Headed over to packet pick up Friday evening right after work....in the middle of one of our Colorado afternoon torrential downpours. Traffic was crazy but it didn't take me much longer to get there then anticipated. Nothing to packet pick up, show your ID and USAT card and move around the room picking up timing chip, info and numbers, shirt, goody bag and your out of there...I wish you didn't have to do this the night before an event when they are small like this, however it does relieve the stress of the morning, just a drag when your on the other side of town. Then it was a little bit longer drive home...ick traffic...boy I'm glad I only live 15ish minutes from work and don't have to deal with it!
A very nice goody bag! Lots of loot! Shirts a little thin but not bad.
Had a hard time getting to sleep. But finally managed it close to 11, alarm went off at 5. Since I knew it was such a small race I was not really worried about getting there super early. Had a PB n' J sandwich and 1/2 a banana. I felt amazingly calm. Got my water together, load the bike and off I went. (On my own this week so there will be no wonderful photos.) Arrived chatted with a couple of guys that were doing the Du, set up transition, speaking of, the only pics I have since it is such a change from last weekend.
Hard to tell but there were two transition areas one on the swim in/out side and one on the run out side with the bike in/out in the middle. Both were pretty small.Swim 1500m
Headed on down to the lake for the swim, again still feeling pretty calm, I think it was just the attitude of I'm here to do this, I will do this, I may not be fast but I will get it done! Horn went off and there were not that many of us, Women's Intermediate distance along with the relay teams for the same distance. I started out and my goggles were leaking..grr...tried to adjust swam some more...adjust some more....give up...deal with a little bit of water. I had a really hard time finding open water which seems strange given the fact that there so few people but I finally managed to get out from behind some people and head out at a pretty calm pace. Not really pushing just keeping it steady. It was a triangle course, one lap, I had expected for some reason 2 laps but preferred not having to leave the water to run so it was great. After rounding the last buoy before heading in I did shout out to the girl in front of me that she was heading to the wrong one, she for some reason was headed back across the lake to one of the first buoys. Had a little bit of a cramp in my calf for some reason, I stretched it a little and tried to kick a little more and it soon felt good. Finished the swim and ran back up to the boat dock a hill and stairs! to transition.
Time according to my watch 30.09 (should include run to T1) No official times posted yet.
T1 - Transitions...they were not good on this race, not good at all. I'm not sure what was different but things just didn't go right. I could not get my helmet off my handle bars for some reason, and the part on the back for tightening it was messed up, took way to long to get that all figured out and then on the way out I noticed that my computer wasn't registering anything. As I bent to adjust it I then noticed that a reflector that I didn't even know was there was hanging lose on the spokes. I pulled it off and adjusted the magnet for my computer and finally got out of T1. At this point it finally dawned on me that my bike must have fallen over. More about the bike racks in T2.
T1 time I believe it was around 4 minutes.
Bike around 22 miles
Felt pretty good on the bike but can I just say those roads out at Cherry Creek really kind of suck. They are so so rough! I would not want to ride them on a regular basis. I did have problems with my number which I must not have put on good, it kept hitting my leg and getting in my way. Finally got it adjusted after a couple of miles but all through the race it would fall and I would have to move it back. The course out there has a couple of hills they are not major the first one is longish but not steep. Although you notice the hills, there is not much downhill to notice, I think partly because on the downhills you have turns so you can't (or maybe just I can't!) go as fast as you would if it was a nice straight downhill. Felt good didn't get passed alot, could just be because there weren't many to pass me, passed a couple and did a little leap frog with one girl. Two loops on the bike course, second time around it was not any smoother but went really fast and the hills seemed easier, probably because I was warmed up some.
Time according to my watch. 1:23 (bike computer said 16mph average)
T2- Another disaster! I could not get my bike to stay in the rack. The racks they use I find to be really difficult. They fold and hold 3 bike each. Every time I've had to use them I have issues. I would put my tire in and it would roll back out. I finally pulled the bike out and tried to unfold it some more that seemed to do the trick and my bike finally stayed put. Shoes off and on run out of transition to the bathrooms on the side and head out on my run...only to realize that I forgot my race belt/number....back up to transition through the fence...can't go over the timing mat again...back to my bike...where is my bike...I can't find my bike...oh there it is, grab belt and back through the fence...
Run 10k
The run what is there to say about the run...I suck....I really need to work on this. Again started out with my 2/1's but they didn't last much past the first 3 miles. The first 1.5 miles was nice because there were quite a few people around me, however they of course were all doing the sprint and soon turned around to head back after that it got pretty lonely. I got passed by a couple of people I think but there were not to many out there. Quite a few heading back at me, not many going my way. :) It was mostly flat and unshaded except this heavenly part around mile 4 I believe. It was cool and shaded and felt fantastic. I did feel a little bit dizzy for some reason around this point too. When I would walk it would hit me. I took off my hat and that seemed to help alot as it seemed cooler. At this point I think there were only 2 people behind me, (although I thought I heard them announcing more finishes after me.) One girl passed me in the fifth mile the other was quite aways back. I also passed a girl that was doing the sprint although she said she was having a really bad day, woke up sick and was feeling bad, she did not have an enjoyable experience..said "I'm never doing this again" The last mile seemed very very long....and as I said the run was mostly flat..yea except the end...you have to run up from the lake and up the darn boat ramp and around and up some more....not fun! :) But I was finally across the finish line and it felt good!
Run splits
14.26 (that includes that bathroom break and running back for my race belt!)
12.24
13.02
14.58
13.58
16.04 1.2 miles
1:24? total -not good at adding times. :)
Total time 3:24:01 according to my watch.
I had hoped a goal of less then 3:30 although I really didn't know if I would be able to do it, so I'm pleased with my time. Not fast but I got it done!
Now although I've not seen any official results I did check the roster and I was still the only one listed for my age group, so that brings me to the question of if I was first or last in my AG? I think I'll go with first. They were still doing some awards so I headed over, I think it may have been for the Du but I told the guy I was the only one in my AG and he gave me a great red performance USAT hat. I thought there were plaques, but really I don't need one...I will get way more use out of the hat!And that concludes another long race report! :) I'm not really sure how I feel about this race. I feel really good that I've accomplished my goal of doing an Olympic distance this year but I'm not sure that I was trained quite enough. Trained enough to finish but not necessarily finish strong. I'm not sure what my next goal will be, but there is time to think about that later...for now in my immediate future I see some food and some rolling. Feeling pretty good but but the thighs both front and back are a little sore. So bring on that lovely device that is both pleasurable and painful at the same time!
Updated to add official times:
bib number: 170
overall place: 69 out of 71
division place: 1 out of 1
gender place: 30 out of 32
total time: 3:23:55
pace: 0:
swim: 30:06
t1: 3:57
bike: 1:21:34 (16.2 mph)
t2: 3:25
run: 1:24:55 (14:oo pace)
