From The Top
I woke up race morning feeling fantastic. The fold-out bed with the metal rod running across my back very comfortable. Due to the change in tide the race was delayed by an hour so I was able to sleep in. I had prepped my gear the night before, so all I had to do was throw on my clothes and head on down to the transition area to set up for the race. I filled up my hydration back-pack with water and left my bike water bottles behind figuring the back-pack is lighter and faster (BIG mistake).
My parents and I made our way down to the transition area, racked my bike, and set up my gear. We made our way down to the beach and relaxed for a few minutes. I heard the announcer yell in the megaphone that the first wave, which was my wave, of the race was scheduled to start in three minutes. I made my way to the water and waited for the sound of the gun.
I woke up race morning feeling fantastic. The fold-out bed with the metal rod running across my back very comfortable. Due to the change in tide the race was delayed by an hour so I was able to sleep in. I had prepped my gear the night before, so all I had to do was throw on my clothes and head on down to the transition area to set up for the race. I filled up my hydration back-pack with water and left my bike water bottles behind figuring the back-pack is lighter and faster (BIG mistake).
My parents and I made our way down to the transition area, racked my bike, and set up my gear. We made our way down to the beach and relaxed for a few minutes. I heard the announcer yell in the megaphone that the first wave, which was my wave, of the race was scheduled to start in three minutes. I made my way to the water and waited for the sound of the gun.
The Swim
Getting out into the water was not very easy. The tide had dropped a substantial amount, which added a little over 400 yards of new beach. I was tripping and falling down as I tried to make my way out into the sea. Many of the racers were getting their feet cut by the mixture of coral and rock, and six athletes had sting-ray barbs go through there feet and it took them out of the race. I never actually heard the gun go off; I just saw people jump in and start swimming so I joined them. I felt very good on the swim. I took in one decent size gulp of salt water, but it did not effect me at all.
I did my best to hold back and be as efficient as I could. All winter long I have been taking it easy during the swim, and race day was no different. Last September I tore my bicep tendon and it killed my season. I was still able to race SOMA in October, but I had to side-stroke the entire swim, and bike with one arm down to my side. This year one of my main goals is to remain injury free. My pace and intensity were about 60% and it felt perfect. I figured the swim would take me 30 minutes and I was dead on balls accurate. I hit the timing pad after a brutal run up the beach at just over 31 minutes. I was happy as could be about my swim. I was right on schedule with 1 event down, and two to go.
Grades for the swim:
Fat Ass = 0
Bad Ass = ¾ (a true Bad Ass would go full throttle on the swim)
The Bike
This is where the race started to go downhill. As I was in the transition area I decided wait until I was on the bike to drink some water. I put on my cycling shoes and helmet and headed out to the bike course. As I left the resort I was feeling pretty good on the bike, I was traveling effortlessly about 22mph. I went into shock when I saw how fast I was going, and then at the turn around it hit me. I turned around and the wind hit me right in the face. The wind had been pushing me, no wonder I was going so fast. Now I was fighting the wind and starting to struggle. I tried to get in the aero position but my Fat Ass belly kept getting in the way and it was very uncomfortable. Being unable to crouch down in the aero position I pretty much resembled a large bright orange sail.
As I was struggling on the first of three loops it hit me that I had forgotten my hydration back-pack. I did not have my regular bicycle water bottles because I had intentionally left them behind in the condo afraid they would cost me additional time and weight. What a huge mistake, one of the biggest I have ever made. Would an extra 44 ounces of water really slow me down? I am already 80 pounds overweight. Would it have cost me any extra time? Nope, it actually would have saved me a ton of time. All athletes were warned the night before that there were no aid stations on the bike route, so I knew I was in trouble.
By the time the second loop came around I was cashed out. Between being dehydrated and out of shape, there was no more energy to be spent. I was just doing my best to move forward and finish the race.
When I began day three, I mean loop three, I was all alone. It was just me out there, lonely. I know this is supposed to be an individual event but that was ridiculous. It was during this loop that the cramps and the MOACH (mother of all Charlie horses) gave me a visit. My left quad tightened up into a ball and it was extremely painful every time my left leg would drop during a pedal stroke. My heart rate skyrocketed over the past two loops, and I was in the dangerous anaerobic stage almost the entire time.
Grades for the bike:
Fat Ass = 1
Bad Ass = 0 (there was nothing Bad Ass about this bike ride)
The Run
When I finally reached the transition area I grabbed one of the water bottles I had left behind and pounded it. I had not guzzled that fast since Beer Olympics back in college. I was so thirsty. My parents were waiting for me out on the course, and they had more water, which I gladly accepted.
I met up with my buddy Ben and we jogged together for a while until I told him to go on without me. When I would walk I would start to cramp up, when I would jog my heart would max out, so I did my best to alternate. I high-fived all of my teammates as they ran past me to finish the race. It was great to see how excited they were, and they all encouraged me to continue.
As I finished the first of two loops my parents were still out on the course waiting for me. My mother had bought some high dose Mexican electrolyte supplement that would require a prescription here in the states. I drank it, and it sure did work. The cramps in my legs went away and I was able to slowly jog most of the second loop. My parents were lifesavers out there, literally.
The second loop of the run was even lonelier then the third loop of the bike. There was only one other racer out on the course and we were separated by over a mile. As I ran down the final stretch past the hotel along beach in the deep sand the crowd went crazy. It was a great feeling. Everybody was cheering me on and encouraging me to keep going. I was just a few hundred feet away from ending one of the most painful days I have ever had. The sand was so deep, and my Fat Ass kept sinking into it. My legs were on fire, and I was now within 80 feet. I started to walk for about 2 seconds then the crowd went crazy and people screamed “finish strong.” It took everything I had to run across that finish line, but I did it.
Just as promised, a cold beer was waiting for me at the finish line.
Grades for the run:
Fat Ass = ½
Bad Ass = ½ (half a Bad Ass for sticking with it and finishing strong)
Lessons learned
1) You can never drink enough water before a race, or pack too much water on your bike
2) There is a difference between tri-shorts and a swimming suit. Don’t run in the swimming suit. Three days later and I am still very raw.
3) Avoid the MOACH, drink as much water as you can.
Getting out into the water was not very easy. The tide had dropped a substantial amount, which added a little over 400 yards of new beach. I was tripping and falling down as I tried to make my way out into the sea. Many of the racers were getting their feet cut by the mixture of coral and rock, and six athletes had sting-ray barbs go through there feet and it took them out of the race. I never actually heard the gun go off; I just saw people jump in and start swimming so I joined them. I felt very good on the swim. I took in one decent size gulp of salt water, but it did not effect me at all.
I did my best to hold back and be as efficient as I could. All winter long I have been taking it easy during the swim, and race day was no different. Last September I tore my bicep tendon and it killed my season. I was still able to race SOMA in October, but I had to side-stroke the entire swim, and bike with one arm down to my side. This year one of my main goals is to remain injury free. My pace and intensity were about 60% and it felt perfect. I figured the swim would take me 30 minutes and I was dead on balls accurate. I hit the timing pad after a brutal run up the beach at just over 31 minutes. I was happy as could be about my swim. I was right on schedule with 1 event down, and two to go.
Grades for the swim:
Fat Ass = 0
Bad Ass = ¾ (a true Bad Ass would go full throttle on the swim)
The Bike
This is where the race started to go downhill. As I was in the transition area I decided wait until I was on the bike to drink some water. I put on my cycling shoes and helmet and headed out to the bike course. As I left the resort I was feeling pretty good on the bike, I was traveling effortlessly about 22mph. I went into shock when I saw how fast I was going, and then at the turn around it hit me. I turned around and the wind hit me right in the face. The wind had been pushing me, no wonder I was going so fast. Now I was fighting the wind and starting to struggle. I tried to get in the aero position but my Fat Ass belly kept getting in the way and it was very uncomfortable. Being unable to crouch down in the aero position I pretty much resembled a large bright orange sail.
As I was struggling on the first of three loops it hit me that I had forgotten my hydration back-pack. I did not have my regular bicycle water bottles because I had intentionally left them behind in the condo afraid they would cost me additional time and weight. What a huge mistake, one of the biggest I have ever made. Would an extra 44 ounces of water really slow me down? I am already 80 pounds overweight. Would it have cost me any extra time? Nope, it actually would have saved me a ton of time. All athletes were warned the night before that there were no aid stations on the bike route, so I knew I was in trouble.
By the time the second loop came around I was cashed out. Between being dehydrated and out of shape, there was no more energy to be spent. I was just doing my best to move forward and finish the race.
When I began day three, I mean loop three, I was all alone. It was just me out there, lonely. I know this is supposed to be an individual event but that was ridiculous. It was during this loop that the cramps and the MOACH (mother of all Charlie horses) gave me a visit. My left quad tightened up into a ball and it was extremely painful every time my left leg would drop during a pedal stroke. My heart rate skyrocketed over the past two loops, and I was in the dangerous anaerobic stage almost the entire time.
Grades for the bike:
Fat Ass = 1
Bad Ass = 0 (there was nothing Bad Ass about this bike ride)
The Run
When I finally reached the transition area I grabbed one of the water bottles I had left behind and pounded it. I had not guzzled that fast since Beer Olympics back in college. I was so thirsty. My parents were waiting for me out on the course, and they had more water, which I gladly accepted.
I met up with my buddy Ben and we jogged together for a while until I told him to go on without me. When I would walk I would start to cramp up, when I would jog my heart would max out, so I did my best to alternate. I high-fived all of my teammates as they ran past me to finish the race. It was great to see how excited they were, and they all encouraged me to continue.
As I finished the first of two loops my parents were still out on the course waiting for me. My mother had bought some high dose Mexican electrolyte supplement that would require a prescription here in the states. I drank it, and it sure did work. The cramps in my legs went away and I was able to slowly jog most of the second loop. My parents were lifesavers out there, literally.
The second loop of the run was even lonelier then the third loop of the bike. There was only one other racer out on the course and we were separated by over a mile. As I ran down the final stretch past the hotel along beach in the deep sand the crowd went crazy. It was a great feeling. Everybody was cheering me on and encouraging me to keep going. I was just a few hundred feet away from ending one of the most painful days I have ever had. The sand was so deep, and my Fat Ass kept sinking into it. My legs were on fire, and I was now within 80 feet. I started to walk for about 2 seconds then the crowd went crazy and people screamed “finish strong.” It took everything I had to run across that finish line, but I did it.
Just as promised, a cold beer was waiting for me at the finish line.
Grades for the run:
Fat Ass = ½
Bad Ass = ½ (half a Bad Ass for sticking with it and finishing strong)
Lessons learned
1) You can never drink enough water before a race, or pack too much water on your bike
2) There is a difference between tri-shorts and a swimming suit. Don’t run in the swimming suit. Three days later and I am still very raw.
3) Avoid the MOACH, drink as much water as you can.
4) Give up beer and soda; they dehydrate you. Let me rephrase that, give up soda.
7 comments:
fantastic race report, you bad a$$!
I had no idea you were in that state Tony. That sucks. From someone who knows how that state sucks.
But you were not DFL. Not by a long shot. Your Bad Ass number goes up for that.
Wonderful race report, Tony! And way to get it done under truly difficult circumstances.
I'm with Comm - Your Bad Ass number should be higher!! Great report. I've watched Bigun struggle in his early races. It's tough. You pushed through it and saw the finish line! That's Bad ass
At least there were no hippies in your way... Great report!
Hey Man
Good to see your blogging. I started mine a year prior to IM as well and didn't make it. You will though. I know you will. Go like hell T-man. Go like hell
Everybody has their first race and that one race that has a looooong list of lessons learned. The great news is that you finished safely and learned so much about what you need to have an enjoyable time on the course. And trust me, you will never, ever, ever forget to bring your hydration with you on the bike again. Ever!
I'm sorry you felt so lonely out there. I'm a back of the packer myself and I know what it feels like to have all the noise and ruckus die down and you realize it's just you and the birds. But remember that's only a part of the whole experience.
Congratulations! You should be proud!
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