So the title of this race report could have been so many things: “Bonked”, “Great Planning / Poor Execution”, “Lesson’s Learned”, etc… (There’s your foreshadowing) but I’ll stick with the basics and get this over as fast as possible.
It all started off so good… my wife Julie and I drove up to Elk Grove to spend the night, so I didn’t have to get up at an even more UnGodly hour to get to the race by the time transition opened. We had a great meal the night before and I was completely ready.
I arrived just after 6:30 to the event which was being held at Rancho Seco Park in Herald just sound of Sacramento. I liked the venue a lot, it was tucked in w/ some vineyards and of all things a Decommissioned Nuclear Power Plant. A little eery but pretty cool (Julie didn’t think it was so cool).
Anyway I ate a Clif Gel I went down to the man made lake that was originally used as a back up water supply incase of fire at the plant. The water was really warm and I probably didn’t need the wetsuit (but I’ll take the buoyancy any way I can get it). The swim was pretty uneventful, I plodded along doing my best to go as fast as I could. Thinking about trying to be as efficient in the water as possible. I didn’t feel like I was hammering but I also didn’t feel like I was slow either. I was just about the same pace I am most every swim I do. Although it is a bit discouraging when a super fast swimmer from the group behind you goes by like your dog paddling. I did the mile in 28 minutes.
Next up the Dizzy Bat Race, a.k.a. the exit to T1 where Julie was waiting and cheering me on. She’s been so great about this and I was Super Happy to have here there. It really is a confidence booster when you have someone rooting for you. My bike was strategically positioned and got out fairly quick.
The ride was pretty easy on the way out… rolling hills but mostly flat and you could pound away. I thought it was a nice ride although the road was a little choppy, it was loose rock w/ oil that had probably been laid down early in the summer. I felt like I was successfully hydrating but for some reason I didn’t eat another Clif Gel, I have no Idea why I wouldn’t have (very stupid). Then we get to the turn around and start back. Holy Crap I didn’t realize the wind was so strong! The entire way back was into a head wind and I was really feeling it… I suppose that’s why again on the way back, I didn’t have a Clif Gel. Nutrition Plan down the Toilet! What the hell was I thinking! How do you expect to do an Olympic distance Tri on a Clif Bar, A Clif Gel and 1 Bottle of Clif Shot. You CAN’T!
So I make it back into T2 at what I had was 1:15 but they had me at 1:19.
Anyway… I get out of T2 quickly and head off into the run and I’m feeling fine… Really I was OK. Julie was on the Run exit and I gave her a high five as I exited.
The run goes out away from the lake but follows it’s curve and then on the way in you switch back along the lake then back to the fire road. I was moving right along and again feeling perfect. My HR was up a bit but that’s to be expected. My first mile was 7:40, Mile 2 I slowed down a bit to 8:10, Mile 3 a little more 8:30. The things going through my mind were “Dam it’s Hot out here” and “Stupid Rolling Hills”. I figured it was a combination of the two of those that were slowing me down. Then it Hit like a Ton of Bricks… My HR spiked, My Stomach was sloshing and I basically wasn’t processing anything anymore. I would push myself until I thought I’d be sick, then I’d walk until the feeling went away… then I’d run again until I thought I was going to be sick… walk… repeat, repeat, repeat! DAM IT!
If I kept my initial pace on the run I was on track to hit my goal time of 2:30 but my Lack of Nutrition (very stupid) somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 calories, put me in a place were my body couldn’t take it any more.
I finished the race at 2:45 and 133 out of 277. I suppose I can chalk all of these learnings to “it’s my first season” but like most of you… I wanted to do better. And I Hate feeling like I could have done better if I did some minor little thing that is Totally in My control.
And to Top it all off… my body was all F’d up and I caught a F’ing Cold!
Anyway… I have 2 more races this season, both Olympic distance and I Won’t make the same mistakes again!
Lastly I want to thank my wife Julie again for being so supportive and such an amazing part of my life. She’s always telling me how proud I should be of my accomplishments and in the end she’s right.
the Hartford Civic Center (a.k.a. The Mall), I’m sure you either loved it or hated it… or probably a little bit of both. But as I look back… the seats were all good, they were cheap and I loved it.
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