Pine Bush Triathlon - July 13, 2008
325 yard swim, 11.5 bike, 3.25 mile run
First event that I competed in. Very well organized and fun to compete in. Course was pretty easy (in hindsight)...nice swim, fairly flat bike & run courses. The biggest disappointment was that the transition splits were not broken out. I will look forward to competing in this event again...especially since it benefits the YMCA and they emphasize local cops & firefighter competitors.
Crystal Lake Triathlon - August 23, 2008
0.5 mi swim, 18.0 mi bike, 3.0 mi run
(swim was actually 0.6 mi)
Course was difficult, but fun. The event was super organized and the volunteers were very helpful. The bike course was super hilly and the run course was also pretty tough. The DJ was a nice touch and it was nice to hear the music from across the lake...it made me feel as though I was getting close. Without a clear beneficiary...outside of the Capital District Tri Club...I think the entrance fee was a bit high ($85 w/ one day US Tri membership).
SBR Triathlon Series: Race #1 - June 13, 2009
0.5 mi swim, 16.0 mi bike, 3.1 mi run
It was nice to get back at it...though I was pretty nervous pulling into the parking lot and seeing all of the tri-bikes. This was the first race that I wore my wetsuit...though I'm not really sure that I needed it. I think I am going to try to rent a sleeveless suit for the next one to see if I like that much better. The overall course was fairly difficult. The bike course started with a slow incline that gradually led to an awesome 2-3 mile twisty, downhill that ultimately would be my favorite part of the course. I started out pretty hesitant on the downhill, afraid to get too fast for fear of flying off the front again. Once I got my nerves under control I let as loose as I could as was hitting 30-35 around the twists and turns...I forgot how great that feels. The run course was a mile and a half out and back trail run which was nice as well. I was disappointed that I didn't get a t-shirt and feel the $80 entry fee was a little high with lack of any entertainment or anything to keep folks around after the race. In the end I'm glad that I did it and I met my goal of finishing under 2 hours (barely, but it still counts). I'm starting to see why people say that these things are so addictive...I'm already looking at bumping the scheduled 3 races to 6...maybe more, hopefully with an Olympic at the end of the summer.
Pine Bush Triathlon - July 12, 2009
325 yard swim, 11.5 bike, 3.25 mile run
This was the second year that I competed and I was much more prepared this time. The event is still very well organized and so much fun to compete in. Course was pretty easy compared to the others I've done...nice swim (except for all the stinkin' seaweed this year), fairly flat bike & run courses. The biggest disappointment this year was that I missed my mark by only 26 seconds (1:15:26). Caroline ran this one with me and she finished very strong...I'm very impressed with her showing. I am already looking forward to competing again next year!!
Triathlon/Duathlon for Autism - Presented by Belmar, Lake Como & Spring Lake - August 2, 2009 1/4 mile swim, 11.5 bike, 3.1 mile run
This was the first year that they have run this race, so I wasn't all too sure what to expect. I was just excited to take part in my first ocean swim. I set my sights on 1:20 going into the race and finished just under...about 4 seconds under. So I am happy with my time...I seem to improve pretty well race over race. I probably could have done a little bit better had I not developed two blisters on the insole of my right foot. The one thing that I didn't like was the bike course...it was composed of 3 loops, which just made for too much traffic in some areas. Other than that I would say it was a very good first go and I would definitely think about coming back next year.
DQ Triathlon at King' Grant - August 9, 2009
1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
First TOP 100 Finish!!
This was my second race organized by DQ Events and I was not all that impressed for a second straight week. The morning started with a lovely drive in a downpour to the race site, which was only about 20 minutes from the hotel I chose to stay at. Once I arrived at the race site, I realized that there was not designated race parking and, as such, was directed to park on the side of the road...about 1/2 mile out from the transition area. When I finally got to packet pick up, I was told that although I had registered (and paid) for a size medium t-shirt there were only large and XL left. I was not happy about this since I like wearing my race tees and a large is just too big for me.
The race finally started in the pouring rain (almost on time this week) with a standing start in the lake. The water was shallow enough that we were able to stand in the water while the horn blew. The lake was so murky that you couldn't see an inch and a half in front of your own face. This made it very difficult as many folks ended up zig-zagging across the pack they were with. After the swim came the 10 mile bike, which was flat and as fast as it could be washed over with the rain. Finally came the run...which started out well, but quickly became tricky as they never altered the route to take into account the torrential rain. The run route made a very brief pass through a neighborhood en route to an off-road trail. With all of the rain the off road trail became flooded and we ended up having to navigate huge puddles, when possible, or just simply running through them. I ended up finishing the race in a time of 1:10:20.
I had my whole training regimen worked out and I did pretty good at following it...until I hit vacation time at the end of August. I was swimming and running pretty regularly and was even biking in my apartment when I could. My training schedule fell apart when I cam back home for Travers and labor day. The most I did was run 3 miles (once) and ride 30 miles (once). I did run last week once in preparation...but I certainly wouldn't say that I was in tip-top shape.
Well, race morning came and I was up and at 'em early as could be...about 5am or so. It was a lovely 40 degrees outside and still dark. I had a little bit to eat, got my stuff in the car and we were off...yep, Caroline made the trek with me bright and early.
By the time 8:30 rolled around, which was race time, it was up to probably 45 degrees or so and the lake temp was just shy of 70 degrees. I was in for a cold one and I knew it. It was so cold that I didn't want to get into the water until I absolutely had to...so I stood at the back of the pack while everyone else took off. The swim was...well, the swim. It was fairly easy for me, though my time wasn't as fast as I would have liked. The water was really choppy and they had us swimming against the current...both ways. Fun...but not really.
Then came the bike. I got out of the water, adrenaline pumping, and
then I realized how incredibly cold it was. I started to shiver, which
made it tough to get my socks, shoes, helmet & gloves on. I
managed...finally...and was off on the bike. I felt pretty
good...accept for the occasional shivers as I dried off. At about mile
9 or 10 it became extraordinarily hard to pedal my bike and I felt like
I was lugging a million pounds behind me. I kept hearing a funny
whirring sound, but I didn't want to stop to check it out, so I
continued on. Well...come to find out, I rode the final 15 or so miles
with a flat tire. Yep...completely flat. So that million pounds I felt
like I was tugging along...it was just me and the back half of my bike.
The course was tough...not gonna lie. There were plenty of fairly steep
hills that made me want to get off and walk (I'm sure the flat didn't
help here). It was pretty scenic as well...would be nice for a nature
ride when the leaves change...in a car!
When I finally got in from the bike there were already folks finishing. It was a real-deal race, so I wasn't surprised. I was off on the run. Nothing too special here...some little hills here and there but a nice run course around the Village. The first loop was a little tough, but once the determination kicked in, I was able to kick it up a notch or three and finished strong. I was probably averaging about a 10 minute mile (or a little more) for the first loop and probably got that down to about 8 1/2 or so for the final 3 miles. I was happy with that performance...especially since I didn't stop to walk at all as so many others did.
All-in-all I had a blast. The race was so well organized and the folks at the Adirondack Tri Club put on an awesome time. The MC of the day did a great job keeping everyone in the loop...whether it was keeping us in check before the race started or announcing everyone as we crossed the finish line, he was on point. The atmosphere was great after the race as well. It was nice to see that so many people stuck around after the race to hang out and enjoy the food and music.
I finished in 3:17 and change. I will update once the results are posted...
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