Ok, a good rule to remember is to write a race report on the same night or the next day because if not, you will need to remember and think hard about what you intended to write.
Better late than never, so here it is!
SASD Tri Team 70.3
When? March 28th, 2021 6:30am
Where? Fiest Island Rd, San Diego, CA-92109
This was my first time trying to try a 70.3 distance (although unofficial). There was enough buzz about it with postings on FB which tried to keep the athletes upbeat!
I was not entirely sure if I would really be doing the whole distance initially, but after I made it official with my coach about an unofficial tri that I could use as a practise event before IM 70.3 at St. George, it was on the training plan and it happened!
As usual, I was not completely prepared and ready the previous night with all my gear (I have always wanted to lay things down and get a picture) but that has just not happenned yet! :-( Gotta change that for STG! And I could not sleep early....infact the previous night/morning, I was up until about 3am doing something random.....yikes!!
So, I wake up early and made it to the venue (which was a 15 minute drive for me) and see atheletes trying to get their gear set up. We were given some instructions on the race course so I was trying to get some pointers on where that would be, etc.
There was a check in counter they had set up, where they handed out race numbers to all! I did not have a race belt with me!!!
There were a couple of bike racks/stands put up for us to set up our bikes, and keep our other gear which was nice. Some of them opted to use their car for transitions as previously instructed.
After laying down my stuff, I was ready to take off for the swim. I had come with my wetsuit already put in half way, so I was half way ready for my swim at home. Said hi to a couple of familiar faces at the start of the swim, took a couple of pictures and tried to get a sense of where exactly to swim, before the start. We probably were TITW around 6:50am.
Swim
I was not the last one in the water but took my time and started easy. My goal was to not stop, which I usually tend to do with OWS. I felt good for about 400 yards or so, but could slowly see my fellow swimmers swim farther away from me and I was trying to keep them in sight so I knew where to turn. Around then, my feet sensed something and I panicked and stopped to see what happened! Two more swimmers had joined the fun...I told them how I freaked out thinking she was a shark, we giggled and continued to swim. 100 yards later, I didn't realize that I drafted off slghtly west, when I noticed one of the swimmers who signed to me that I should head right, near the island...it was pretty shallow when I had to just walk to get back to swimming! After the turn around the island, I could see where we had started and was glad that I had probably completed about half of the course. That's when my feet touched something again. I panic again, stop swimming and tread the water, I start swimming...and my feet touched something again....and this time it was OMGGGG....WHAT IS THAT....HELP HELP!! I could see the other two swimmers (one of them, who'd scared me earlier) noticed me struggling and they asked me if I am okay. I told them that I touched something and I panicked!! It's crazy how I can narrate stories when I am panicked instead of just swimming!! jeezzz....I probably spent a good 2-3 minutes floating on my back (still scared and just hoping someong would help!!). I finally made it out of the water hoping and praying that I don't touch anything else....Later I learn that there were lot of moon jellyfish in Fiesta-
I was soooo glad to be finally out of the water (probably last but one) and so took a good 51 minutes but didn't quite get the complete 1.2 mile distance. But it was over!!!! 😅
T1
I did struggle at T1, coming out of the water, where there was wet mud so my feet was completely soiled and I was struggling to get the sand off my feet. Rubbing against a towel didn't work, may be I should keep some water in T1 to rinse off legs! I got my wetsuit off, got my cycling socks/shoes in and was off with my bike and bike helmet!
Bike
Bike felt good, especially after that dreaded swim! This was more manageable and because we were going to loop that island, I ran into bikers all the time! Each loop was around 5 miles in distance and after about 5 loops, I lost track of that count and was going to stop when my watch showed 56!
The course was as flat as a pancake!! But it was hot and felt like a good day to train on. At about mile 25, I stopped to eat my second banana(First banana was ~6am in the car while driving) and then continued to stop every 10 miles to take a sip of UCan electrolytes that I had in my water bottle. Yes, I have to stop to drink from the water bottle and cannot drink on the go!! :-/ I was observing that my pace had started to slow down eventually on the bike - I had initially tried to stay above 16mph throughout the ride but nope! Total bike time was 3:30 which I liked! :-)
T2
I was kind of tired by the time I got to T2 and starting a run at that time.....I was close to the car that I was thinking....may be I don't have to do the whole thing, swim and bike were good enough? ....
I tried to remove some more sand when I changed to running socks and put on my Hoka One One running shoes!! I didn't have the speed laces but was fairly quick at tying shoes laces before taking off with 3 tangerines in hand! What I also didn't realize was I was in my cycling jersey throughout for the run....
Run
Run did feel tiring at the end, with the weather also being hot and humid! I also carried my running belt, which I probably should change and carry something more snug! There was one water station in the middle where I stopped for water during my last run lap around the island. I also remember getting lost at one point but didn't fluster because I knew I was getting the distance! I was ready to stop exactly at 13.1 and not walk one extra step! It felt slower than normal but it was also because I hadn't swim and biked before run....especially that distance. I had taken 2:30 and I'd be happy if I finish STG around that time or sooner.
Also, I did NOT run with headphones which I normally do while running, listen to
Tridot or
Sonya Looney podcasts. It was a deliberate effort and was hard because I could almost sense every mile that I was running and it was hot and I was tired. Oh well!!
Ultimately, it was a good tri and the team had organized it well, also bringing in medals for everyone. :-) { Carrots are important too and not always the sticks! }
I was just glad that it was over!! My total time was ~7:10 and I think I can do better. Considering STG is going to be a hilly course, I will target for something under 7 hours!
Lot of great learnings from the tri! Thank you
SASD Tri team! What I really wanted from this tri was more of a race rehearsal to learn, change and make adjustments.
What went right?
- I was feeling great, had done sufficient training and felt nervous but wasn't too nervous!
- My gear cooperated well, after that I had a flat the next weekend.
- I wasn't sure what clothing to wear, but ended up wearing my old speedo one piece trisuit. Planning to wear my new 2 piece gear from Zone 3 for STG
- Felt ok with nutrition but I have to incorporate more for long distance (better to fuel every hour or and not wait to feel hungry/tired!)
What went wrong?
- I could have been prepared a little more, the previous night (important to have it setup)
- Gotta learn to stay calm in the water without losing it!!
- Had a hard time getting rid of wet sand off my feet at T1
- Had to stay motivated and was missing music on the run....I am probably just used to listening to something while moving on my feet
- Probably got to drink more water (I didn't feel it but better to be hydrated)
What do I keep?
- From a gearing standpoint, I feel good. Getting my bike tuned up for STG with new tires/inner tubes, well lubed etc (only thing pending is to replace chain and cassette)
- Loved my Rokay socks (accelerate) (Might carry another pair just in case!)
- Didn't have to lube, might be better to carry during the race?
What do I adjust?
- Carry more nutrition (atleast in unofficial races). Ironman course has nutrition laid out at each mile for the run
- More hydration! (Not wait to feel thirsty, but sip water more frequently)
- Sleep more!! atleast 4-5 hours the night before!
Looking forward to my next one in less than 10 days! Also looking forward to my Utah trip!
Happy tri-ing!
No comments:
Post a Comment