Another Thunder in the Valley has come and gone, with another strong club presence. Roy, John T., Jimmy, Rand, Scott, Summer, Steve, Allen... yes, Allen! Let the naysayers repent; Allen is now a triathlete!
I'll start my tale at the staging. It was a disappointing turnout this year, with far fewer bike racks present. Man, I can remember that upper lot crammed to overflowing with bikes and gear! I suppose it was partly the cold, but more likely it's the change of hands from Paul Asay to the new crew. They're well-intended, but it goes to show you how important key people are in organizations. Paul had that je ne sais quoi that pulled people in. He knew how to handle the little things that count for a lot. The new race director is young, and he may figure things out some day, but I'm afraid this race may not survive to see that time.
The nice thing about the low numbers is we were all able to stage in the same area near the bike in/out. That would provide some comfort to Allen, and actually a couple of honorary members we picked up. We were all there early enough to comfortably lay out the equipment, change clothing, return anything to the cars, and head down to the lake for pre-race instructions (however little). This portion went pretty smoothly.
I would add I was Jimmy's mule. Last night he contacted me about bringing his Garmin. This morning he contacted me about his shoes. I was afraid about halfway to Terre Haute he'd contact me about getting his bike. Not a problem at all, I was happy to help!
We had our usual pre-race prayer, this time a bit unusual because much of the crowd around us joined in. It's nice to see when it happens. I do essentially the same prayer every time, so I guess the guys don't mind reruns. I do this particular one because it reminds me who is in control and why I can do what I'm doing at all.
Scott and Summer were on a team, with Summer swimming and Scott riding and running. Summer went in the elite group, and she belonged there. She was the first to enter (of our group), and held her end up swimmingly (see what I did there!). She was out and gone long before I exited.
I caught some people from the elite wave, and really didn't have a bad swim, other than steering off course initially. This goes to one of the things the race direction had wrong. Yellow markers are for the corners; they had them on the back line of the course. This makes for a confusing sight, as the elite immediately steered for the center bouy - as did I. There was a low mist hanging off the water and it was difficult to see at water level. I felt I might be off, but I saw the crowd of swimmers ahead and figured I must be okay. After a bit I grew concerned as there were no swimmers around me. I finally had to stop and raise out of the water to get the true line. I wasn't terribly off, but it did cost time.
The sun became a bit of a problem on the way back. Again, visibility wasn't great, and I had to pause and raise up a few times, more than I've ever done. I was passed by only two swimmers, both college swimmers (I recognized them from before the race). They were also both women. I got chicked - twice!
Amongst our club there had been much discussion about what to do about the ride. It was 39 degrees when we went into the water. Though the water was warm, the air wasn't - you could clearly see the exhaled air from all persons in the area. The body core would not freeze on the ride because we would be in aero the whole way. The hands and feet were another matter. This was one time I wish I owned a set of shoe booties. I had multiple socks with me, and took the time to dry my feet and put on thick cotton. This was the best I was going to be able to do. As for the hands, I had my trusty long-fingered gloves. These were a little difficult to get on, but they were well worth the time lost.
The ride course reverted to an emergency course we did a few years back, and for my money is a far superior way to go. It does climb for a while, but it isn't too steep. The thing is with any ride segment, it takes a bit for the blood to get to the legs, and for that amount of time you just can't push hard. It might be a couple miles, it might be five, but it always takes a little bit to get it going. Today was no exception.
I had taken a while to get out of transition, so there were plenty of bikes to pass - at first. The elite wave had contained maybe 15-20 people, and I quickly moved through most. By around mile 4 or 5 I was beginning to get isolated. I could see people way off at distances that seemed improbable to cover. Improbable is not impossible, and if you're out there you need something positive to focus on, so I started climbing the ladder. I'd had to leave my fogged-over sunglasses at the transition, so vision wasn't great, but even at that I could see the distance beginning to close over and over. I'd go by hard, then search for the next one, each time the distance a bit farther out.
One thing I did notice - it seemed about everyone in front of me had on a jacket. Not me. I was in my race kit and nothing else. This was the smart move, for me anyway. Those jackets were invariably flapping in the breeze, causing drag. Over and over I slid by one struggling rider after another.
Okay, here's another thing I noticed during the ride - between 9-10 miles is usually where I see the pros coming back through. There were none today. In fact, I didn't see any bikes until almost 12 miles, on the last climb before the long grade down to the turn. Granted, they still had a big lead, but... they weren't THAT far out. So even if my ride wasn't as fast as I'd hoped for, I was comparing well with the overall group. That was motivating. Keep the head on the positive!
I always start counting riders from the first one until I turn. When I could finally see the marker I was in 10th place. Usually that's more like 50! More than that, I spotted several weakening riders in that group, and with plenty of time to chase, I could really move up for the run segment.
Just before the turn I heard what I thought was Scott's voice say, "Good job, Bill". Was he the guy right in front of me? I'll admit, I never thought I'd see him all day. Scott is a great rider. I wasn't sure what he was wearing, but as soon as I turned I blasted back up to speed, and sure enough, I could clearly read "Wie Geht's?" (What's Up?) It was Scott! As I remembered, this segment heads uphill steadily for a good bit, and so things slowed down a bit. The early morning sun was directly behind and shining, and watching my shadow the rhythmic rock of my pedaling was clearly visible. The chase was on again - I was 9 and climbing.
Cut to Allen...
Allen was just now completing his tour of the lake. It was his first lake swim race - wait, his first swim race of any kind - and anxiety got a hold of him from the beginning. This is normal! Everyone goes through it, no matter your level, and Allen tried desperately to clear his head. As he said later, "Panic is irrational by nature, and no matter how I tried to tell myself to stop, I couldn't." No, this didn't result in Allen quitting. Allen is no quitter! He took the long way around the lake, adding to his time, but he completed the swim. This is why I respect the guy so much... this must have been terrifying at some levels, yet he was able to push himself through it. It was a major accomplishment, the rest of the day was merely the cherry on the sundae.
There were a couple of riders directly ahead that took no time at all to catch, but beyond that it was going to be more work. One in particular took me back a few years to a race when Steve and I were in a 3-way fight with one other rider. That guy was fast on the flat, Steve could climb, and I recovered fastest. It was an epic battle, and began to notice like qualities in this guy in front of me. He could drop pretty fast, carry that momentum to the top of the next roller, but I was recovering faster over the top AND was a bit faster on the flats. Because of the rollers we see-sawed for a bit, but eventually I did pass him. By this time I was in 6th or 7th place.
I set the sights on the next rider, but something changed... I was watching the shadows behind me under my left armpit, because that rider was hanging in there. I began to see him at the tops of rollers, but would soon drop him over the top and the ensuing flats. I suspect he was drafting a bit as there were zero course marshals all day long. I passed one or two more riders, and now I was in 5th place. This was the best position I've ever seen in this race!
Near the end I saw his tell-tale shadow once more, and this time he made a surge around me. We were only about a mile out, and this chapped me a bit. No way I was going to let him take that place after I'd pulled him. We hit one final roller, I plowed over and past, and laid into it hard. There was no way he was going to be able to come back from that one. Now it was into the park and onto the run.
My hands were so cold I could barely unsnap my helmet. This actually took the most time in the transition! Shoes went on with some difficulty, and I was out - and I had to check my feet, because my feet were so frozen it felt like I was running in my bike shoes! I could actually feel the clips under the balls of my feet! I knew I'd taken them off, but by golly, the phantom pain was there nonetheless.
I'd worn my Garmin 220 so I could make a run segment later. This presented me with a problem - I started it at the beginning of the race because I wanted a total time. There was no good way for me to get splits on the run, so I just let it run. When it beeped, the first running mile was 6:38 - far better than I imagined under the circumstances. I just held the rhythm throughout the run. My quads were cramping something awful at the start of the run, and they were certainly very tired throughout the run. I caught only one runner ahead of me, moving me to 4th place. This stuck, and that's how I finished the day.
My goals prior to going in were all met - I wanted to bike between 23 and 24 mph (at least), which I did. I wanted to average under 7-minute pace in the run, which I did. The swim had to be whatever it would be... I've been so sick I haven't been in the water in some time. That said, I did hold 1:30 per 100 m pace, which in open water is pretty good for me. I'm very happy with the day overall, and though it's not my best time, it was a solid effort. Taking out the transitions, each of the three racing legs contained a great deal of focus and effort. I don't feel let down by any of them at all.
Moving down the line, here's a recap of those I managed to talk to:
Steve: struggled with his back and his calf. Training has been short due to the cold weather. Had a good bike, run did him in.
Jimmy: great day! His run saved him (as usual). He's not happy about his bike, but I think maybe he was looking at the bogus times posted. I suspect he'll be happier once he sees his Garmin data. He took 2nd in his age group by a mere 3 seconds (to Paul Asay).
Roy: outstanding effort! He beat Jimmy (first time) and took 2nd in his age group. Very good ride, solid run.
John T.: had a hard time getting the legs working on the ride. Solid run. Didn't hear much of the swim.
Rand: only grunted at me when I asked for info. A riddle wrapped in a mystery hidden in an enigma.
Allen: it took a while, but he finished his first triathlon. Nothing but praise for the effort. As with any race, you have to do one before you know what you need to do better. A lot of questions were answered today.
Summer: outstanding swim. Seriously.
Scott: I know he's disappointed, because Scott never thinks he does well enough. We talked a bit after, and I believe his ride was a struggle because he started cold. Just like running, you don't go straight to race effort with cold muscles. You need to be processing lactic acid, getting the bursa flowing, get the heart rate up... a short run before the ride might have worked wonders. Something to think about.
Looks like we're riding tomorrow afternoon, 2:45. I never heard a place, but I will assume it will be from the Mitchell Church of Christ. I would go up to 50 miles if anyone is interested?
I'll start my tale at the staging. It was a disappointing turnout this year, with far fewer bike racks present. Man, I can remember that upper lot crammed to overflowing with bikes and gear! I suppose it was partly the cold, but more likely it's the change of hands from Paul Asay to the new crew. They're well-intended, but it goes to show you how important key people are in organizations. Paul had that je ne sais quoi that pulled people in. He knew how to handle the little things that count for a lot. The new race director is young, and he may figure things out some day, but I'm afraid this race may not survive to see that time.
The nice thing about the low numbers is we were all able to stage in the same area near the bike in/out. That would provide some comfort to Allen, and actually a couple of honorary members we picked up. We were all there early enough to comfortably lay out the equipment, change clothing, return anything to the cars, and head down to the lake for pre-race instructions (however little). This portion went pretty smoothly.
I would add I was Jimmy's mule. Last night he contacted me about bringing his Garmin. This morning he contacted me about his shoes. I was afraid about halfway to Terre Haute he'd contact me about getting his bike. Not a problem at all, I was happy to help!
We had our usual pre-race prayer, this time a bit unusual because much of the crowd around us joined in. It's nice to see when it happens. I do essentially the same prayer every time, so I guess the guys don't mind reruns. I do this particular one because it reminds me who is in control and why I can do what I'm doing at all.
Scott and Summer were on a team, with Summer swimming and Scott riding and running. Summer went in the elite group, and she belonged there. She was the first to enter (of our group), and held her end up swimmingly (see what I did there!). She was out and gone long before I exited.
I caught some people from the elite wave, and really didn't have a bad swim, other than steering off course initially. This goes to one of the things the race direction had wrong. Yellow markers are for the corners; they had them on the back line of the course. This makes for a confusing sight, as the elite immediately steered for the center bouy - as did I. There was a low mist hanging off the water and it was difficult to see at water level. I felt I might be off, but I saw the crowd of swimmers ahead and figured I must be okay. After a bit I grew concerned as there were no swimmers around me. I finally had to stop and raise out of the water to get the true line. I wasn't terribly off, but it did cost time.
The sun became a bit of a problem on the way back. Again, visibility wasn't great, and I had to pause and raise up a few times, more than I've ever done. I was passed by only two swimmers, both college swimmers (I recognized them from before the race). They were also both women. I got chicked - twice!
Amongst our club there had been much discussion about what to do about the ride. It was 39 degrees when we went into the water. Though the water was warm, the air wasn't - you could clearly see the exhaled air from all persons in the area. The body core would not freeze on the ride because we would be in aero the whole way. The hands and feet were another matter. This was one time I wish I owned a set of shoe booties. I had multiple socks with me, and took the time to dry my feet and put on thick cotton. This was the best I was going to be able to do. As for the hands, I had my trusty long-fingered gloves. These were a little difficult to get on, but they were well worth the time lost.
The ride course reverted to an emergency course we did a few years back, and for my money is a far superior way to go. It does climb for a while, but it isn't too steep. The thing is with any ride segment, it takes a bit for the blood to get to the legs, and for that amount of time you just can't push hard. It might be a couple miles, it might be five, but it always takes a little bit to get it going. Today was no exception.
I had taken a while to get out of transition, so there were plenty of bikes to pass - at first. The elite wave had contained maybe 15-20 people, and I quickly moved through most. By around mile 4 or 5 I was beginning to get isolated. I could see people way off at distances that seemed improbable to cover. Improbable is not impossible, and if you're out there you need something positive to focus on, so I started climbing the ladder. I'd had to leave my fogged-over sunglasses at the transition, so vision wasn't great, but even at that I could see the distance beginning to close over and over. I'd go by hard, then search for the next one, each time the distance a bit farther out.
One thing I did notice - it seemed about everyone in front of me had on a jacket. Not me. I was in my race kit and nothing else. This was the smart move, for me anyway. Those jackets were invariably flapping in the breeze, causing drag. Over and over I slid by one struggling rider after another.
Okay, here's another thing I noticed during the ride - between 9-10 miles is usually where I see the pros coming back through. There were none today. In fact, I didn't see any bikes until almost 12 miles, on the last climb before the long grade down to the turn. Granted, they still had a big lead, but... they weren't THAT far out. So even if my ride wasn't as fast as I'd hoped for, I was comparing well with the overall group. That was motivating. Keep the head on the positive!
I always start counting riders from the first one until I turn. When I could finally see the marker I was in 10th place. Usually that's more like 50! More than that, I spotted several weakening riders in that group, and with plenty of time to chase, I could really move up for the run segment.
Just before the turn I heard what I thought was Scott's voice say, "Good job, Bill". Was he the guy right in front of me? I'll admit, I never thought I'd see him all day. Scott is a great rider. I wasn't sure what he was wearing, but as soon as I turned I blasted back up to speed, and sure enough, I could clearly read "Wie Geht's?" (What's Up?) It was Scott! As I remembered, this segment heads uphill steadily for a good bit, and so things slowed down a bit. The early morning sun was directly behind and shining, and watching my shadow the rhythmic rock of my pedaling was clearly visible. The chase was on again - I was 9 and climbing.
Cut to Allen...
Allen was just now completing his tour of the lake. It was his first lake swim race - wait, his first swim race of any kind - and anxiety got a hold of him from the beginning. This is normal! Everyone goes through it, no matter your level, and Allen tried desperately to clear his head. As he said later, "Panic is irrational by nature, and no matter how I tried to tell myself to stop, I couldn't." No, this didn't result in Allen quitting. Allen is no quitter! He took the long way around the lake, adding to his time, but he completed the swim. This is why I respect the guy so much... this must have been terrifying at some levels, yet he was able to push himself through it. It was a major accomplishment, the rest of the day was merely the cherry on the sundae.
There were a couple of riders directly ahead that took no time at all to catch, but beyond that it was going to be more work. One in particular took me back a few years to a race when Steve and I were in a 3-way fight with one other rider. That guy was fast on the flat, Steve could climb, and I recovered fastest. It was an epic battle, and began to notice like qualities in this guy in front of me. He could drop pretty fast, carry that momentum to the top of the next roller, but I was recovering faster over the top AND was a bit faster on the flats. Because of the rollers we see-sawed for a bit, but eventually I did pass him. By this time I was in 6th or 7th place.
I set the sights on the next rider, but something changed... I was watching the shadows behind me under my left armpit, because that rider was hanging in there. I began to see him at the tops of rollers, but would soon drop him over the top and the ensuing flats. I suspect he was drafting a bit as there were zero course marshals all day long. I passed one or two more riders, and now I was in 5th place. This was the best position I've ever seen in this race!
Near the end I saw his tell-tale shadow once more, and this time he made a surge around me. We were only about a mile out, and this chapped me a bit. No way I was going to let him take that place after I'd pulled him. We hit one final roller, I plowed over and past, and laid into it hard. There was no way he was going to be able to come back from that one. Now it was into the park and onto the run.
My hands were so cold I could barely unsnap my helmet. This actually took the most time in the transition! Shoes went on with some difficulty, and I was out - and I had to check my feet, because my feet were so frozen it felt like I was running in my bike shoes! I could actually feel the clips under the balls of my feet! I knew I'd taken them off, but by golly, the phantom pain was there nonetheless.
I'd worn my Garmin 220 so I could make a run segment later. This presented me with a problem - I started it at the beginning of the race because I wanted a total time. There was no good way for me to get splits on the run, so I just let it run. When it beeped, the first running mile was 6:38 - far better than I imagined under the circumstances. I just held the rhythm throughout the run. My quads were cramping something awful at the start of the run, and they were certainly very tired throughout the run. I caught only one runner ahead of me, moving me to 4th place. This stuck, and that's how I finished the day.
My goals prior to going in were all met - I wanted to bike between 23 and 24 mph (at least), which I did. I wanted to average under 7-minute pace in the run, which I did. The swim had to be whatever it would be... I've been so sick I haven't been in the water in some time. That said, I did hold 1:30 per 100 m pace, which in open water is pretty good for me. I'm very happy with the day overall, and though it's not my best time, it was a solid effort. Taking out the transitions, each of the three racing legs contained a great deal of focus and effort. I don't feel let down by any of them at all.
Moving down the line, here's a recap of those I managed to talk to:
Steve: struggled with his back and his calf. Training has been short due to the cold weather. Had a good bike, run did him in.
Jimmy: great day! His run saved him (as usual). He's not happy about his bike, but I think maybe he was looking at the bogus times posted. I suspect he'll be happier once he sees his Garmin data. He took 2nd in his age group by a mere 3 seconds (to Paul Asay).
Roy: outstanding effort! He beat Jimmy (first time) and took 2nd in his age group. Very good ride, solid run.
John T.: had a hard time getting the legs working on the ride. Solid run. Didn't hear much of the swim.
Rand: only grunted at me when I asked for info. A riddle wrapped in a mystery hidden in an enigma.
Allen: it took a while, but he finished his first triathlon. Nothing but praise for the effort. As with any race, you have to do one before you know what you need to do better. A lot of questions were answered today.
Summer: outstanding swim. Seriously.
Scott: I know he's disappointed, because Scott never thinks he does well enough. We talked a bit after, and I believe his ride was a struggle because he started cold. Just like running, you don't go straight to race effort with cold muscles. You need to be processing lactic acid, getting the bursa flowing, get the heart rate up... a short run before the ride might have worked wonders. Something to think about.
Looks like we're riding tomorrow afternoon, 2:45. I never heard a place, but I will assume it will be from the Mitchell Church of Christ. I would go up to 50 miles if anyone is interested?
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