Well another triathlon is finished. This was my 15th. The more sprint races I do the more I like them. Once again the conditions were HOT, HOT, HOT! Saw (and met) some ATC members pre and post race. Got to meet Tor's wife and hang out a bit after the race with him and his family. Also so Brie on her comeback tour, Lara and Natalie and a couple of others from Annapolis. Also met another racer from Edgewater that had been thinking of joining ATC but just a little nervous about coming to a group bike or T3 etc. For all you new members reading this, start coming to some of the ATC training rides, meetings and especially the group open water swims. The open water swims have done the most to help me over the past year. You will meet some great people and you will improve! On to the race.....
THE SWIM
The water temp. was over 80 degrees, so no wetsuit. There was some confusion about this with the Clydesdale division, but I decided from the beginning to not wear my wetsuit. I am getting better and better swimming in the open water WITHOUT a wetsuit. That crutch we all use (know as a wetsuit) is easier to get rid of the more and more I swim in the open water. This was a pretty fast, short swim. It was basically a swim to a buoy, a quick turn around and back to the swim exit. There was a bit of a current going out. Once again I started out a bit to fast and had to slow to get my HR down on the way out. I calmed down made the turn and then started moving to the swim finish with the current helping me along. I actually passed a bunch of people on the return leg, which for me is a bit unusual. I need to give a shout out to David Wendkos. During my last OWS he pointed out a flaw in my stroke and once I remembered to do what he told me, I actually felt much smoother in the water and was definitely moving quicker. I need to practice a bit more, but thanks Dave!! I finished in about 15 minutes, but cost myself at least a minute when I slowed down. I was still very happy with my time.
Leaving the water we had to a climb up a ladder out of the water and run 50yds run to transition. Since my feet are still recovering from the blisters I got doing Eagleman I had placed some Crocs near the swim exit for my run to transition. I'm glad I did! I got to transition and made a quick getaway on the bike. Without having to get out of a wetsuit, transition was a breeze.
THE BIKE
The bike was a fairly flat 8.1 miles out, turn around and come 8.1 miles back. There were a couple of small hills but nothing to worry about. The ride was much like Lums Pond. There was a headwind on the way out. That wind was at our back after the turn around and I really picked up some time on the return leg. At about 7.5 miles the first racer came past me on his return leg. I counted 26 other racers before I made the turn around. There were several groups of riders (I'm sure none were drafting) but I was alone. After I made the turn around I wanted to catch some of those guys (and girls). I was able to catch and pass (7) riders during the last eight miles. It felt great because I am usually the one being caught and passed. I don't know my "official" pace but I finished right about 50 minutes on the bike. I felt very good coming off the bike but now the fun was going to start.
THE RUN
So first the good news. I was able to run the entire race with no pain! No new blisters and no cramping. The bad news(at least for me) is I am still a terribly slow runner. I was watching my HR on the run since it was so hot. My heart rate kept getting up there and my watch was beeping like crazy. So I did have a couple of stretches that I slowed down to get my HR in check. It was a short run with no shade and a small hill at the turn around. As usual I had a bunch of people pass me on the run. I don't like it, but I have come to accept that my ancestors were not runners. I must have come from a flat footed tribe of slow pokes. For me finishing the run, actually running, is a victory. I finished the run in about 34 minutes which is slower than I wanted, but I was in fact running and not walking across the finish line. I did see Brie, Tor, Lara and Natalie (as she sprinted past me) on the run. And while we all were hot, non of us gave up.
My overall time goal was 1:45 and I finished in 1:43:36. I was hoping for a top 3 finish in my division since the big name Clydesdale (Glenn Atewell & Jeff Jacobson) would be absent. I was able to finish 2nd in the Clydesdale division, which may never happen again. My wife and daughter were able to come to the race but missed my finish. They are used to me pulling up the rear of the field and by the time they got to the finish line I was already done. They thought I had gotten injured or something when they didn't see me at the usually 2 hour mark.
This was a fun race. I had forgotten how much fun the sprint races can be. And not having to pre rack your bike or race against 1500 others was nice. This race will definitely be on my list for next year.
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