Alright - Let me try to capture the essence of the race.
We started off early Saturday for a 4-5 hour drive south. Went over the Golden Gate and paid the toll - Put my wallet with $140 in cash under my leg as I was driving(Not a good idea!).
We picked up a friend (Nate)in SF, and headed south. Now past San Jose, my other friend (Dave) gets a call. "Jim lost his wallet"... What?, I didn't lose my wallet it's right.... Oh Shoot (Except with an i).
A girl in SF, found the wallet. Quick off the freeway and now pointed north for an added 2 hour 20 minute round trip. I'm calling the girl, and no reponse. Finally, about an hour in, we are right in SF, and she calls and says she is at the Farmer's market. We finally meet, and she give it to me with all the $'s still there. I thank here, and give her $40 for her good graces.
I had no Ph # in my wallet, so she must have done research to find me.
We reach the hotel about 3:30 (we left at 8:00am) Then we decide to drive the hour and register - We go shopping and only sparsley supply as the hotel tells us they are opening the B-fast 1 hour earlier (at 5 instead of 6am)to accomodate the athlete's. We get up at 5, go for B-fast at 5:25, NO ONE IS THERE!
Thank god for Starbuks being open. We get coffee, I put mine on the roof while I organize the driver's side food. We are on our way to the event and I look out my window. "Hmmmm, That's interesting", Dave looks over, "what is it?". I say, "It looks like some one spilled on my... Where's my coffee?"
Another U-turn back to Starbuks.
We are still OK - Early for the event we get set up in transition, see some friends from Lombardi Tri team. My friend, Dave, leaves 10 minutes ahead of me, so I go down with him to the start so he can zip up my problem wetsuit zipper. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10... cursing, his wave now has less than a minute to start. 11,12,13,14.."zip it slower" I tell him. finally it works, he takes off down the ramp and the horn sounds. He catches the back of the back as they are still entering the water.
Swim - As I thought, my most difficult, until I had an open water swim I had a 40 minute goal. I moved it to a 1 hour goal. It was very choppy, There were a couple of times I rolled to my back, but it actually made me nautious. I believe I mostly did 25 yard spurts out. Into the wind with waves coming at me. We turned around the far bouy and headed back and I felt a little rythym, but when I would see people I would stop (It kind of freaked me out to have people around me). There were 208 finishers in my age group, and 4 DNF's. So there were people all around. I was 5th from last of my group out of the water. Good news... It was really easy to find my bike :o)
I was told easy on the bike for the run. So I listened to this advice. It starts with a BIG hill, about a 400 ft climb, down, then back up for a 350 ft climb, down, out a ways then back on the same climbs. I was told that the course would be closed to cars. There is NO shoulder. White line, then dirt. You can not cross yellow as other riders are returning. I can fly on down hills and stay in my arrows, this was great early on as I started plucking people off in my age group on up hills, flats and down hills. I am maintaining a pretty good pace, then on the down hill 3 cars pass us (me and another fast gal), and start breaking for the slower down hillers. We get right up on the bumper and have to slam our breaks on. There's no where to go! They stop passing riders, we can't get around to the left or the right. I am having an Alison moment. I ride up to the back car and yell to move right, I come around to the left, I start riding up and hitting the cars on the left and yell "GET RIGHT", I finally get around all 3, but it was about 3 miles of mostly downhill gone. *(^_@*#^$@*&(). I turn around and have no more problems.
The finish to the bike is a 400 ft drop down the same hill that runners are finishing on. Some running 3 wide. So again, much slower than I wanted to go. This is the disadvantage of the slow swim is that I get cought in bigger crowds. Decent transition, and I start the run.
Apparently, getting upset on the bike and pushing it to make up time did not pay. I have been training on only flats, this run course is 500 ft of climbing in 5 miles followed by a 500 ft decent in 1 mile. As I start the run, by running up stairs, I realize my muscles are dead. I run about a mile on rollers, then I bonk. I had to go to a walk/run. This was very humbling. The good news is, I actually passed people in my age group, at least 4 I noted and one in the last mile that I was back and forth with. The temp's were up in the 85-88 range. I do not think anyone from my age group passed me though. Of course many had better times, but I must have had enough lead on the bike.
So... From 5th from last, I finished 34th from last after the bike and run. Not including the 4 DNF's. Small victory. My time was 3:43:11. My friend Dave had a 2:42:something. Beat me by an hour, but I am encouraged that I have lot's of room for improvement.
Next race is the San Jose International Tri. Much flater course.
Despite the very tough course, it was a great time. They call the event the Woodstock of Triathlon's, and it did not disappoint. 7500 athelte's over 3 days, 1500 volunteers, 15,000 observers and family. It was a GREAT time.
Not to be missed.
Jim C#2
