Camp Pendleton Sprint RR

Triathlon Forum
1

Yay, I’m the first with a report. That’s about all the good news I have. Great race venue and I thought I had a great race, but something went amiss, somewhere…

So, a short 500yd swim with a longshore current to our advantage. This makes for a fast swim, which is exactly what I don’t want. My best part is the swim and I want it to be as rough and mean as possible. It was a long haul through the surf before the swimming actually started. I ended up doing six dolphin leaps, which, while tiring, placed me in about third. I hung right on this guy’s feet for bit, until he seemed to go backwards and knock my goggles. Had to take a moment to drain them and catch back up. I realized he was simply doing the overzealous start then fade. So I easily got around him and was first to the buoy. Stretching it out and literally ‘going with the flow’ I pulled long and strong to the next turn buoy of the rectangular course. Turned towards shore and flipped onto my back to see how my lead was shaping up. I appeared to have about thirty yards on the next guy. Excited, I pushed to the shore. Seeing nobody ahead of me, I knew, for sure, I was in first.

Grabbed the bike and took off for the 18 mile ride. Nothing on this ride was hard, so it went pretty fast (I don’t wear a watch or have a speedometer, so I have no idea of my splits). Nobody passed me… NOBODY! I passed a lot of people. Came into T2 and quickly switched over to running shoes and began my 5K.

My running has sucked since my horrible IMAZ run, with back and knee pain. But now, I just get overly winded real easily and I don’t know why. Anyway, at the various turn-arounds I can see some guys in my AG closing in. It’s killing me, but I’m not going to let them pass me, and they never do. With a quarter mile to go, I finally do get passed and I just don’t have it to hang with him. You should have heard me, I sounded like a cross between an asthmatic and a harbor seal. So, I’m thinking second place. He’s the ONLY guy to pass me in the run.

Come to find out I got fourth. First place did a 1:20, second through fifth were all in the 1:26 time (very close, apparently). I was just 10 seconds out of third place. So, I’m talking to the guys and one of them says he came out of the water in first. He said he saw three guys in front of him and then he caught a wave. I don’t know. I think I would have seen him run up the beach. So how did first place get six minutes on the rest of us? I haven’t a clue. And second place? Where did he come from? No idea. I’m gobsmacked (man, how I love that word!)

Strange. Splits will help finish this story.

2

Hey Steve –

Good job today. I had a chance to watch the swim and your wave specifically, from the red and white ballon swim finish area. From what I saw Scott Hutchings came out of the water first with three guys on his tail. I saw you flip onto your back with about 200m to go. Didn’t know it was you at the time. I think they were to your left as you faced shore. Scott got a nice wave to overtake the bunch. I am thinking you were one of the top three or four out of the water. Looked fit!

KP

3

Hey KP,

didn’t know you were out there or I would have said hi. How come not racing?
Steve good job, overall it was a pretty competitive crowd this morning.

4

Yeah, surf - that’s the drama of ocean swims. Catch a good wave and you’re home free!

I’m thinking everyone saw last year’s times and figured they’d have a chance - that was my thinking. So, the field turned out to be high-caliber, sans you and Russ Jones.

5

Again it was a great race. I like the ACU-5 location, though I would prefer the sheltered swim in the boat basin. Not all of us like those big waves. :wink: I think 500 meters is just the right length for a swim.

I raced on a borrowed bike to see what I thought of it, which was good and bad. It has a pretty slack seat angle, so I had to use a Profile tri strike pushed all the way forward and ride the end to get where I needed. I felt great all through the ride and run, so I was happy to have good legs after driving all the way from Twentynine Palms this morning.

I had a great laugh after the race when a good friend and I started comparing race notes and he said I yelled at him to move over, “Coming through!” I vaguely remember doing it, but had no idea who it was. I guess my higher level cognitive functions don’t work so well at that level of effort. I then spent the rest of the ride wondering where he was because I had not idea I had passed him.

I love short races. Lots of pain, but at least you can go really fast.

Chad

6

Good job Steve, and congrats Mike on another solid AG win. Steve are you 30-34? I was pretty sure I saw someone in front of be backstroke for a second, and I think I was top 3 out of the water. It was more competitive this year. I was 6 minutes faster than last year but dropped from 8th to 12th.

I thought the race overall was great, Pendleton always does a good job. I preferred last years 5K course though. All of the turns combined with the follow the white line honor system probably had people running between 2.7 and 3.3 miles.

Brian

7

Hey Mike -

That was me hootin’ at you as you ran out of transition up on the berm to your left. No racing until 2008 for me. No training for awhile either due to reconstructive surgery on my foot and fatigue. I’ll be writing 2007 off as a recovery year.

8

I’m 50-54; wave 6; 8:40 start time.

The venue is great, though it’d be nice if transition was not flooded.
The run course was bizarre, perhaps it was to allow people to be able to leave the area and you could shorten the race quite a bit. I didn’t like the smell coming out of one of the high-bay doors - some Milwaukee Grinder/Carbide disc working over some metal I presume.

9

Hey Mike,
Good push you had there… what, a 1:18? WOW!!! I saw you running, would have said something except I was already sounding like a cow giving birth.

10

ha, I remember hearing you then. I heard but was pretending to be super focused and didn’t really look :wink:
I hear you about next year, I have just been piddling most of last year and this year, playing a lot of golf and now bodyboarding 4 or 5 times a week instead of swimming. I am thinking I’ll get back to serious training for the 2008 season.
I did enjoy this race a bit more then the CP Olympic distance last month. Shorter and a bit cooler. Maybe I’ll even write a race report to post on here.

11

Good call – it’s nice to take a rest before the decision is made for you. I’m getting the lesson the hard way!

12

yes, had a very good race. Fair swim, good bike, averaged right at 25mph and a good run. Believe I was 8th overall counting the military guys.
Since they started both the 40 - 44 and the 45 - 49 age group together I wanted to make sure that I also beat all of the younger guys in the 40 - 44 group. Caught the lead guy at about mile 12 and we went back and forth a couple of times until I finally put the hammer down coming over that last bridge and opened up 30 seconds on him, which ended up being the margin over him at the finish.
Also so Longboarder Bob out there, I think he had a good race as well, maybe 3rd in his age group?

13

Steve

Good job! I thought you would place for sure. When I checked the results I saw you got fourth. My wife and I were hoping to meet you at the awards ceremony. I guess we will meet one day. Anyway, good job.

It was good to see Mike P. He was hammering on the bike. Good result Mike.

As for me, I got fifth. If I got third, I would start a thread in capital letters! I had an ok race, felt good. I really need to work on my run and trans. On the run there was this guy, he was looking at me on the turns. With a 1/4 of a mile to go, he passed me and I looked at his leg, 55, same age…shit! I tried to hang on him but he dropped me like a bad habit. I checked the results and he was fourth. If he was third, I would have been pissed. I have work to do but I was happy with my result .

This is my second year doing this race. I really like it.

I did have one problem. On the bike out two guys side by side talking on the left side of the white line. As I approached them I said on your left…nothing. Actually one drifted to the left almost took me out. I said hey you guys are blocking. I don’t even think they heard me. On the bike back and on the hill to T2 same guys, same thing. WTF is up with that?

On the lighter side, I did get to body surf some of the little waves we had before my swim start…fun!

PS: My wife talked to Russ about his bike crash…scary!

14

Sorry I missed you. I hung around with Russ for quite a bit, but never got to the subject of his broken arm. I thought the racing was pretty fair. I only saw one small group doing a paceline thing and most everyone stayed to the right.

Oh yeah you have Bernard Moguel (sp?) in your AG now. Did he win? I know he’s pretty darn fast.

Well… one of these days, we’ll meet.

15

That swim was nothing like last year. Waves were much bigger and the rip was bad last year. Thats why the slow swim times.
This year was much better. I took 7 minutes off my time from last year. Still got third in my AG, just like last year. The dead running legs and biking fitness is coming back after my little trip overseas.
Mike P…next year, I will be in your age group. I think I better get a little more serious myself for 08…Dont want you to make me look to bad…And you did give me the “look over” on the run…Looking at me like I was your competition…Do I look that old…We crossed paths just past the first aid station on the run, you heading out, me heading back.
Again, an awesome race, thanks to the Marines and Navy guys, outstanding job as usual.
MIke, what is your next race?

16

That swim was nothing like last year. Waves were much bigger and the rip was bad last year. Thats why the slow swim times.

Hi George, you got that right.

17

I remember last year when the first wave took off, half of them got out of the water to make another go of it because they got swept north due to that current.

18

I remember last year when the first wave took off, half of them got out of the water to make another go of it because they got swept north due to that current.

Before the first swim wave last year, I told a couple of guys to go south down the beach do to the strong side sweep. They kinda just blew me off. After the first wave they started moving down the beach.

Yesterday I should of mentioned the Marine volunteers were great, as always.

19

ha, not that you looked old, you had that “young” old look. You know that “doesn’t look old but is probably older then he looks” look. All race long I had no idea where I was place wise within my wave and was on the lookout for anyone ahead of me plus with that run course I had no idea where we were with so many little out and backs. I was really pushing hard because I wanted to make sure I was at least in the top ten overall and even though I didn’t have anyone near me at the finish pushed all the way to the line knowing that maybe someone from another wave could be within seconds. As it turned out I was sandwiched by two Marines in the overall, one 19 seconds ahead and another 26 seconds behind.
It will be real interesting to see the splits when they are finally posted. With a mediocre swim and decent run, I’d be willing to bet I ended up with the 2nd or 3rd fastest bike split overall. Imagine if I actually used an aero bike and helmet instead of a round tube Merlin that is 9 years old and a plain RP helmet :wink:

20

Mike Plumb and KP in one thread. Two of my favorite people I’ve met through triathlon!

How’s business Mike? How’s Kelly, KP? Her first year is over and done, and Y2 is just upon you, right?