Spudman 2/3 Triathlon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 8; 17th Edition 
1 mile skied, 2750 meters swam, 48 miles biked and 250.7 miles run in 2013 races
Race Spudman Triathlon
Place: Burley, ID
Miles from home: 500 miles
Weather: 60-80s; Sunny; Rainy; Weird

I hear people mistakenly refer to 70.3 Triathlons as "half triathlons."  I have joked that unless you stopped halfway through the bike, there is no "half triathlon." Well, last Saturday I did a 2/3 triathlon.

I was asked to join one of the largest Olympic Distance triathlons in the country as a keynote speaker at the Spudman Triathlon many months ago.  As the course really highlighted my strengths, I was happy to take part.  If you have read any of my recaps as of late you know part of the story.  A bad case of staph infection interrupted my racing and training and everything in 2013 has either been canceled, pushed back or, well, changed. Spudman was no different.

I fully intended to take on the entire triathlon in spite of knowing that it would be far from my best effort. I have literally rode my bike outside 3 times since September (all in races) and I am pretty sure that you should train more than that. However, I was approached by the gentleman responsible for me coming to Burley, Mike Tilley who said he was curious if I would be interested in doing a relay.  I would swim, he would bike and I would run.  It took me about 7 nanoseconds to agree to this idea.  Besides removing the one leg I do not like at all, doing a triathlon relay would allow me to be racing for someone other than just myself.  I love combining efforts with other like-minded athletes in racing.  There is something about knowing that others are waiting for you or depending on your efforts that make you pick it up a notch.

Unfortunately, this meant I wouldn't be racing against Mike who I had just squeaked by in last year's Vikingman.  I think he was looking for revenge. Also, I wouldn't be facing my buddy Chris (who I affectionately call Vanilla Bear) for the first time as a competitor.  These were both bummers but we make do. As it turns out, a late arrival and then a subsequent forgetting of his timing chip slowed Vanilla Bear down greatly and it would not have bee a fair fight. So we will have to clash again someday soon.

As I made the long drive from Portland to Burley (roughly 8 hours driving quickly and stopping only to fuel up) I was happy to be doing the relay.  While my time spent in the water this year was barely more than my time on the bike, I know I can always fall back on good swimming genes. That alone will allow me to at least put on a good show. When someone jokingly said they were bringing in a ringer, I said perhaps - if the 10k was turning into a 100k. Dane ain’t got no wheels when it comes to the short stuff.

The day prior to the race was an outdoor packet pickup with a few vendors and myself. I was seeing lots of my Utah and Idaho friends and meeting lots of new ones. I then had the unique pleasure of being the first speaker the Spudman ever had. On top of that, I was talking to a bunch of athletes who were munching on their dinner, on picnic tables, in the round.  It was definitely a different feeling. However, I at least had a few people stick around for the whole speech and those that did had some very kind words.  Even the next day and since then I have had people tell me some really nice things about my speech. It often evokes them to share their own story which is one of the main reasons I do this.  The other is all the money I make. Oodles and oodles of money.  Flush with cash. Just rolling in it.

After the event was over and I signed a few more books, Mike and his family and friends took me out on the river we would be swimming in the next day.  Having done this race multiple times Mike was able to give me the home field advantage of knowing where to swim in the river and how.  The Spudman is known for sometimes having otherworldly times in the swim because of the downstream swim portion.  It all really depends on how swift the current is and in reality it helps less talented swimmers more than it does those who are strong, but in either regard I was excited.

Race Morning:

I have often written about how I personally dislike wave starts for a triathlon because you often have no idea who you are really racing.  However, one of the good parts of having all the relay teams start together at the end was, if I held my own in the swim, I would more or less know what position we were in when Mike got off the bike.  I did notice that it was going to be a little difficult to get from the end of the swim back to the transition from bike to run but I would somehow make it happen.

As wave after wave of swimmers cruised down the Snake River, I tried to put together the knowledge Mike gave me with what I was seeing from the swimmers.  I felt even completely untrained for this I could at least give him a decent start.

Before too long it was time to get into the water.  All morning long whenever each wave would enter the river the announcer would have to tell the swimmers to keep moving back. The “running start” so to speak from the current had swimmers inching more and more downstream.  I have seen that from triathletes in a glass-like pond.  You can only imagine what it was like here.  I swear one wave was a solid 30 yards downstream when the siren went off!

The water was a perfect temperature and a wetsuit would not have been needed by anyone really. But if it is legal, well, I am using it.  I am also eventually going to invest in a half decent one that doesn’t destroy my neck.  Only Body Glide is keeping me from not needing a graft after every swim.  I knew however that my time in the water would be decreased exponentially on this day and hoped to get out with just some second degree burns.

Swim:

Swim-wise there is not much to say.  About 100 meters in I could tell I would be chafing my neck from the wetsuit and wanted to minimalize that.  I could tell I was leading most of the swimmers but the effort felt fitful and chunky.  I had been told to expect to finish far faster than I had any reason to expect but I was still trying to conserve a little energy for the second half. Suddenly, I noticed I probably only had about two minutes of swimming left.  A little angry I had left too much in the tank, I took off. I only saw one swimmer in front of me get out of the water but the results seem to show there was another one.  Or, at least, he crossed the timing mat before I did which may have happened.  All told, to swim a 1500 meter in right around 15 minutes, which is just a ridiculously fast time. With virtually no time spent in the water the past few months, my finish made me more than happy.  I handed the timing chip to Mike and
away he went.

I had made some new friends the previous day who were also staying with Mike.  Merrell and Kim were vising from Boise with Merrell participating in the bike leg of the tri and Kim being a great spectator.  Kim also was my chauffeur entrusted with getting me back to the start of the swim. This was far easier said than done because of road closures, cyclists and whatnot.  However, she got me as close as allowed and I hightailed it (in full wetsuit) about another quarter of a mile before realizing I had plenty of time to get ready for the run.

I changed into regular running gear (I felt no need to wear tri gear since I was not coming off of a bike) and readied myself for Mike to arrive. Meanwhile, the elite finishers were already pulling into the finish. Speedy, speedy.  When all was said and done I have a feeling I could have placed in the top 5 if I had been in shape and those gents were all in the “elite” category.  Blast.

Before too long I saw Mike coming at me in an usual manner.  His tire was off his bike and his bike was on his shoulder.  He handed me the timing chip and told me we had to DQ.  But go get ‘em!  I would later learn another cyclist had run into this back wheel breaking his derailleur. About two miles from the finish he tried to sift and it came right off.  Fortunately, no one was hurt or even fell down but he was done. He caught a ride back to the finish and handed the chip to me.  Of course, I only learned that later. As for now, I had a 10k to run.

Run

I won’t say that I slowed some knowing my effort was all for naught but I definitely slowed some knowing my effort was all for naught. Even though I wanted to give my all, knowing that no matter what happened the race (with regards to finishing time) wouldn’t technically exist took a little wind out of my sails.
The run itself was, let’s say “interesting”. Starting with a big uphill, I knew I was in for a doozy of a run as nearly 3000 people were already in front of me. A great deal of the race would be contested on some narrower roadways and some dirt paths which were fine for people of like abilities slowly jockeying for position. For relay runners like myself, however, they left a little to be desired.  Doing my absolute best to pass as quickly as possible while also allowing those in front of me enjoy the course they also paid for and had a right to run at their own pace (while silently cursing the 2-to-3-abreasters) I began picking off people in large amounts.  My time might not count but I wanted to give all I could nonetheless. Mike’s adventure with the bike had allowed him to catch a ride back to the exchange but he had gotten there almost exactly when he would have if not for the mishap. So, in my mind, if I could hold off any other relay team, we would technically win.

After a slightly nerve wracking parallel crossing of the road the cyclists were traversing and then a hop over some train tracks, it was a mile long dirt rutted road ahead for the runners. Here I have to stop to mention the weather. Virtually 99% of the run course is exposed to the elements. On any other race day (literally) runners will be experience warm temperatures and bright sunshine. Today, however, for the first time in Spudman history it had already drizzled a touch and was rather cool and cloudy.  This was nature’s cool twist of the already deep dagger in my side of not being able to actually compete as a solo athlete. As I raced along the dirt path and then back out onto the soft paved roads, I could only think about how wonderful this overcast weather was. Later on, just mere minutes after I would finish, the skies would open up and drench everything in the vicinity. Nearly an hour later the skies would be perfectly clear and blue and the temperature would rise by about 15 degrees.  Very odd weather day indeed.

But with a little over a mile left, I was just trying to dig deep.  As I passed triathletes some would recognize me from the talk the night before and shout a word of encouragement.  Others, who I am sure had no idea who I was would do the same.  This is what I said about the racing community in my speech the night before: so few people are actually pricks. The ones who are, well, we all know who you are. And you are welcome to go to hell. The other 99% are going to continue to be awesome.

The race ends on a screaming 100 meter downhill portion which is run parallel to the big hill you climbed up to begin.  It is a tiny little tunnel of trees and for a second feels like you are trail running.  Then you burst out onto the well-manicured grass of Riverfront Park between teeming crowds of people shouting your name.
 
I finished in a time that was a bit disappointing for me given how hard I had worked for it but such is life. (I also remembered that I now live at sea level and this event takes place around 4300 feet above that. Oh yeah!) The swim had been wonderful, the previous day’s experiences had been just as exquisite and even though my time would not count I was ecstatic that Mike had survived a brush with danger.  While I did not ride the bike portion and cannot comment on it, I think this is an excellent event for any triathlete to do. I would like to see what the run course is like without having to wade through tons of runners but I would definitely call it fair. All told, it is a well-oiled machine in its 27th year of competition and there seems to be no reason why it won’t be even better next year.

I may actually get a Spudman trophy someday.

Stayton Sprint Tri Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 8; 11th Edition 
1 mile skied, 500 meters swam, 48 miles biked and 131.7 miles run in 2013 races
Race: Stayton Sprint Tri
Place: Stayton, OR
Miles from home: 63 miles
Weather: 50s; Cloudy; Partially rainy

I signed up for this race solely because of proximity.  After many weekends away from home, I wanted to stay local. I also wanted to do a triathlon and try to kickstart what has been a slow-starting 2013. I simply haven’t been able to get on the bike or in the pool and figured the only way I would do both would be to race. So, all the tris and duas and everything in that realm would all be basically workouts. Workouts I pay for. (Kinda dumb, but hey, whatever makes you go.) For example, getting on the bike for this race would mark only the second time I had ridden my bike since September. Of last year.  That of course, in no way shape or form keeps me from illogically expecting to do far better than I should.

As the race would start in a pool, it required the swimmer to submit a time that they expected to finish their 500 meter swim in. When all was done, I found out I would be the absolute last swimmer in the absolute last heat of the day. While the race started at 8 a.m., I would start at 11:08:30 a.m. Four swimmers to each of the five lanes with me going dead last. I could tell I wasn’t going to actually enjoy much of this event at all, at least from a competitor standpoint.

In the dozen or so triathlons I have done, only one or two have been of the kind that allows all the athletes to actually be competing against everyone at the same time. I understand in small triathlons this is rarely a problem and in larger triathlons if you are good enough to matter you will be in the fastest wave. Nevertheless, it is something I will never full enjoy. For the most part, there isn't a better ways to actually do the seeding and racing of so many athletes in a confined space but that doesn’t stop me from trying to think of one. It is a complicated sport with many moving parts and I do not envy those who have to put it together, like the nice people in Stayton.

I did, however, appreciate that I would not have to be up at the crack of dawn. I would be able to sleep in a touch, lazily saunter over to the race starting area, prep my bike, get body marked, check out the course and then watch some of the swimmers in front of me. It was all rather relaxed. I tried to see how others were handling the cluster of swimmers in the pool, how they got out of the exchange area and many other things.  It was too late to change some of my basic strategy but I saw a few things which would help me in the future. Every second counts! Sooner than I expected it to go by, we were called to the pool’s edge for pre-race instructions.

I found out we would be circling swimming in each lane with ten seconds between each swimmer. I then realized that if those in my lane actually swam what they were claiming to swim, I would have roughly 5 seconds from when I started my lap before the first swimmer in each lane would be doing a flipturn and hunting me down. When it was our turn to hop in the water, I stayed out for a second to observe those in my heat. Two of them looked like they totally belonged there. The third? He didn’t look like he should be swimming at all. I could only hope that his race performance would not reflect his warm up lap.

X-Trifecta Winter Triathlon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 8; 4th Edition 
1 mile skied, 5 miles biked and 36.2 miles run in 2013 races
Race: X-Trifecta Winter Triathlon
Place: Macungie, PA
Miles from home: 2837 miles
Weather: 40s-50s; bright sunshine

Diversify. It is good to do in life and it is good to do in racing.  It is also good to have an idea what you are getting into when you do.

I took on the X-Trifecta winter triathlon this past weekend.  I did not do so lightly, per se, but I did not do so with the full knowledge needed to do well.  More accurately, I did not take on the event with the full skills needed to do well.

The X (that's what I am calling it for this recap)  is a triathlon different than virtually every other race out there.  Starting off with a ski or snowboard portion, athletes then take on a technical (pay attention to that word) mountain bike course, followed by a trail run following much of that same course. It would behoove you to actually have skied before in your life but even more so to have done some mountain biking before taking this event on.  I had done neither. Ever.

To be honest, my focus for the last few months was on a few other events, more specifically getting myself ready for a running across of Panama which got postponed. The challenging Fuego Y Agua 25k in Nicaragua left me barely enough time to recover and start to run well again before the X popped up. I knew the skiing portion would be tough and my theory was that rather than try to take a couple of lessons, it might be best to just throw myself into it and hope to make it down the hill upright.  With just 3/4 of a mile, mostly downhill, how difficult could it be? Stop laughing.

My friend Jessica, in the same boat when it came to skiing and mountain biking accompanied me to the race. Her attitude of simply just trying something new and challenging was virtually the same as mine. When we got the hotel we were both staying at to meet with the race directors, we found they were about to start putting together the packets for the race.  Not ones to idly stand by, we pitched in and had the packets thrown together in no time.  I received final instructions on where my bike, helmet, skis, poles, boots and everything else would be on race morning and began to feel for the first time I may have bitten off a little more than I was ready to chew.  No turning back now.

Race morning:

Getting to the event locale with plenty of time, I realized that while a typical triathlon requires a great deal more planning than a simple footrace, one of this nature takes even more. In addition, as the slopes of Bear Creek Mountain Resort loomed behind us, it was more than a little humbling to see 3 year olds swooshing down hills I know I would easily faceplanted upon if I tried. But before long, all the gear was in its appropriate place and it was time to put the skis on for the first time - you know, about five minutes before hurtling down a hill.

Jessica and I were seeded in the same wave of skiers and we slid across the 20 feet of snow to the chairlift to begin the ride to the top. This was interesting to say the least.  Once on the lift, we only later learned that we had not put down the safety bar to keep us from falling out. Someone might have wanted to tell us that.  As we rode to the top, we watched the people going down, jokingly saying this was going to be our ski lesson. I hoped in that brief ride I would be able to glean some semblance of wisdom to keep me upright.

When we hit the top I told Jessica we would have to do a small hop off of the chairlift seat and then slide down the small ramp. Let's just say she wasn't quite ready for this. Next thing I know, I got a ski in the back and was sent sprawling.  Poor Jessica was about to head back down the hill on the chairlift before the operator stopped it.  She unceremoniously fell off of the chair, the whole time worrying that she had hurt me.  I was completely fine but worrying the same about her.  I had landed in the snow where she had sort of slithered down some wooden stairs. While the attendants were nice enough, they seemed more annoyed than anything. I guess most people don't go up a chairlift without ever having had skis on before.  They seemed perplexed that we had never skied previously but helped us get over to the starting line. A few minutes would pass and soon it would be our time to go.