Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon, '98

Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon
"I had a great, tough race in Lubbock in 103 degrees I battled it out in the final 3mi. to win the last Ironman slot by 20 secs!"

^DATE: June 28, 1998

^WHERE: Lubbock, TX

^DISTANCE: 1.2miS - 56mi B - 13.1mi R imqual.gif (556 bytes)

^TIME: 27:26 - 1:22 - 2:22:00 - :45 - 1:29:45, 4:21:38

^PLACE: 6th of 102, 7th of 1000 overall

^TEAMMATES:

It's HOT here! Everyone talks like my friend, Brigid... wow, it's hot! I'm in Lubbock... did I mention it's hot?... preparing for... midnight, and it's still HOT!... the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon, a qualifier for the ITU Long Course World Championship in Japan and the 20th Anniversary Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Man is it hot, here!

Friday
10:30am, 100 deg. I run 3mi. Dry as a frying pan (hmm, from the air, Lubbock even looks like a frying pan...). It totally relieves stiff necks, though.

Stretch (at Wildflower I was tight.. so I stretch hard). 2pm. Ride 7mi to the lake. Speedometer breaks. 105 deg! Asphalt is liquidizing and gooing up on my tires! 3 bottles of water gone in 30min. The lake's hidden in a giant canyon. What's that sound? A link in my chain is breaking! (probably melting). A local Texan helps, "Sure, pardner, here's some pliers... careful, they're hot!!". Back to town, hot wind slapping my face, dry flat prairie as far as you can see.

Nap & then search for a healthy dinner.... Burgers Galore, Lubbock Burger, Whadaburger... ah, here's a place, "what's the Monterey Chicken?" "it's chicken with BACON and.....", "how 'bout the western potato?" "it's a potato stuffed with BACON and.."

I'll try Rosa's instead... "Can I have wheat tortilla for my burrito?" "wheat? what do you mean, wheat?" "Can I have black beans?" "no, just pinto" "What kind of oil do you use?" "Pork lard..... hey, where are you going?"

Ah, Italian Restaurant!! Spaghetti and make it a triple!

Saturday
uh oh, hard to walk, guess I stretched the hamstrings too much... doh!

Triathlon expo: intimidation factor is high. Never seen these guys but they look good. 20 different states & countries represented. Race director, Mike Greer, puts his heart and soul into this race and knows from experience what the dangers are. Start has been moved to 6:30am with slower athletes first.

I buy a chain, speedometer, & 2 more gallons of water. It's 108 degrees. I think the water evaporates before I can drink it. Fix bike, final adjustments, run strides, enjoy a nice pre-race pasta meal with some Boulder folk, organize equipment, pray for a sudden snow storm, and jump into bed.

I read John 15 and verse 5 pops out, "... he that abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit...without Me you can do nothing" which reminds me of the verse my friend, Jenna, sent me off with, "in Christ all things are possible". So I had nothing to worry about... except worrying too much, this would be a sign of doing it on my own.

Sunday
4:30am, 78 degrees (same temperature as the lake). A long line of car headlights head into the dark outskirts of town. We set up transition sites with flashlights. Food, shoes, hat with a neck flap, heart rate monitor. All ready. Too dark to warm up on the bike. Do swim sprints with my "anti-Texas-sun" dark goggles. Accidently bop a woman in the face. I feel terrible but soon she's alright.

6:40am. 85 degrees. My wave of 200 crams for the line. Announcer shouting threats of time penalties if we don't maintain order. What happened to racing for the fun of it? Most are thinking, "Top 6 go to Long Course World Championship in Japan", "Top 3 go to Ironman World Championship in Kona.", "The temperature will go up 5 degrees every hour".

Swim
With adrenaline pumping we sprint into the lake, wrestling each other into the first turn. A burnt orange glow explodes on the horizon. By the next turn the lake is glaring with sunshine. Stroke's good, wetsuit's heating up (must remember to pack some ice-cubes next time), but I lose the main pack. No draft. Guys on my toes. I pull away but can't shake 'em. 100yds to go and I get payback, a kick to the face from a woman pro. 1 goggle stuck in my eye I swim blindly for shore. 27:26. 3 minutes behind. Out of the steamy wetsuit, onto the bike... "Get off your bike! #182!" I didn't know the line where you have to mount was 10ft ahead. They won't penalize me for that.. will they?

Bike
The bike route's totally flat except for this 200ft deep canyon you have to cross 6 times. Climbing out wreaked havoc on the 24mph average that I needed. 10mi - drinking a lot, riding head down & hard, trying to catch the 20 guys ahead of me. 15mi - make the first turn-around and then see the whole world and their brother is right behind me! I pick it up.

I fly into the canyon. Climb out of the canyon with some passing me. I pass them back on the flat (goal 1: pass on flats/descents, not hills).

25mi - I fly into the canyon, sure that they're long gone. Climbing out of the canyon, a whole pack of 25-29 pass me! "Don't panic, they're pushing too hard." On the flat, I pass them & others before the turn-around (goal 2: go into the 3 narrow turn-arounds free from the crowd). I also pass a guy in my age with a flat.

33mi - I fly into the canyon, accomplishing goal 3: be free and clear on this dangerous, twisty descent.

35 to 55mi - I push hard out of the canyon and hammer the flats to the turn-around, I've finally shaken most of them, pushing into the wind. I'm drinking like a fish (to prepare for the hot run) and covered with sticky Race Day (Gatorade). I've been tucked in this aero position for 2 hrs with heart rate at 170 & my hams are getting tight. I worry a little about the run. One last time into and out of the canyon and I stretch my legs on the final descent to the lake, clocking a perfect 2:22:00 split, but still 2 min. behind the plan.

Run
Quickly change shoes, grab hat, bag of Gu, and more water. It's over 100 degrees and I'm spurred on by the race announcer, "..and there goes Troy Soares, all the way from Santa Clara, trying to capture one of the coveted Hawaii Ironman slots...".

1mi - 6:42, right on pace. Taking water, Race Day, and ice at every mile.

2mi - patches of shade, this isn't so bad, running in ski clothes helped.

3mi - moving up. Think I'm 6th. On pace. Climb out of the canyon and then back down.

4mi - long climb up to the barren flat land, falling off pace.

5mi - named "Energy Lab II" after the worst section of the Hawaii Ironman. 3 miles of flat, endless heat-radiating asphalt. I try to go faster but my time is getting slower. I cover myself with ice & water, it dries in 2 minutes. The guys heading back look toasted. I think I'm 5th. I can catch 'em!

7mi - move to 4th but back to 5th when someone blows by me like a triathlete past pork-lard. I thought it might be Peter Kotland, a guy in my age group who just set the world record in the Hawaiian Ultraman (Double Ironman) by doing a 5:34 double marathon at the end for a total of 21:53! I just love this age group :|

8mi - I pass Joshua. He's toast. My heartrate refuses to stay below my 170 limit so I turn it off. Set my sights on Allen Hurd. Fly down the canyon but really feeling hot & beat. Soak myself with water & ice and power up the last hill, running the tangents, and holding 7:15 pace.

9mi - I need to pass Allen. I think he's 3rd. Must do it suddenly, confidently, and with no show of concern or weakness. But instead I go by slowly, give him some encouragement, and a good look at my 29 age on my calf. Now he's amp'd and gunning for me. I'm exhausted and my feet are soaked and blistering. I hear his footsteps.

Here's the embarrassing part: I want to know how close he is so, not to look back, I quietly ask a spectator as I go by. Hoping for a subtle indication that I was free and clear, instead the lady wants to be really helpful and yells, "I'll time him!", and when he goes by, announces, "He's 10sec behind you!" Doh!!! Now he knows I'm worried and really picks it up.

10mi - I scream down into the canyon, check on a corner, he's 5 secs behind! I drop down to 6:45 pace.

11mi - I look back, he's 10 secs behind. 103 degrees, more water, Race Day, ice, splash, spray... doesn't even seem to help anymore. I'm thinking, "this whole trip and all the preparation comes down to these 2 miles, give it your best!" Trying to break free I run a 6:05 mile

12mi - still 10 sec behind me!

The last mile is a frantic sub 6 pace, through twists and curves, looking back a lot (heck, he knows I'm scared) and finally the gap increases to 15sec.... and then I see a calming site, amidst the spectators with hoses trying to cool us off is a little girl with a spray bottle trying to be of service, I smile and run towards her, receiving her tiny squirts which evaporated before hitting my skin and, with new frame of mind, round the corner towards the finish; clocking a 1:29:45 run and 4:21:38 total.

Considering the heat and wind, I was elated with my finish. It was just like Keahou in '96, a God-given race no matter what I placed. But unlike Keahou, I looked back in the final miles, showing some lack of trust.

After finishing the BSLT

I was sure I made the top 3 but the results revealed I was 6th. Even being 7th out of 1000 amateurs and 7th in the pro division, I was still 6th in my age division. There was no possible way 3 slots would roll down to me.

I couldn't complain, God granted me a great race, some things you just don't have control over. "...without Me you can do nothing..." I believe turning my eyes from the Goal to look behind me limits what I am capable of. I know when I rely on Him, he has blessed me with surprisingly successful races. But when I saw I was 6th place with only 3 slots, I lost hope. I thanked God for a good race, and agreed, as painful as it was to think of racing again, to give it another 'go' in 3 weeks in Colorado.

My Qualification Certificate!

But God pulled another surprise on me. 1st and 3rd place already qualified so the slots went to 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Then, totally catching me off-guard, the announcer asked if I wanted to go to Ironman. "Yes?!" I said, and they gave me the slip and registered me into the Hawaii Ironman!!! All along, I had the wrong information. There was actually 4 slots! And to think I was going to leave early for the airport. Nothing is beyond God's ability, I've got to remember to always leave everything open... "all things are possible through Christ"

Thanks for all of your support. I think many of you were more sure I'd get it than I was. 2 of which being my training partners, Chad Hawker and John Dougery who have both qualified but are currently injured. I'll be praying for your speedy recovery.