99 pictures:
(Sorry 99 story not up yet)
'98 Story:
We're off!! I love these starts; sun shining brightly,
launching from the
sand in the first wave, sprinting down the soft beach, jumping ahead of
others, and diving repetitively into the surf until settling into a steady
swim for the buoy. We practiced our ocean entries/exits yesterday, I
definitely used up my better ones then. Another humbling note was me
with a
bright orange cap while the whole Elite wave had green (this was my first
Elite division race & I didn't know we got a different cap). But I
found a
draft behind a pro female, then switched to a passing male, and switched
again to the fastest person I could follow. But he swam crooked.
I left
his draft and swam hard for the final buoy. He was 50yds off course,
but
swimming fast enough that we both hit the buoy at the same time.
Leaving
the water around 15th, I was the only one who tried shedding the wetsuit
on
the beach. Just like in practice, the sand made it stick, very difficult,
and also messy to carry. With sand all over me (can't even read my
heart
rate monitor) I head out on the bike.
This course is awesome, through the palm trees, around the mansions, into
shady avenues and twisty canyons. I note more rookie mistakes:
everyone has
"E" on their calves and I have "29" (hopefully it will confuse them); I
forgot to adjust my speedometer sensor (I'm definitely not reaching down
to
move it towards the vegie-matic slicing blades of my front Spinergy!); I
didn't hit my stopwatch (when did I start?); I didn't fix my rear
shifting
(grind away); and, on the first hill, I realize my shift cable is kinked
so
I can't use my small chainring (ok, this makes me panic a little).
But I'm
racing with the Elites, it's not crowding, I feel good, and God is in
control!
I fix the cable and get the heart rate monitor working, then dive into
Toro
Canyon. I celebrate a perfect turn through the Ambulance-lined
"roadrash-corner", pass the guy I was chasing, but then almost skid into
the
bank on the hairpin 2 turns later. Doh! Rookie move. I
get going again,
chasing #28. After an aid station I see him around a corner clipping
back
into his pedals. Then I see the culprit, and the owners chasing
after their
dog. I felt bad he had to slow down. At the 1/2 way point #28
is now being
followed by 2 crotch-rockets. They're trying to hand him a special
water
bottle. He didn't take it, but I'm a little miffed they would try to
offer
illegal "outside assistance".
The course seems easy coming back, we're all head-down & hammering.
Fearing
the dehydration of my last race, I'm drinking a lot & in the right
concentration. We're hurting briefly as we climb Toro Canyon.
I notice
these 'Elites' "look back" a lot. I catch one, and just about to
catch #28
when he screams to his buddies sitting on the corner, "I need it now!"
"Hey, that's assistance" I say as he grabs a bottle. I go by him and
open
a big gap. Going into a corner I hear a bike coming up behind and
suddenly,
POW!, right before the turn, he gets a flat. I felt bad for whoever
it was.
Now I'm alone and sailing back to the beach in 9th place.
After a quick transition I start the 10 mile hilly course. The new
shoe
combination (size 11.5 on left, size 11 on right) feels great! (shoe
buying
is now twice as expensive) Miles 3 - 5 are uphill but I'm drinking,
GU'ing,
and feeling great. Then #28 goes by, talking about the flat tire he
had to
fix (man, WHAT was in that drink, he's flying!) and his buddies are on the
corner cheering him. Heading back I see Mike & Laura but where's
Dale and
Michelle? Everyone's telling me what place I'm in... 9th, 6th, 8th.
I
guess the pros were too fast to see because I was actually 10th. I
have
negative splits all the way back. Get passed and make a pass.
Then
I see
Dale (pulled out because of strained calf), cheering me to kick it in and
catch one last guy. I get within 4secs but finish 10th in 3:02:10,
over 4
min faster than my '95 race. The big difference is that I still feel
good
and am able to continue jogging around! After a quick prayer I head
back to
cheer in the others and find out the news about Dale's calf and Michelle's
back. It's so frustrating to get so far in a race and have your
efforts
thwarted by a injury flare-up. I'm sure there will be momentous
races for
them in the near future.
Well, I again learned a lesson between watching a race and doing one.
Here
I was upset about a guy cheating by receiving outside assistance. I
even
talked to an official (but learned another competitor can't report a
violation if not seen by an official). And then God stirred
something
inside and I remembered last week, supporting my friend, Clint, in the
Alcatraz Triathlon, his only race of the year. I was so excited I
ran along
with him from the swim to the bike (turned out to be 3 miles!) giving him
a
bottle of water when he needed it. I was PACING and AIDING. He
even
mentioned something but I disregarded it because it was only the
transition
run and, besides, "race directors are so irresponsible, if I don't give
you
water, no one will". I realize now I was wrong. We need
to deal with the
directors about the water thing before the races and limit our support to
cheers and encouragement.
Congratulations to Laura, for bringing home a 2nd place trophy tile!
-Troy
