Santa Cruz Sentinel Triathlon follows a similar course to Big Kahuna but has the appeal of being Olympic distance (~32 miles total) rather than 70.3 miles.
A bunch of TNT alumni signed up. Most of us stayed in the Lanai Lodge which has a great location and very friendly staff but may be too cheap for the faint of heart. :P
Swim: The ocean water was calm and clouds in the east kept early morning glare to a minimum. I started on the left side of the field and fought my way to the front. Unfortunately that struggle resulted in a leak in my right goggle. I sighted with one eye until, with about two thirds done, I relented and paused to fix it. My reticence turned out to be well founded - as suspected at least two guys were drafting me and barreled up on my left when I flipped over and slowed. I battled side-by-side with them to the beach. (Full disclosure: the guys I was trying to draft dropped my squinty a$$ before the halfway point!) Unfortunately my new water buddies hadn't examined the swim exit beforehand and continued to try to push us right toward the pier while I tried to steer us left. This meant elbow-to-elbow negotiations in open water for about 0.25 miles. Fun times. :-)
T1: Most of our group had joined me in line for the transition area opening at 6am. I agonized over picking a transition spot for nearly 30 minutes...I eventually chose one that was quiet, had more room and was closer to swim-run in than it was to bike out/in. It paid off - my T1 rank was higher than any other part of my race!
Bike: The day before the race I realized I hadn't cleaned my bike since the previous weekend and didn't have equipment with me or time to do so by that point. When I started cranking on race day, I remembered that my gears had been acting up a little since my rear flat the same weekend...I was lucky that none of this affected things on the day but damnit I should know better than that 12 triathlons in...To make up the full 40 km (24.8 miles) bike distance, a few miles before the finish, officials sent us down a lane constructed entirely of potholes. They assured us before the swim start that "next year it will be newly paved" but for the duration, I thought I was racing on Treasure Island.
T2: Unfortunately suntan lotion re-application is always going to hold me back but this transition still ranked better than my bike or run!
Run: A friend very kindly shared some GU Roctane the night before the race. I ditched the "nothing new on race day" rule of thumb and scarfed it halfway through the run. Cue Head Music by Eric Prydz (vs. Pink Floyd - Proper Education (Club Mix)) and Junkie XL (You Make Me Feel So Good) and I had a wonderful time all the way to the finish line and end of my last triathlon of 2008.
Next: Bridge to Bridge Run.
Results. Official Photos. My bib number was 545.
I think I'm in the top right corner of the first photo in the official slideshow and I run past 6 - 8 seconds into the video.
Future thoughts: Roctane might be worth investing in for race season 2009. I need to be more thorough about every aspect of my bike/biking and attitude toward it.
Showing posts with label Santa Cruz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Cruz. Show all posts
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Big Kahuna - September 9th 2007
"Preparedness makes us powerful..." - The Prodigy, The Fat of the Land.
"Pride goes before a fall." - ancient Hebrew proverb.
Big Kahuna was my first official triathlon and marked the end of my first Team In Training season in 2005. In that race, we swam only on the south side of the Santa Cruz pier instead of around it (due to pollution/algae growth) and one of my aerobars came loose and became unusable during the bike ride. I hoped to avoid such problems at this attempt, but as this season has taught me, anything can happen...
My preparation was less than stellar. I managed to avoid boozing during a trip to Ireland and London two weeks before the race date (apologies folks!) and do some running while I was there. However I could not shake a head cold (or maybe allergy symptoms) that returned after my visit to Folsom, my local pool was closed the preceding week and my last bike ride was three weeks before the race...It is also definitely not recommended practice to attend (and stand/dance at) a 4+ hour long concert, about 24 hours before a half ironman. But enough whining - I was lucky to be able to race at all. Three of our five person group were forced to drop out due to illness/injury, some of the folks who raced were fighting cancer and there was even a blind competitor.
Swim: I got into the athlete corral early which allowed me to get a prime spot on the start line (sharing bouy navigation thoughts with Michellie Jones, "the winningest triathlete in history"!). My entry into the water was pretty clean (Santa Cruz beach is a little shallow in spots so avoiding bumping or scraping on that first dive is important - if you pause, someone will charge over you). After I eased off and the Elites cruised by, I felt reasonnably comfortable. The overcast morning helped sighting as did the pier; it's tough to miss. :-) I decided to stick to my own route rather than try to draft with the pack (which, as ever, was not taking a straight line to each buoy...). The tide was coming in but there was little surf so exit to the beach was straightforward.
T1: was okay. Stripping off my wetsuit as soon as I cleared the beach, before the 'suit got a chance to dry, worked out but I might have been quicker, running without my arms full.
Bike: As triathlon distances increase, the bike section becomes progressively more important. It's the longest portion of the event (both in distance and in terms of time spent) and no matter how strong a runner you are, if your legs are done after the bike, then so is your race.
I felt okay for about the first quarter of the bike segment but I was progressively less comfortable as I approached the turnaround (I reached it in about 80 minutes). After I turned for home my legs just gave up; I could no longer stay in the aero position and my shifting and pace maintenance fell apart.
The bike course was made slightly more pleasant by Elite competitor and age group winner, Lesley Paterson, and her roving supporter. We leapfrogged several times before she left me for dead on a(nother) climb. :-)
A dumb nutrition mistake was to put an ice pack in the same container as my energy gels. Congealed sugary lumps do not a gourmet meal make.
T2: was quick. Getting a "first come first served" spot at 5am paid dividends (and made up for needing to re-apply sunscreen...).
Run: If I had been able to maintain my Big Kahuna 2005 pace (which was my first race after breaking my leg - I missed most of run workouts that season) I would have finished about five minutes faster. Even my Wildflower 2007 run split was better and that course is much hillier, was hotter and I was out on the bike course for nearly an hour longer! At Big Kahuna this time, my legs just didn't have enough left, and mentally I was already beating myself up for my self-imposed handicaps. I walked every aid station and much of the course in between, especially on the return leg.
This race served as a stark reminder that neither gear nor experience trump training and preparation, that half ironman triathlon is an entirely different prospect to Olympic distance racing and that the biggest obstacle to overcome is always that person in the mirror. (Common sense might scream all this but arrogance can cloud good judgment).
I need to start weight lifting and making brick workouts a regular part of my bike routine (and I need to have a "bike routine"). Trying caffeinated gels (if I can find a flavor I like) is required research. I should also consider a heart rate monitor and bike speedometer - I don't think I'm good enough at racing based on "how I feel". A more comfortable saddle might be a worthwhile investment too.
Results: overall, age group. My bib number was 676 (even though it's not listed...)
Official photos: start (Michellie and I on right side), all.
PS Apologies if this post is a even more self centered and introspective than normal. When cocky-Luke returns to read this later, I need him to remember how this went down and learn from his mistakes.
PPS In 2005 about 580 people completed Big Kahuna. The 2007 results list 815 finishers. 40% growth in two years ain't bad!
"Pride goes before a fall." - ancient Hebrew proverb.
Big Kahuna was my first official triathlon and marked the end of my first Team In Training season in 2005. In that race, we swam only on the south side of the Santa Cruz pier instead of around it (due to pollution/algae growth) and one of my aerobars came loose and became unusable during the bike ride. I hoped to avoid such problems at this attempt, but as this season has taught me, anything can happen...
My preparation was less than stellar. I managed to avoid boozing during a trip to Ireland and London two weeks before the race date (apologies folks!) and do some running while I was there. However I could not shake a head cold (or maybe allergy symptoms) that returned after my visit to Folsom, my local pool was closed the preceding week and my last bike ride was three weeks before the race...It is also definitely not recommended practice to attend (and stand/dance at) a 4+ hour long concert, about 24 hours before a half ironman. But enough whining - I was lucky to be able to race at all. Three of our five person group were forced to drop out due to illness/injury, some of the folks who raced were fighting cancer and there was even a blind competitor.
Swim: I got into the athlete corral early which allowed me to get a prime spot on the start line (sharing bouy navigation thoughts with Michellie Jones, "the winningest triathlete in history"!). My entry into the water was pretty clean (Santa Cruz beach is a little shallow in spots so avoiding bumping or scraping on that first dive is important - if you pause, someone will charge over you). After I eased off and the Elites cruised by, I felt reasonnably comfortable. The overcast morning helped sighting as did the pier; it's tough to miss. :-) I decided to stick to my own route rather than try to draft with the pack (which, as ever, was not taking a straight line to each buoy...). The tide was coming in but there was little surf so exit to the beach was straightforward.
T1: was okay. Stripping off my wetsuit as soon as I cleared the beach, before the 'suit got a chance to dry, worked out but I might have been quicker, running without my arms full.
Bike: As triathlon distances increase, the bike section becomes progressively more important. It's the longest portion of the event (both in distance and in terms of time spent) and no matter how strong a runner you are, if your legs are done after the bike, then so is your race.
I felt okay for about the first quarter of the bike segment but I was progressively less comfortable as I approached the turnaround (I reached it in about 80 minutes). After I turned for home my legs just gave up; I could no longer stay in the aero position and my shifting and pace maintenance fell apart.
The bike course was made slightly more pleasant by Elite competitor and age group winner, Lesley Paterson, and her roving supporter. We leapfrogged several times before she left me for dead on a(nother) climb. :-)
A dumb nutrition mistake was to put an ice pack in the same container as my energy gels. Congealed sugary lumps do not a gourmet meal make.
T2: was quick. Getting a "first come first served" spot at 5am paid dividends (and made up for needing to re-apply sunscreen...).
Run: If I had been able to maintain my Big Kahuna 2005 pace (which was my first race after breaking my leg - I missed most of run workouts that season) I would have finished about five minutes faster. Even my Wildflower 2007 run split was better and that course is much hillier, was hotter and I was out on the bike course for nearly an hour longer! At Big Kahuna this time, my legs just didn't have enough left, and mentally I was already beating myself up for my self-imposed handicaps. I walked every aid station and much of the course in between, especially on the return leg.
This race served as a stark reminder that neither gear nor experience trump training and preparation, that half ironman triathlon is an entirely different prospect to Olympic distance racing and that the biggest obstacle to overcome is always that person in the mirror. (Common sense might scream all this but arrogance can cloud good judgment).
I need to start weight lifting and making brick workouts a regular part of my bike routine (and I need to have a "bike routine"). Trying caffeinated gels (if I can find a flavor I like) is required research. I should also consider a heart rate monitor and bike speedometer - I don't think I'm good enough at racing based on "how I feel". A more comfortable saddle might be a worthwhile investment too.
Results: overall, age group. My bib number was 676 (even though it's not listed...)
Official photos: start (Michellie and I on right side), all.
PS Apologies if this post is a even more self centered and introspective than normal. When cocky-Luke returns to read this later, I need him to remember how this went down and learn from his mistakes.
PPS In 2005 about 580 people completed Big Kahuna. The 2007 results list 815 finishers. 40% growth in two years ain't bad!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Multisport diary 2005, 2006
2005:
2006:
- Big Kahuna Half Ironman triathlon as a Team In Training participant on September 11th 2005. My bib number was 44. Results. Official photos. More photos. I enjoyed the swim (even though I managed to lose my precious goggles afterward) and the bike ride but my run sucked!
- Bridge to Bridge Run on October 2nd 2005. My bib number was 6967. Official photos.
- Treasure Island Olympic Distance Triathlon on November 5th 2005. My bib number was 136. Results. Official photos. I was disappointed with my swim (training once in the previous 2 months probably wasn't the best preparation) but I was happy enough with my bike time and my run was faster than it felt!
- San Francisco Holiday Run on December 18th 2005. My bib number was 356.
2006:
- The 4th Annual Alcatraz100 "Swim of the Centurions" on September 2nd 2006. My race number was 472. Results. The official times were approximate as all chips started at the same time but some swimmers didn't enter the water until nearly 10 minutes after the official start. My watch clocked me at about 40 minutes.
- AlcaTRI XXVI™ - The 26th annual ESCAPE FROM THE ROCK Triathlon™ Sunday, October 15th 2006. My bib number was 291. Results. Official photos. This was my first triathlon of 2006 (after breaking my left third metstarsal on April 2nd 2006) and I REALLY enjoyed it. :-) More photos here and here.
Treasure Island International Triathlon. Saturday November 4th 2006.
My bib number was 149. Results. Official photos. I beat my 2005 time! I'm pretty sure the wind was stronger in 2005 but I made up most of my time on the swim and transitions.
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