Silverlake Sprint Recap.

What a great day so let's get to it.

First off the distance's were 400 m S/10m B/5k R. Arriving early enough to see the after hours partyers heading home I met JD at the parking lot where we had to park. Once getting situated we got all our stuff, hopped on our bikes (helmets on) and headed for the race site, it was about 2 1/2 miles away as they stated this in the packet pickup.

Go through body marking, #472, bike check, basically end caps in handle bars and break check.

Then it's on to transition to rack the bike, get a few things set up and then get in chip timing line. Then for some crazy reason I started coughing, and coughing and couldn't stop till about race start. Didn't cough anymore after that. Then came decision time, to wet suit or not to wet suit. The water temp was measured at 75* and by appearance most were not using wet suits but being as I had mine I decided I was going to use to to practice in/out for next weeks tri, JD did the same as did some of the TNT'ers.

We got into the water for a little warm up and really the water seemed warmer than they said and several other's were asking if they needed it but a quick not really, I was using it more for practice for another tri. Again, the majority went without.

So after getting out and crowd mingling I ran into Daniel who is a fellow doc with us and he was ready for his first triathlon and starting in the first wave! After a short rules summary it was time and the gun went off for the first wave.

Swim:

Our wave was the 3rd to enter and I quickly moved to the far right of everybody else. The swim pattern was a rectangle with the buoys staying on your right shoulder, Great, b/c I'm a right sided breather. The gun goes off and like a huge school of hump back whales the Clydesdale's are off. Staying to the right presented 2 situations: 1) I had no body in front of me or next to me as the ones that were to the left and right at the start I dropped in short time, but 2) being as I was to the right of the main pack I really caught the waves! After making the two right turns it was heading home time down the straight and reaching the exit in 8:50.

T1: I quickly pulled my wet suit string and had it down to my waist before I hit the timing mat. Transition was fairly close to the swim exit as was my bike position. I see JD changing out and after getting the suit off, sitting down, drying my feet, putting socks on it's go time, 2:01.

Bike: It took like forever to get clipped in as I struggled with this and it started to piss me off but I relaxed and got it going. JD was in front of me on the way out of T2 but by the time I got clipped in he was way ahead. I took a few drinks and realized I was totally out of breath, I looked at my HR and it was reading 170! Yikes! I worked on breathing and just staying clam but my HR really only came down to 163 but then I started to crank it when I saw JD on a out-back part of the course and wanted to catch him, besides it was only 1o miles so I had to, right?

Fine, if HR was gonna play in the 170's it was going to have to work for and holding 19 mph was where it was at. I continued to drink and even passed a few people. Finally, with the last 2 miles I caught JD and rode behind him till we got to bike dismount, time 31:31.

T2: Helmet off, bike shoes off, running shoes on, grap sunglasses and race belt and out da T2, time 1:17.

Run: As we started to run JD had his Garmin 305 and it said we were running a 10:20 pace and my HR was 167, I told him slow just a little and see where it goes. After the first 1 mile I was running at 162 but legs were feeling it from the bike. After a quick stop at an aid station which was at mile 2 I noticed JD was about 50 yards ahead and so I had to reel him back in. I caught him with about 1/2 mile to go and we finished out. Great race photo finish. Run time = 31:08.

Overall, it was a blast even though I went too fast on the bike, which, I will not be able to do during the Oly race. Learning was the key as I wore a singlet under my wet suit and didn't really like the feeling as it pulled on my left underarm even though I didn't really notice it during the actual swim and more during warm up but I think swimming 1500 and it will become annoying so I will go without it and put it on in transition so my time there might be a little slower.

Rest time now and get some food, wait, some more food and water, I feel a little dehydrated.

Great job to JD and Daniel his first, for knocking it out and having a blast too!

rockon`