First off, let me start by saying congratulations to TriFreaks. My parents live in Ocean Shores and were spectators to the race last year and this year. My mother wanted to go and talk directly to the person in charge about how pleased they were with how the event turned out. My parents both said the difference was "night and day between last year and this year.". Even after registering, they let me know not to have my expectations high...I don't have high expectations. They really appreciate events at Ocean Shores (as they live there) and after getting to see this event, they really feel like they can get behind and support and share good words about TriFreaks.
Second off: The pictures in this post were taken from my number 1 support crew...my wife. She has put up with my "I need a new bike" and "I need new shoes" and "I need a GPS" and everything else. She has been patient and most of all, supportive. I think that is everything that a man needs. A lot of the pictures are of me. It is not because I love myself, but it is because they are what they are.
Third off: Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped with this effort. Everytime somebody told me to turn, I had to thank them. Every time there was a little boy handing out water, I had to thank them. They don't get much out of the event, but they are standing at intersections making sure we know what to do. I appreciate their work and I hope that they get the appreciation they deserve.
This post is my experience with the Ocean Shores big weekend.
*note: pictures of a skinny guy in triathlon gear ahead.
My Goal:
#1 - Complete the race
#2 - Aim for a 3:00:00 time: 30 minute swim, 1:30 ride, 1 hour run.
Race Results:
http://www.accustatsportstiming.com/results3.asp?ei=94
Overall Time= 3:02:54
Place overall= 44/86
Place in Division (M 30/34)= 9/10
Swim Time= 31:45
T1= 3:28
Cycle Time= 1:29:49
T2= 1:46
Run Time= 56:07
My GPS map:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/97940659
Day Before:
-We arrived in Ocean Shores around 12:00. We went to the park to check out the swim course. We had the opportunity to watch a boat run over a swim bouy and drag it halfway across the lake. I guess they didn't see the big orange thing in the water.
-We then drove the bike course just so I had an idea of how it was.
-We then went out to the beach and had some fun with the parents and the kids. It was a beautiful sunny day and a great day out at the water.
Event Check-in:
My wife, 2 children and I were staying with my parents at their home in Ocean Shores. We opted out of the Carb-load dinner as a parent can never know what to expect from their 4 year old and 2 year old in an environment like that. We instead ate at my parents house. (I had a nice big salmon lasagne. yum). After Dinner, my wife and I headed up to Quinault Casino for event check-in. We followed the signs back, walked in the room, picked up my packet, got my t-shirt, got my body marked, and we were done. I was expecting to be there for quite some time...but the whole process took about 2 minutes. Very quick.
Pre-Race:
I got to the park about 6:10. Ate a banana, a powerbar and drank some water. It was very well organized as there were assigned locations in the transition areas. I relaxed and began setting up. It was a beautiful sunny morning so I took a walk with God and looked at everything from afar. I don't think I really thought about the event at all. I was only thinking about the moment I was in. I used the porta-potty a few times.
-They started the First event (Half Ironman) a little late because of the buoy issue on the lake. There were quite a few drifting buoys that needed to get taken care of.
-I watched the half-ironman start and then decided to start putting on my wetsuit. That is when the pre-race jitters started to pour in. I pretty much zoned out after this point and just started doing what I was told to do.
- I saw that the water was 59 degrees, so I figured I should get in to cool down my core and get the wetsuit adjustment figured out. I was nervous that it was sub-60, however it didn't feel any more cold than what I have been training in for the past month so it wasn't that bad.
Swim:
-It was a floating start. As soon as I heard the horn, I got my face in the water and started. It was incredibly difficult for the first 700 meters. I was not able to get into a breathing rhythm, I wasn't able to get into a stroke rhythm. For some reason, no matter how far I turned my head to get a breath, I was getting water up my nose that would drain down into my sinus' and I would drink. My tracking was quite a bit off. At about 200m, I realized, "This is it...this is what I have been training for...This is going to be a LOOONG day!". All of the thoughts of doubt started to enter my head...But I just kept going. It started to thin out after about 400m but I was still swimming with a couple of other people. One of them kept swimming sideways into me. He hit me in the back of the head and dunked me twice. I figured that he was just having a harder time tracking than I was. I stopped for a moment to let him pass...but I did consider climbing onto his back and ripping his goggles off.
-The turnaround buoy seemed so far away. I have done the distance several times in the past but my adrenaline was so high that I was burning myself out and couldn't calm down. I just kept pounding through the water, trying to get into a routine.
-As soon as I turned the buoy, something happened. The water was calm, I was calm, and I was able to focus on my stroke and my breathing. It is about this time that I started to really feel the water pushing by my ears which means I was going at a good pace. I knew that I was on my way back and I just needed to watch where I was going.
I think I am right behind the tan guy.
7th buoy was the turn-around for the olympic
How bad does a person feel in this moment? Lay down, Put your head underwater, and shake it back and forth for 30 minutes....Then Stand up and run the length of a football field.
T1:
-I knew this wasn't a race that would be won or lost in the transition area for me. Since I knew that I needed to articulate my fingers to put on my shoes and socks, I decided it would be smart to just sit down and take that breather before getting on the bike. I got to get down and say "hi" to the kids. The moment I unracked my bike, I thought to myself "25 miles...are you really ready?"....I took a quick breath and told myself, "Suck it up and get on that bike. The clock doesn't care if you're ready or not."
Bike Ride:
-Biking is my weak leg. In training, I have needed to take 1 tube of perpetuem solids, 2 Hammer Gu packs, and a clif bar for enough nutrition to have enough energy to continue past the 25 miles. I had a plan to keep a Solid in my cheek while taking the other nutrition every 6 miles. This should leave me enough energy to make it all the way and run a 10k.
-I felt pretty sick after the swim. At the time, I didn't know why. After recovery, I figure that it is because I drank a LOT of lake water (which isn't clean) and probably became over-hydrated from it. You'll see why quite soon. Too bad I couldn't see it at the time. I rode about a mile and a half and remembered my garmin. I need it to prevent heart-rate spikes and to see what my speed/distance are. I started recording, then working on putting it on my wrist. It took me about a half mile to get it onto my wrist...but once it was there, I could see everything.
-I got to mile 6. Even though I wasn't hungry, I knew it was time to take a gel for nutrition. I tore open the package, squeezed it into my mouth and worked on swallowing it. It stayed in my stomache for about 1 second before my stomache revolted. Completely unprepared and unexpected, I threw up a great deal of lake water all over my handlebars, hands and knees. My whole nutrition plan just went right out the window. It's time to improvise.
-I am sure glad I moved my Garmin, and I'm glad I carry a water bottle.
-I really had to go to the bathroom. There are porta-potties at the Jetty (mile 9), so I stopped to go to the bathroom there.
-The wind was blowing south, so going up the west shore to the turnaround was a real task. I was really happy to see the turnaround. Going south, I passed a few people and really had to go to the bathroom again. So I stopped at the Jetty.
-All in all, I think I ate 4 Solids on the ride as it was all that my stomache could handle.
-It was a beautiful ride. Ocean shores is so beautiful once you get out of the center of town and out into the neighborhoods.
T2:
I dismounted my bike and took off my riding shoes. I had a change of socks for the run but didn't need them. I put on my running shoes and stood up. I had a moment thought of "You can stop right now...you already did a lot.", and then a second thought of "Dude...Let's go for a run on the beach!" so I headed out of transition. I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN! I stopped at the athlete porta-potties. There was another person in front of me, and the potties were full. I waited for about 15 seconds and remembered there is one somewhere on course...I got impatient and began my run.
Run:
-My stomach was still horribly upset from the situation on the bike ride, and I really had to go to the bathroom. I knew I just needed to go until the next porta-potty which was about .75 miles out. It was a beautiful run course: It went through a golf-course, over a bridge, and out onto the main road. This portion was awesome. I stopped in the porta-potty and continued. At the 5k turnaround, I grabbed some water and Heed energy drink. I promptly poured the Heed Energy drink over my head as I took a sip of water. Yeah. You read that right. Let me tell you about how sticky a person becomes after they are covered with Heed. The rashes that are still in my armpits will also attest to it.
-This was the first time that I had used "something" to cool my head down...and it really worked. It made me feel more relaxed and I was able to take longer strides. I decided that since I couldn't drink, I should continue doing that at future stations.
-The Beach. The day before the race, we went to the beach. The sand was really loose and soft until you got down to the tide. We laughed about the possibility of the race being like that. It turns out, the race did use the exact beach enterance that we were joking about. The first .2 miles of the beach run were really difficult. Not only was it deep sand, but it would roll your foot all around. It wasn't comfortable to run in or walk in. It was just doom. Once we got down near the tide, it was perfect. The ocean was on one side, the beach on the other. Other than the sound of the waves and the occassional seagul, it was silent. I had one of those moments of "This makes all of the pain worth it."
-Unfortunately, the Olympic turnaround was back up in the soft sand. So we had to run back up into the sand of doom, around a turn-around, and back down out of the sand of doom to the tide again. That part was pretty miserable...and then...the beach again. sigh. At this point, My stomach started feeling better and I felt like I could shake off the shackles of what I was dealing with...except I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN.
-After returning to the road ways, the race went pretty quick. I hurt really bad, I wanted to stop, but I kept going and I think it fueled me even more. Back over the bridge, back through the golf course, and then I saw all of the cones towards the transition area. We were done.
-I was going to stop to see the kids, but my body just kept on going. I really didn't have any will power to slow down or stop or anything...I just wanted to get through that finish chute and be done.
After the race went quick. Got some banana, pretzel, and pbj. I skipped the pancakes and sausage since my stomach was still in recovery. I calmed down and relaxed...got my stuff and off for a nap.
What did I do wrong:
-Not recognizing over-hydration from lake water. I should not have continued eating the perpetuem solids and drinking water on my bike even though I "needed" calories. I need to listen to my body and let it be locked down even when I think it shouldn't be. This tore me up on the run.
-I poured HEED on my head as I drank water. Next time I will verify what is in the cups.
What I did right:
-I feel like my training was spot on. I was able to make my goal time (2 minutes off) and I had enough energy and will power to get me through the whole race.
-My gear was spot on. I don't feel like I have spent a single unnecessary penny (aside from the clif bar I didn't eat), but after it was all over I didn't have any complaints about my gear. No sore butt, No sore feet, no hypothermia. Everything was great.
Second off: The pictures in this post were taken from my number 1 support crew...my wife. She has put up with my "I need a new bike" and "I need new shoes" and "I need a GPS" and everything else. She has been patient and most of all, supportive. I think that is everything that a man needs. A lot of the pictures are of me. It is not because I love myself, but it is because they are what they are.
Third off: Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped with this effort. Everytime somebody told me to turn, I had to thank them. Every time there was a little boy handing out water, I had to thank them. They don't get much out of the event, but they are standing at intersections making sure we know what to do. I appreciate their work and I hope that they get the appreciation they deserve.
This post is my experience with the Ocean Shores big weekend.
*note: pictures of a skinny guy in triathlon gear ahead.
My Goal:
#1 - Complete the race
#2 - Aim for a 3:00:00 time: 30 minute swim, 1:30 ride, 1 hour run.
Race Results:
http://www.accustatsportstiming.com/results3.asp?ei=94
Overall Time= 3:02:54
Place overall= 44/86
Place in Division (M 30/34)= 9/10
Swim Time= 31:45
T1= 3:28
Cycle Time= 1:29:49
T2= 1:46
Run Time= 56:07
My GPS map:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/97940659
Day Before:
-We arrived in Ocean Shores around 12:00. We went to the park to check out the swim course. We had the opportunity to watch a boat run over a swim bouy and drag it halfway across the lake. I guess they didn't see the big orange thing in the water.
-We then drove the bike course just so I had an idea of how it was.
-We then went out to the beach and had some fun with the parents and the kids. It was a beautiful sunny day and a great day out at the water.
Event Check-in:
My wife, 2 children and I were staying with my parents at their home in Ocean Shores. We opted out of the Carb-load dinner as a parent can never know what to expect from their 4 year old and 2 year old in an environment like that. We instead ate at my parents house. (I had a nice big salmon lasagne. yum). After Dinner, my wife and I headed up to Quinault Casino for event check-in. We followed the signs back, walked in the room, picked up my packet, got my t-shirt, got my body marked, and we were done. I was expecting to be there for quite some time...but the whole process took about 2 minutes. Very quick.
Pre-Race:
I got to the park about 6:10. Ate a banana, a powerbar and drank some water. It was very well organized as there were assigned locations in the transition areas. I relaxed and began setting up. It was a beautiful sunny morning so I took a walk with God and looked at everything from afar. I don't think I really thought about the event at all. I was only thinking about the moment I was in. I used the porta-potty a few times.
-They started the First event (Half Ironman) a little late because of the buoy issue on the lake. There were quite a few drifting buoys that needed to get taken care of.
-I watched the half-ironman start and then decided to start putting on my wetsuit. That is when the pre-race jitters started to pour in. I pretty much zoned out after this point and just started doing what I was told to do.
Swim:
-It was a floating start. As soon as I heard the horn, I got my face in the water and started. It was incredibly difficult for the first 700 meters. I was not able to get into a breathing rhythm, I wasn't able to get into a stroke rhythm. For some reason, no matter how far I turned my head to get a breath, I was getting water up my nose that would drain down into my sinus' and I would drink. My tracking was quite a bit off. At about 200m, I realized, "This is it...this is what I have been training for...This is going to be a LOOONG day!". All of the thoughts of doubt started to enter my head...But I just kept going. It started to thin out after about 400m but I was still swimming with a couple of other people. One of them kept swimming sideways into me. He hit me in the back of the head and dunked me twice. I figured that he was just having a harder time tracking than I was. I stopped for a moment to let him pass...but I did consider climbing onto his back and ripping his goggles off.
-The turnaround buoy seemed so far away. I have done the distance several times in the past but my adrenaline was so high that I was burning myself out and couldn't calm down. I just kept pounding through the water, trying to get into a routine.
-As soon as I turned the buoy, something happened. The water was calm, I was calm, and I was able to focus on my stroke and my breathing. It is about this time that I started to really feel the water pushing by my ears which means I was going at a good pace. I knew that I was on my way back and I just needed to watch where I was going.
T1:
-I knew this wasn't a race that would be won or lost in the transition area for me. Since I knew that I needed to articulate my fingers to put on my shoes and socks, I decided it would be smart to just sit down and take that breather before getting on the bike. I got to get down and say "hi" to the kids. The moment I unracked my bike, I thought to myself "25 miles...are you really ready?"....I took a quick breath and told myself, "Suck it up and get on that bike. The clock doesn't care if you're ready or not."
Bike Ride:
-Biking is my weak leg. In training, I have needed to take 1 tube of perpetuem solids, 2 Hammer Gu packs, and a clif bar for enough nutrition to have enough energy to continue past the 25 miles. I had a plan to keep a Solid in my cheek while taking the other nutrition every 6 miles. This should leave me enough energy to make it all the way and run a 10k.
-I felt pretty sick after the swim. At the time, I didn't know why. After recovery, I figure that it is because I drank a LOT of lake water (which isn't clean) and probably became over-hydrated from it. You'll see why quite soon. Too bad I couldn't see it at the time. I rode about a mile and a half and remembered my garmin. I need it to prevent heart-rate spikes and to see what my speed/distance are. I started recording, then working on putting it on my wrist. It took me about a half mile to get it onto my wrist...but once it was there, I could see everything.
-I got to mile 6. Even though I wasn't hungry, I knew it was time to take a gel for nutrition. I tore open the package, squeezed it into my mouth and worked on swallowing it. It stayed in my stomache for about 1 second before my stomache revolted. Completely unprepared and unexpected, I threw up a great deal of lake water all over my handlebars, hands and knees. My whole nutrition plan just went right out the window. It's time to improvise.
-I am sure glad I moved my Garmin, and I'm glad I carry a water bottle.
-I really had to go to the bathroom. There are porta-potties at the Jetty (mile 9), so I stopped to go to the bathroom there.
-The wind was blowing south, so going up the west shore to the turnaround was a real task. I was really happy to see the turnaround. Going south, I passed a few people and really had to go to the bathroom again. So I stopped at the Jetty.
-All in all, I think I ate 4 Solids on the ride as it was all that my stomache could handle.
-It was a beautiful ride. Ocean shores is so beautiful once you get out of the center of town and out into the neighborhoods.
T2:
I dismounted my bike and took off my riding shoes. I had a change of socks for the run but didn't need them. I put on my running shoes and stood up. I had a moment thought of "You can stop right now...you already did a lot.", and then a second thought of "Dude...Let's go for a run on the beach!" so I headed out of transition. I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN! I stopped at the athlete porta-potties. There was another person in front of me, and the potties were full. I waited for about 15 seconds and remembered there is one somewhere on course...I got impatient and began my run.
Run:
-My stomach was still horribly upset from the situation on the bike ride, and I really had to go to the bathroom. I knew I just needed to go until the next porta-potty which was about .75 miles out. It was a beautiful run course: It went through a golf-course, over a bridge, and out onto the main road. This portion was awesome. I stopped in the porta-potty and continued. At the 5k turnaround, I grabbed some water and Heed energy drink. I promptly poured the Heed Energy drink over my head as I took a sip of water. Yeah. You read that right. Let me tell you about how sticky a person becomes after they are covered with Heed. The rashes that are still in my armpits will also attest to it.
-This was the first time that I had used "something" to cool my head down...and it really worked. It made me feel more relaxed and I was able to take longer strides. I decided that since I couldn't drink, I should continue doing that at future stations.
-The Beach. The day before the race, we went to the beach. The sand was really loose and soft until you got down to the tide. We laughed about the possibility of the race being like that. It turns out, the race did use the exact beach enterance that we were joking about. The first .2 miles of the beach run were really difficult. Not only was it deep sand, but it would roll your foot all around. It wasn't comfortable to run in or walk in. It was just doom. Once we got down near the tide, it was perfect. The ocean was on one side, the beach on the other. Other than the sound of the waves and the occassional seagul, it was silent. I had one of those moments of "This makes all of the pain worth it."
-Unfortunately, the Olympic turnaround was back up in the soft sand. So we had to run back up into the sand of doom, around a turn-around, and back down out of the sand of doom to the tide again. That part was pretty miserable...and then...the beach again. sigh. At this point, My stomach started feeling better and I felt like I could shake off the shackles of what I was dealing with...except I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN.
-After returning to the road ways, the race went pretty quick. I hurt really bad, I wanted to stop, but I kept going and I think it fueled me even more. Back over the bridge, back through the golf course, and then I saw all of the cones towards the transition area. We were done.
-I was going to stop to see the kids, but my body just kept on going. I really didn't have any will power to slow down or stop or anything...I just wanted to get through that finish chute and be done.
After the race went quick. Got some banana, pretzel, and pbj. I skipped the pancakes and sausage since my stomach was still in recovery. I calmed down and relaxed...got my stuff and off for a nap.
What did I do wrong:
-Not recognizing over-hydration from lake water. I should not have continued eating the perpetuem solids and drinking water on my bike even though I "needed" calories. I need to listen to my body and let it be locked down even when I think it shouldn't be. This tore me up on the run.
-I poured HEED on my head as I drank water. Next time I will verify what is in the cups.
What I did right:
-I feel like my training was spot on. I was able to make my goal time (2 minutes off) and I had enough energy and will power to get me through the whole race.
-My gear was spot on. I don't feel like I have spent a single unnecessary penny (aside from the clif bar I didn't eat), but after it was all over I didn't have any complaints about my gear. No sore butt, No sore feet, no hypothermia. Everything was great.
Most of my family is found in this video:
So happy to be able to support you! You did a great job.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I participated in the sprint distance last year. We signed up again this year but we were not able to make it. My aunt and her man competed in our stead. She really enjoyed the event and did very well, as did her boyfriend. I am happy to hear the event was improved upon. I was a little disappointed in some elements last year. Thanks for the post! And good job on your race!
ReplyDeleteBarbara