A perfect day for racing. Yesterday’s winds and rain cleared up and the gang had blue skies, a light breeze and nice conditions. Probably a little more humid than they might have liked.
I watched the lead men and women go through the 9 mile point of the run, and then rode my cruiser bike back to the finish.
Chabaud is so smooth. It looked like he was just barely running, but he was flying. Luke was in pain, but hanging on. Jonas Colting was out there, spending more time waving to people and grinning than racing. I think it was a training day for him.
Chabaud won going away, making it look easy. Actually, all the elites make it look easy. Watching them run so effortlessly, it’s easy to get the impression that, “Hey…I could do that too…”
But then you see the top guys in your age group go by in what looks like slow motion, and you realize that you’re slower than them…
The elites in this sport are really special athletes.
Of all the runners, Heather Fuhr is the most elegant and fluid. I saw her go through the 9 mile mark in 4th, but I figured she’d get at least second, she was running so fast. She got second. Michellie can run, too.
A great day. I’m inspired. My first big race in almost two years is in two weeks, and I am psyched.
Congrats to all the Ralph’s racers!
any word on Hid, Irnclm or any of the other crew?
I saw CLM out on the bike course and a couple of times on the run course. She went on to a 7:27 finish, way to go Cathy!!
I started off spectating at the top of the first short climb coming out of the habor. Steep little climb, only 100 yards long. It was amazing to watch the different people come up that little climb. Some people going up it in the big chain ring laboring at about a 20 rpm, while others were spinning up comfortably in the proper gearing. I just felt like yelling out to them, “put it in an easier gear”.
FYI
Francois Chabaud also had the fastest bike split of the day
Herbert
Litespeed/ QR
.
Beautiful race day!
**Water: Cold as a witches tittie! 60 degrees, ouch! **
Bike: the usual wind that blows south from Camp Pend up to San Clemente was non existant. It was a little chilly though… for me at least. The wind didn’t really blow until like mile 45 at the back of Camp Pendleton. It blew pretty good.
**Run: perfect running conditions. The wind blew on my last lap headed back to the finish. **
My wave was secong from last so my conditions were a little more extreme than the pros… especially since I’m slow as mud.
Actually I’m pretty stoked. Improved my swim 2 minutes from last year… Improved my bike 15 minutes from last year and kept my run the same. PR !
Chabaud has been a Litespeed athlete for about 2 years now, but this was his first race on the 04 Blade.
More details:
Men Pro:
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Chabaud (Litespeed Blade 04)
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Bell (Giant)
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Beke (Orbea)
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Alexander (???)
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Lovato (QR Tiphoon)
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Blake (Guru)
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Seeley (QR Tiphoon)
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Castle (???)
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Fritsche (bp Stealth)
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Dragstra (QR Caliente)
Women Pro
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Jones (Giant)
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Fuhr (K2)
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Kaplan (Griffen)
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Schumacher (LS Saber)
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DeBoom (Trek)
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Gillam (LS Blade)
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Kristensen (???)
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Gollnick (QR Tiphoon)
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Vitai (LS Saber)
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Sears (EPX )
Herbert
I saw CLM out on the bike course and a couple of times on the run course. She went on to a 7:27 finish, way to go Cathy!! <<
Thanks Plumb! A PR FOR ME!!! By at least 11 minutes. Bike split on that course in 2000: 4:04. Yesterday: 3:20 (on my computer). WOO!!
clm
Bike split on that course in 2000: 4:04. Yesterday: 3:20 (on my computer). WOO!!
Hot dang! That’s a heck of an improvement!
Bike racing works, eh? 
Actually I’m pretty stoked. Improved my swim 2 minutes from last year… Improved my bike 15 minutes from last year and kept my run the same. PR !
Great result!