry for all the gory details.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Billy the Kid Tombstone Olympic Tri
I'll add a quick blog about this "new" race at Sumner Lake near Ft. Sumner. I think this was actually the 3rd year for this event, but it has been a relatively small affair and it never fit into our schedule, so we hadn't gone to it before this year. Chasing3 added it to their "open water series," so it got put on my schedule right then and there. They also have a sprint version of this race that was quite popular. So, there's something for everyone.
The trip to the lake is not so bad, as Hwy 285 gets us down to I-40 so quickly, then it's just a quick trip to Santa Rosa (also a great place for some training with all of their lakes, and one of the venues for a new open-water sprint race in August). It's about 38 miles from Santa Rosa to Sumner Lake, so it's quite easy to stay there where there are far more amenities. But, Ft. Sumner is kinda cool with the Pecos River flowing through it and there being some very nice quiet and scenic roads to ride on. I love riding down to Bosque Redondo and Billy the Kid's grave from town and back.
Anyway, this race is directed by the local school superintendent. It's a great venue with LOTS of potential. As is somewhat the case with many rural areas of NM, the roads are less than smooth, so that is the main drawback of the venue. It's not that bad, but the road is a little rough, much like NM-4, actually.
The lake is on the Pecos River, so it's a little murky but nice water. It's also not all that chilly. The swim course needs to be altered. They ran it as an out-and-back style course with one buoy on the far end and one on the near end. That caused a lot of messes with the two-way traffic. One more buoy just a little off of the swim line would have helped tremendously.
I had a somewhat crummy swim for me -- my back had been bothering me from before Jay Benson and I aggravated it the week before. Otherwise, the rest of me felt pretty good. I was just off in the swim due to the tender muscles and didn't pull 100%, nor evenly. I ended up in a not-so-great group that didn't sight well and so we didn't have a very good swim time relative to the leaders. This would affect the entire race for me.
The exit from the swim is up a typical NM boat ramp, but not as steep as some of the others. The transition area is in a nice, although rough-pavement, parking lot. The state park is not that big, but nice and scenic. The roads are rough with some speed bumps that are a minor nuisance but not that bad. It's important to use good tires at this race.
Out on the bike, I put the hammer down (I had made a mistake in getting out of the park and it cost me probably 20 or 30 seconds overall). I was going WAY too fast over a roller that led down to a sharp curve going over the dam. I nearly didn't make the curve, twice actually, before getting my mind in the game and getting over the dam. The road is narrow and open to traffic, so there were some cars behind some of the other racers who were faster on the swim than I was, so that was a little sketchy getting around all of that. Then, it was open road. I felt good, but saw that I had a HUGE gap to make up on the front-runners. I didn't panic and just did what I had to do. Fortunately, my back wasn't bothering me on the bike and I was able to really crank it out.
Coming back to the lake, we made a turn-off of the route out to an even narrower road that went down and around a curve that many of us nearly missed, as there was a dirt road leading off the apex of the 90 degree bend. It looked like the way to go, so I over-cooked it and had to skid and hook a tight, slow turn to get back on course. I think a lot of folks did that. It was a bummer, as I was just about to catch the 2nd-place guy (Ken Corigliano) at the time.
I finally got off that little road and passed Ken and hauled it back into T2, where it was a bit confusing as to where we dismounted. My back was bugging by that time and I had a slower-than-usual T2, but not too bad. I was really locked up and my whole body was reacting to the tightness in my back. I tried to find a comfortable position to get my rhythm, but it was a significant uphill in the first mile of the run. I heard footsteps and knew Corigliano was a fast runner. He passed me with authority and I shuddered to think how much time he was going to put on me if that situation kept up. I fought hard mentally to not think about it and just focus on getting my body to come around and find a comfortable running stride.
Out of the park and over the first big hill, I watched as Corigliano strode away from me. But up ahead, I saw Rance Irvin not making any progress on me at all and in fact, was seemingly coming closer into view. I was heartened by that, so I worked on getting my effort going even better.
There was another hill up to the first aid station and so I was able to get two good cups of water. I had hydrated well on the bike, so I didn't need to drink too much, even though it was hot without much of a breeze. I put most of the water on my back and legs, and that did something to help my back relax quite a bit. I suddenly felt myself becoming more comfortable and moving faster. I was pleased to see that Corigliano was not advancing his gap as quickly as before, and that Rance was also getting closer. I just increased my tempo and overall speed as my body allowed, and before I knew it, I was really running and feeling not so bad as before.
The return home was great, actually. I ran well and got closer to Rance and even ran faster than Corigliano for a time, but when he caught Rance, there was an increase in both of their speeds, so I started running out of real estate to move up. By the end, they both had over a minute in hand on me, but it had been much more earlier. My bike/run time was better than Corigliano's by about 40 seconds or so, and well over a minute faster than Rance's, even though he had a great bike too and we were basically even (I think I nipped him by one second =).
So, it wasn't a win, but I was actually not bummed about it. I fought the entire way and without such a sad swim, it would have been a great race for me. I like the venue and everything, but there are definitely some details that need to be attended to and some major improvements made overall. It has a lot of potential as a really good race. We'll go back if they have it again in the future. It's a fun event overall in a cool part of the state.
The trip to the lake is not so bad, as Hwy 285 gets us down to I-40 so quickly, then it's just a quick trip to Santa Rosa (also a great place for some training with all of their lakes, and one of the venues for a new open-water sprint race in August). It's about 38 miles from Santa Rosa to Sumner Lake, so it's quite easy to stay there where there are far more amenities. But, Ft. Sumner is kinda cool with the Pecos River flowing through it and there being some very nice quiet and scenic roads to ride on. I love riding down to Bosque Redondo and Billy the Kid's grave from town and back.
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| Mila playing on the cool rocks that ring much of the lake. It's a pretty venue. |
The lake is on the Pecos River, so it's a little murky but nice water. It's also not all that chilly. The swim course needs to be altered. They ran it as an out-and-back style course with one buoy on the far end and one on the near end. That caused a lot of messes with the two-way traffic. One more buoy just a little off of the swim line would have helped tremendously.
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| Racers getting ready for the swim. They didn't provide any swim caps...not a big deal, but kinda different... |
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| A wider angle shot of the random swim start staging |
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| This shot says it all. That's me all locked up and trying to move after a lousy swim. My back bothered me pretty badly that day. |
Out on the bike, I put the hammer down (I had made a mistake in getting out of the park and it cost me probably 20 or 30 seconds overall). I was going WAY too fast over a roller that led down to a sharp curve going over the dam. I nearly didn't make the curve, twice actually, before getting my mind in the game and getting over the dam. The road is narrow and open to traffic, so there were some cars behind some of the other racers who were faster on the swim than I was, so that was a little sketchy getting around all of that. Then, it was open road. I felt good, but saw that I had a HUGE gap to make up on the front-runners. I didn't panic and just did what I had to do. Fortunately, my back wasn't bothering me on the bike and I was able to really crank it out.
Coming back to the lake, we made a turn-off of the route out to an even narrower road that went down and around a curve that many of us nearly missed, as there was a dirt road leading off the apex of the 90 degree bend. It looked like the way to go, so I over-cooked it and had to skid and hook a tight, slow turn to get back on course. I think a lot of folks did that. It was a bummer, as I was just about to catch the 2nd-place guy (Ken Corigliano) at the time.
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| Coming in from the bike. I felt good and hammered hard on the bike. I forgot my racing suit at home and had to race Tarzan style =) |
Out of the park and over the first big hill, I watched as Corigliano strode away from me. But up ahead, I saw Rance Irvin not making any progress on me at all and in fact, was seemingly coming closer into view. I was heartened by that, so I worked on getting my effort going even better.
There was another hill up to the first aid station and so I was able to get two good cups of water. I had hydrated well on the bike, so I didn't need to drink too much, even though it was hot without much of a breeze. I put most of the water on my back and legs, and that did something to help my back relax quite a bit. I suddenly felt myself becoming more comfortable and moving faster. I was pleased to see that Corigliano was not advancing his gap as quickly as before, and that Rance was also getting closer. I just increased my tempo and overall speed as my body allowed, and before I knew it, I was really running and feeling not so bad as before.
The return home was great, actually. I ran well and got closer to Rance and even ran faster than Corigliano for a time, but when he caught Rance, there was an increase in both of their speeds, so I started running out of real estate to move up. By the end, they both had over a minute in hand on me, but it had been much more earlier. My bike/run time was better than Corigliano's by about 40 seconds or so, and well over a minute faster than Rance's, even though he had a great bike too and we were basically even (I think I nipped him by one second =).
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| What started out as a disaster of a run turned into a pretty decent run...I still lost a lot of time at the beginning, but pulled it out by the end. |
So, it wasn't a win, but I was actually not bummed about it. I fought the entire way and without such a sad swim, it would have been a great race for me. I like the venue and everything, but there are definitely some details that need to be attended to and some major improvements made overall. It has a lot of potential as a really good race. We'll go back if they have it again in the future. It's a fun event overall in a cool part of the state.
Monday, May 14, 2012
XTerra Dread Mon Mtn Bike clinic Sat May 19th!
From Clay:
"I've been meaning to send out information regarding the mountain bike (and possibly also swim and run) clinic this weekend at Elephant Butte for the coming XTERRA Dread Mon in July. This is a little late in coming, but if you are planning on taking part in this super-cool race, it might be a good thing to consider coming down and camping (or moteling it in style...) and doing the clinic with us.
There is great camping at the Elephant Butte State Park, as you're probably aware from the Elephant Man tri, but there is also great camping at the Dam Site as well. That is actually where the XTERRA Dread Mon and the Dam It Man triathlons are, not at the State Park beach like the Elephant Man. Information on the Dam Site lodging, restaurant, and marina can be found at:http://thedamsite.com/ There is actually a lot of really cool options with an historic lodge, cabins, campsites, etc., and it's a very scenic and fun setting.
The mountain bike course for the XTERRA is quite challenging, so I've heard. I have not actually seen it myself, so the focus will be to develop a strategy on the most technical sections to limit time losses and make the experience as fun as possible. XTERRA events are a lot of fun and the atmosphere is a bit more laid-back than normal triathlons, but there are some technical differences between them and regular road triathlons, so this will be a good introduction to what you may expect, as well as getting a little more comfort with the whole thing.
Hope to see some of you there!"
[to sign up click here: http://www.dreadmontriathlon.com/mountain-bike-clinic ]
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Input on NM502 changes, please! Meeting Feb 7th!
Those of you in the Los Alamos area: its the last chance to weigh in on the NM502 options!! Details below are from Betsy L through Darien R. Also, see comment regarding this project from Khal Spencer at the very bottom of the post. Khal is a local cycling enthusiast and advocate and has been following and working with this project closely.
The County Council will make its final decision regarding design of NM502/Trinity Drive at its Tues, Feb 7th meeting, beginning at 7:00pm at the Community Building Council Chambers (475 20th St, next to Ashley Pond on the Ruby K side). It is the only item on the agenda and the council chambers will be packed. The so-called Zimmerman Option, which calms traffic, improves livability and supports multi-modal transportation (read cycling, pedestrians, buses etc), has been recommended by the T-Board. Those opposing this plan are proposing a widened, 4/5 lane road past the Eastern Area neighborhood with a traffic signal at Central. The council can decide to do anything they want - and unfortunately the loudest side often carries the day. So, we have the facts on our side - now we need the voices of the people who will send emails to countycouncil@lacnm.us, and show up and speak up at the Feb 7 meeting.
Below is a statement of support that explains the proposed "Zimmerman Plan" and its benefits, and has links to more details. Select points and benefits that are especially meaningful to you and send them to CC in an email and/or speak about them at the meeting on the 7th. This email and attachment can be forwarded to like-minded friends. For those who want to see Trinity Drive become a safer, multi-modal street that also addresses the needs of adjacent homes and businesses, your support is essential and appreciated. Now is truly the time for, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."
This is to ask your support - email the county council (countycouncil@lacnm.us) / attend the County Council meeting, Tues, Feb 7th at 7:00 at the Community Building Council Chambers (475 20th St, next to Ashley Pond on the Ruby K side) - for the Zimmerman option for the east end of NM 502 with a roundabout at the Central/Trinity intersection. This option, proposed by County Engineer Kyle Zimmerman, is a compromise plan based on designs and ideas considered by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Transportation Board endorsed this option at their Jan. 19, 2012 meeting. The County’s NM 502 web site has a description and drawings of the Plan.
The Zimmerman plan with a roundabout supports the County’s goals and street design policy in the following ways.
• Respects and accommodates adjacent residents by reducing motor vehicle speeds to 35 mph near the Eastern Area Neighborhood through road design, using widened medians at Airport Rd. and Tewa Loop, and single thru lanes in each direction near Eastern Area. This reduces noise by about 4 dB in this area.
• Accommodates pedestrians by providing HAWK crossings at both East Park and east of Canyon Road, and roundabout crossings at Central Ave. Buffered sidewalks are included on both sides of the road.
• Considers needs of multi modal transportation by preserving sufficient right-of-way east of Central Ave. so that bike lanes and bus stops can be accommodated.
• Links and improves physical and visual access to our commercial areas on both Trinity Drive and Central Avenue by the roundabout at Central.
• Improves safety for all users by calming traffic with widened medians, roundabouts, HAWK crossings, and single thru lanes in each direction.
• Improves the environment and livability with a roundabout at Central that reduces vehicle delays and stops and reduces vehicle pollution emissions.
• Incorporates best planning practices of professional traffic engineers. The Plan’s lane configurations and roundabout designs have been analyzed by Kyle Zimmerman P. E. and by professional traffic engineering firms Parsons/Brinkerhoff and Ourston Roundabout Engineering. These professional engineers have found that the Plan accommodates our projected traffic volumes until the year 2030.
The Zimmerman plan was arrived at after a long and difficult process that began over a year ago. No interest group obtained everything they wanted in this plan, but it is a good compromise that accommodates our projected traffic volumes and fulfills many of the goals of the County’s street design policy. We strongly urge Council to pass this option so that we can get on with the task of upgrading NM 502 to a road that serves the needs of all corridor users.
Below is a comment from Khal Spencer, local cycling enthusiast and advocate, who has been following and working with this project closely:
Dina is right. Make your opinion heard. Loudly and clearly, but rationally.
This is a very political decision based on relative values of unimpeded vehicle throughput (i.e., high level of service during rush hour), speeds, and pedestrian safety. A lot of the resistance to the Kyle plan is based on the perceived need for more capacity and what I consider outlandish requirements for high level of service (of course, I spent decades on Long Island and in Honolulu). If you want to see how to waste dollars, take a look at Diamond Drive. It is a speedway and HUGELY over capacity even at rush hour.
But on the hill, capacity is limited by the two laner farther down the hill. Not to mention, future changes in the price of gasoline and its impact on commuters from Espanola, Santa Fe, and elsewhere. My doubts were not with the modeling being done by the citizens group, which was quite good, but with the assumptions on future growth being based on past practice. As long as we have the right of way intact, we can add more asphalt if it really becomes necessary.
Once in town, I think we might actually need more than two lanes since you really don’t want a congested downtown during rush hour. In between is a transition zone.
Frankly, none of the options are perfect for everyone, hence what five ( I think) of us who voted yes saw as a compromise solution. None of the options are terribly “bicycle friendly” unless you are already a pretty serious rider. Frankly, I enjoy Trinity as it is because if someone wants to pass me, they have another lane. Central is a bother for me because it bottles up traffic behind me. Two lane options with bike lanes result in right hook crashes at intersections, such as the cyclist who got clipped last week at Diamond and Sandia.
If the county wants something that any potential bicyclist would enjoy, it needs further thought and potentially a “European Solution”. I personally voted for the Zimmerman option on the T Board. Probably the last vote I will cast, since I am term limited off the board at the end of February. Whew.
Get involved if you want to influence the outcome.
Khal Spencer
Sunday, October 23, 2011
IM World Championship, Kona, Oct 8, 2011
Watch out - this is a long one...As usual, I will include some stuff leading up to the race, as this is a week long set of festivities, not just a single day. We arrived on Tuesday, just in time for the Keiki Dip n Dash. Our sixth grader Ben came along with Dan and me, although the other two kids, being older, stayed home with my visiting Mom. We were also joined by Greg Geoffrion, Nancy Johnson, and Fred and Mindy Shelley from Los Alamos. My cousin and her partner from San Francisco rounded out the cheering section. Frankly, it's easy to come up with spectators, when you are racing in such a nice place to visit.
They had two races – one for the younger kids, followed by one for the older. Ben did great, and it was funny to watch all of the highly competitive parents with their kids during the race. Not that you could include me in that generalization (ha!). Liz Sponagle (from Santa Fe's Running Hub, and also racing on Saturday) was able to join in the spectating fun with us as well. Liz had a hotel right downtown, and therefore needed no car. The rest of us, for a variety of reasons, were staying up in Waikoloa, about 25 miles north of Kailua-Kona. It was nice to be out of the fray, but we found ourselves driving down a lot, so that was a pain.Immediately after the kids race, the Parade of Nations, with all athletes welcome to walk in it, went down Ali'i Drive, starting at the Kim Kam hotel (race headquarters) and finishing in the Expo, which opened that evening. Tons of gear reps here, including some that were allowing you to demo running shoes, bikes, etc. (Dan and Greg arranged for two hour demos of Argon18 bicycles for the following morning). Having said all this, though, we have learned that especially for our arrival day, this is the best time to skip the festivities, and head straight to our favorite restaurant, the Kona Brewing Company for beer and pizza. Which we did. Ben caught geckos, while the rest of us enjoyed the wide beer selection. Still time for the Expo afterwards, and the crowds had thinned a little by then. Opportunities to visit with pros abound throughout the week.
That's Craig Alexander, the eventual record-setting winner, with Ben, and the following day Mirinda Carfrae, second this year and first place last year, signed some stuff for our absent cross-country runners (John, and Emily Johnson) that was spot-on encouragement.
Gatorade was not a sponsor this year, but PowerBar Peform was, and they sponsored the daily morning swim. They set up a booth where you can check in your gear and go for a swim, and not have to worry about anything while you are out. The swells were high all week, and I hadn't swum in my cool Tyr Torque swim skin since last October, so I was glad to get out there and check out the suit and the conditions. The coffee boat serves up coffee, and PerforM for those who wish to swim by and rest on their ropes.
We were too late to register on Tuesday, so Liz and I took care of that while the guys rode bikes with our helmets Wednesday morning. It was quick, and extremely well run, as you would expect. We each got a bag of stuff, Wheaties, PowerBer, etc. No finisher's T-shirt or cap yet - you don't get those until after you cross that line. The athlete's bracelet was bright orange with a commemorative "KONA ATHLETE" written on it, as well as your number. I guess some people do something clever with these after the race.
Thursday was the popular Underpants Run. Dan, Ben, Greg, and Nancy all participated. Liz and I, with an upcoming race, chose to sit this one out... we were tapering, you know.
Lunch was at Lava Java, a favorite restaurant for many, including Normann Stadler (two -time winner) who was nice, but seemed a bit peeved he had to share the wall with Fred, rather than have a seat at a table like the rest of us.
We spent the afternoon at one of my favorite snorkel spots, next to the Place of Refuge, where we hung out easily for more than an hour in the water with a resting pod of dolphins. It was spectacular. You are not allowed to approach dolphins and turtles, but what can you do when they come to you?! Afterwards, we visited the National Historic Monument and took our annual tiki photos. Ben is wearing this year's official Underpants Run shirt - they raised over $12,000 for West Hawaii Special Olympics last year. And his Biest Milch tattoo got him another free T-shirt this morning. The lesson from this year's race: do not bring too many clothes. I think we each wore a different free T-shirt for the first three days.
Thursday was the pre-race banquet; Friday was gear drop; and Saturday, the race. Up early in order to get body marked, and organized, make my kajillion bathroom stops, and then wonder what to do with myself. It was nice to be able to get myself situated and then come out and hang out with Dan and Ben out of the crowded area. I saw Liz early-on in the body marking tent, but never again after that. I did find my TriSports.com teammate Karin, and spent some time with her in our usual spot in transition before we headed out for the deep water start.
The swells were unpleasant during the swim. Similar to last year, I tried to stay out of most people's way, and succeeded fairly well, though occasionally got pinched by people on both sides and would have to re-group to find open water again. I tried sighting off of the swimmers around me rather than using landmarks this year. The swells were enough that I was worried that if I pulled my head out too many times to look up and around, I would end up getting seasick. Once again, I was reminded about how nice an ocean swim is where you can see the coral and fish. It easily helps you note forward progress, and is just more interesting. Most cool was the pod of dolphins we swam over on our way back in. They were fairly deep down, but not so deep that you didn't get a great view of them.
Back in T2, I took a bathroom break, got more sunscreen, and was out on the course looking for family. Dan had done a great job of getting everyone to good spectating spots so I could see them multiple times throughout the bike and run. (Although, while I was way out on the Queen K, Dan and the gang were able to have a nice little race respite up at a coffee farm we had discovered a few years ago. What a delightful break, up in the quiet coolness of 2000').
Anyone who's seen any of my other blogs, knows this is the key moment of a race for me - a high five with one of our kids. That's Ben's hand.
The first 10 miles were fun. It's out and back along Ali'i Drive and lined with spectators, and is still early enough that you are excited to be off your bike and running. Even heading up Palani hill wasn't too bad and I was thinking I'd do alright today. And then, the long slog out the Queen K towards the Energy Lab. What a killer. I slowed way down. Decided it was OK to walk through every aid station, be selective about what they had to offer, and basically checked out. Then, and I have no idea what did it, somehow I was able to turn it around and get focused again, so that as I headed into the Energy Lab, I was back into a decent run pace. Which I was able to maintain for the rest of the race. Of course, I cannot run a complete marathon without at least one bathroom stop, so it was necessary to spend more than 2 minutes in the port-a-loo at mile 19, after having just passed two women in my age group leading up to it. It couldn't be helped, though. I was able to get back into it, though, afterwards and continued on my run (yes, it was a run, not a slow miserable shuffle) back to town. I saw Dan and Ben up on the highway, which was a huge finishing boost.
The day after activities include the post-race banquet, which we skipped. We did make it down to Polulu Valley for a nice hike to a black sand beach, and a great opportunity to just stretch out after a long previous day. Sorry to see the trip end. As usual.
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