Camp Pendelton International Race Report
Pre-race: Been having a “down” month for training. I try to take breaks of a week or so, but this one has been lasting 3 weeks. Still training, but just trying to maintain. Had a great race at San Diego International about a month before, so was looking forward to a little longer swim and bike and the same distance run (my worst discipline).
Getting on base was a piece of cake. We were warned in the packet we got in the mail that it would take up to 30 minutes to get one base, and to bring valid drivers license, proof of insurance, and registration…they just waved me in instead. Parked a good distance from the transition area in a big dirt lot. Good chance to get the legs pumping after sitting in the car for 30 minutes. Number, timing chip and body marking done with precision only the military could achieve, I was done and into the transition area in about 2 minutes! Had a bunch of friends coming out for this race. Big crew from AZ drove out the day before, 5 of them doing the race, three “cheerleaders”. First Olympic distance for 2 of them, first race ever for one of them!
Ran down to the swim start to check it out for a warm up. Need to warm up a bit more in the future, probable about 20 minutes running and another 10 in the water will put me just right. Threw on the wet suit, hiked to the start, then got in for about 5 minutes of adjustment of the wet suit and stretching out the shoulders. Pre race meeting,and we are in the water ready for the start.
Swim:
Awesome course. Sighting was piece of cake with the buoys every 50 or 100 meters. Nice and calm water in the harbor. Nasty though, red tide hasn’t washed out of the harbor yet, and the water was brown, with about zero visibility.
Took it out hard to the first yellow buoy, getting clear of the crowds and getting out front the way I like to do. Had some feet to follow, and sucked on for the draft. Stayed with the feet until right before the next yellow buoy, about the 600 mark. This guy was blazing, and we had put some good distance on the pack. I didn’t want to blow up, so I let him go, and settle into a nice relaxed pace. Turned the corner to head home and got another person that came by me. Sucked those feet for a bit, start to feel the “tingle” of anaerobic kicking in, so I backed of again. But kept him in sight until the end. I was out of the water in 3rd, pretty happy with my swim…and about to be hurting.
The run to the transition area is brutal to say the least. Probable 500 yds of deep sand, then another 500 (seems like a bit more) of pavement. I ran the sand, more like trudged, and heart jumped to about 190…WHOA! Slowed it down a bit. Going from sand to the pavement was a marine with a fire hose, washing all the sand off (now that is how its done!) Hit the pavement…and walked! Marines yelled at me to keep going,“people are catching”, got passed by 4 people, and kept walking. I wanted to run, but kept telling myself, its a long bike. I would be VERY glad I did later.
Swim time by my watch was 20:14. As an ex-fish, I was pretty happy with that. Haven’t been really training swimming, just maintaining “feel” by getting in for 45 minutes twice a week. Good mid season check point, and I’m right where I want to be.
T1: Nothing special, getting better at pealing off the wet suit, and getting into the shoes. Next thing to work on is leaving the shoes on the bike. I have to force myself not to hurry, or I start messing up and make myself slower. I was “under control” today. 3:55 by my watch, this included the grueling run up the beach to transition
Bike:
Been looking forward to this part. Got a new position 2 weeks ago, that I have been loving so far. Feeling very powerful and fast. Shoulders and neck have been sore from the new position, but other then that, back and legs have been feeling great.
First part of the bike, I maintained steady cadence, waiting for the heart rate to hit my magic number, 170. Once I hit that, I start to pick it up a bit. Didn’t take long, and I was motoring along about 10 minutes into the bike.
Remember those 4 people that passed me when I walked, well, gobbled up one in the first mile, chased down one more by the turn around, got the another 3/4 of the way through, and one got away. I was glad I walked, they looked to be hurting.
I felt awesome on the bike. Relaxed and fast. My friends saw me out there and said I was crusin like a bat out of hell. Well, don’t know if I was that fast, but I sure felt like it. Course was perfect for me, some rolling hills, and a long easy 1% or 2% grade (my personal favorite). Running ain’t my thing, so I had to get as much time on the pack as I could on the bike. One guy flew by me, ended up first or second in my division…it had to be the disc he had.
For the first time, I took my feet out of my shoes and left them on the bike for the transition. I have been practicing this at the end of all my rides, and got it done…slowly. Needs a bit more practice, as I pulled the feet out WAY to soon, but it made a huge difference in my transition. Much much faster
Time on the watch was 1:07,T2 is in there too, so probable 1:05 or 1:06 for the bike. VERY pleased with this. Bike computer had me avg 22mph. Those once weekly rides to work are paying off, 26 miles one way. upping to 2 a week next week for my first 1/2 prep.
Run:
Here is where I become the rabbit…you know, the thing that greyhounds like to chase, and if/when they do, rip it to shreds. Yeah that’s me. My running training has been going piss pour, so I only have myself to blame for what occurred, good learning experience though!
So out of the transition I go. Run takes the most will power for me, not to just get through it, but to do is smart. I have to hold myself back at the beginning. First half of the first lap felt good, nice and controlled, heart rate constant at 170-175 (race pace high end range). Then I saw the hill. “That guy turned the wrong way, that’s not the way we came” I told myself. Not so, we had to run the hill, twice. I do all my training on flat (loops at the park) and I sure paid for it. Hill spiked the heart rate up to 185-190. I felt the tingle of lactic acid building in the legs, and had to back off. First 5k split was 23:40. Not bad, not bad at all considering I split 23:00 last month on a flat course. Unfortunately, I was lap 2’s bitch
To the first turn around, my legs just wouldn’t go. They weren’t sore, didn’t really feel tired, they were just jello. “go” I command, “kiss my ass” they say. “Faster” I plead, “eat shit” they yelled. I was bonking, hard. Gatorade at each mile didn’t help me recover, but helped me not fall further into the bottomless pit that inspire commercials. I almost walked the hill the second time, but you walk once, its easy to do again…so I trudged up it.
Lots of people have passed me now, and all through lap one. I held my friend off for the first 3/4 of the run, but then, at the second turn around, he was right on me, I knew he would get me. He passed me in the finish chute, and got me by 5 second. No respect I tell ya, no respect. Watch had me at 26:03 for the second lap, for a blazing 49:00 ish 10k…well, blazing for a 5th grader ;).
Ended up 8th in my age group and 64th over all, with a 2:21 and some change. Cheered for the rest of the crew, and notice all the salt that I had sweat out all over my suit and skin. Nutrition needs some adjustment, and was probable the cause of my bonk. If I can even split that run, I will be happy (never been a runner) and it will put me under my goal time of 2:20.
Overall I was very happy with the race. Got my first bonk, and know the cause, so can fix that. New position on the bike is awesome (Thank you Andrew at Hi-Tech bikes), and fixed my problem of tight calves off the bike. Finally got my wet suit on right and didn’t feel like I was fighting the suit during the swim (thank you slowtwitchers for the tips on that).
Few more sprint races in july, and august, then I will get my 1st year triathlon anniversary present…SOMA 1/2 Ironman!!! I love anniversaries!
-bcreager
