Race 25: 2012 Wildflower Mountain Bike

Date: May 5th, 2012
Distance: .25 Mile Swim, 9.7 Mile Bike, 2 Mile Run 

In 2012, I really wanted to take another shot at the long course triathlon at Wildflower, but with the stress fracture still bothering me a little, I was advised by my doctor to lay off the long runs for a while. However, he did clear me for the shorter mountain bike race that was held on the same day. With the medical blessing to compete, I would go into this race knowing that I was going to be going 100% for the entire race, with an attempt to place in the top 5 of my age group.

The swim was hectic. I placed myself near the front of my start wave, only behind the handful of national junior competitors (directly behind the Canadian junior, assuming he was better than all the Americans.) I have never swam next to, or in between highly competitive swimmers before, and for that I would be punished. The strength and unwillingness to give even an inch of space to anyone else would be overwhelming, but I would try my best to hold my ground and keep pace with those around me. Unfortunately, I would only be able to keep pace for about 150 yards before falling back and joining a group of swimmers who were more at my level. I would exit the water a little slower than I would have wanted, but still within my ideal time window for a PR, and possibly a podium finish.

I tackled the hills and off road portion of the bike course with determination to keep progressing faster than any racers around me. The downhill portions would be at speeds that would bring up past memories of crashing on my bike, but I would still press on, taking the risk (but remembering the lessons learned over the years) to try to beat 40 minutes on the bike. With out a fast bike, there would be no chance for a top 5 finish. I hit T2 in 39 minutes and 22 seconds. A good time, but not fast enough to make up for the swim. I would have to press hard on the run to have a chance.

Being in the first wave of racers, I was also one of the first few runners on the course. I would be sure to run at a strong pace, sprinting up each hill and allowing gravity and a long stride to carry me down. I was tired for sure, but I fought the urge to slow down, knowing that I only had 15 minutes to run, and I could get all the oxygen I wanted after the finish line. I wouldn't see a single competitor in my age group the whole run, which meant that if I was to get in the top 5, I had better have been in the top 5 coming off the bike. My final time would be 1 hour, 6 minutes and 38 seconds, putting me in 6th place. I missed out by less than 2 minutes. After learning of the result, I would immediately piece together things that I could have done to catch 5th place, but would quickly replace those thoughts with ones reminding that I had a great race, with a great finishing time, and that 6th place would be more than acceptable for someone who is still getting over racing with a stress fracture.

Links:

Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2013-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20120505_AVIA_Wildflower_Triathlons.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Mountain+Bike+Individual~M25-29

Race 24: 2011 Sandman Triathlon

Date: July 31, 2011
Distance: .75 Mile Swim, 13 Mile Bike, 4 Mile Run

With only a month out to my scheduled Ironman, I headed into the sandman triathlon with no goals or expectations, but just to have fun at a local event. I really just wanted to enjoy the race before the last few weeks of training. I think I should have this thought more going into future races, as this kept me very calm and collected before the race, which was a first.

The blood in my body must have been thickening over the years of doing this race, because the water did not feel that cold. Sure, it was the North Pacific Ocean after all, but I never really had that "omg, I'm gonna die" thought when first entering the water. In fact, I was able to settle right in and swim with the pack the whole way.

The bike portion was similar. I kept a pretty high pace, but still relaxed enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed at any point during the race. I had really felt like my training was paying off. Even though this was a very short race compared to what I had planned to do in less than a month, I felt like it was easy, and I was at the head of the pack of racers.

The run was an enjoyable 4 miles out and back along the beach. It was fun to pass by someone I met in the transition area, chat with them a little bit before making a hard effort back to the finish line. My final time would be 1 hour and 35 minutes and 53 seconds. Good enough for 36th place out of almost 180 racers, and I felt great afterwards, ready to do the whole race over again.

Unfortunately, that would also be the day where my 2nd workout later in the evening would reveal a pain in my right ankle. That would later turn out to be the stress fracture that would delay my Ironman race another 12 months. 

Links:

Official Website and Results: http://www.sandman-triathlon.com/

Race 23: Catfish Crawl

Date: July 23, 2011
Distance: 2.4 Mile Swim

With the longest ever open water swim ahead, I wanted to make the distance in something other than a pool before the big day. Although this was not a triathlon, it was still a necessary race and experience for me going forward into longer distance races.

I chose to wear my sleeveless wetsuit again, but this time with the lake swim it was much warmer, and getting adjusted to the water took almost no time at all. There was a small shock when the water reached my bare arms, but I settled in and did some warm up strokes before starting my two lap swim in open water.

I attempted to stay in the middle of my age group, and pushed though the kicks and the swinging arms to try to replicate what an Ironman swim would feel like to start as much as possible. It was fairly hectic, but would calm down pretty quickly with only 30 or 40 swimmers starting with me. I was able to keep a slow and steady pace though out the swim, and didn't really ever feel to tired. When I exited the water I felt a little dizzy from being horizontal for an hour and 24 minutes, but would quickly regain my balance and feel fairly ready to tackle a long bike ride later in the day.

Links:

Website: http://www.usaproductions.org/events/swim-series/catfish-crawl-southbay2
Official Results:  http://usa-productions.racemine.com/USA-Productions/events/2011/Catfish-Crawl-Open-Water-Swim/results

Race 22: San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island

Date: July 9, 2011
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

I returned once again to the place where I challenged myself with my first Olympic distance triathlon. Treasure Island. The cold salt water swim would greet me with an even more chilling experience than normal, because this time I decided to do the swim in a sleeveless wetsuit. I was given a quick reminder on how silly this would be, as I would be one of only two racers in my age group to attempt the San Francisco Bay swim with out any neoprene protecting our arms.

When I first jumped into the water, I thought maybe this sleeveless idea wasn't such a good one. Immediately my heart rate would spike, and my arms felt like they were going to fall off. I kept my calm though, and let my body adjust to its new climate that it was going to have to deal with for about 30 minutes. When the starting horn finally sounded, I would be slightly more calm then when I first jumped into the water and the fear of hypothermia was slowly fading from my mind. 

The cold water swim was a risk that I think paid off. I was able to get used to the water temperature by about a third of the way into the swim, and although my swim time didn't really improve any, I felt much more relaxed when I came out of the water. 

On the bike, I really wanted to push it again and try to match my time at Lake Almaden a month earlier, but the winding, technical course and high winds would get the best of me, and I would finish just shy of my goal with an average MPH of 19.8. 

The run would again be a little difficult with spending as much energy on the bike as I did, but I would still keep a solid pace under 8 minute miles, for a finishing time of 2:42:05. A little over 2 minutes of my goal time, but I still think I impressed my girlfriend who came to watch my first race.

Links:

Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/SF2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20110709_San_Francisco_Triathlon_Treasure_Island.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Olympic+Distance+Individual~M25-29

Race 21: Silicon Valley International Triathlon

Date: June 12, 2011
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

If you have been reading the last 20 blogs about my races to Ironman, you may have noticed a pattern. I like to do the same races year after year. Some people may get bored by this, but not me. I like the calendar I have chosen. It spaces my races apart well, and also with the different challenges each race gives me, it allows me to properly see if, and by how much, I am improving. This particular race is important for me, as it holds my personal best for the olympic distance, and I intended to improve upon that in 2011.

Me and Gary trying to look "Gangster" before the race

My swim this year was definitely not where I wanted it to be. At  almost 33 minutes, I really wish I could have shaved it down to below 30 minutes with all of my off season training. But then again, more of my training at this point was going into distance, not speed. Still, not a terrible time.

My bike on the other hand was the opposite story. I pedaled hard and constant though the entire thing. I was really working on getting a really fast 40k time on this course for a few months now, and it defiantly paid off. Even the one small climb that usually brought me down to my easiest gear in previous races seemed easy, and I posted my first 20+ MPH bike split ever with a 1:12:04. I felt great, and wanted to keep it going into the run. I could feel last years time shattering already.

The run could have been better. My legs were defiantly feeling it from such a hard effort on the bike. I wasn't pulling 7:15 splits like I did the year before, but was still able to keep it around 8 minute miles. I wish I could have gone faster, but that is the learning process. Don't leave it all out on the bike when you know your strength is the run! Either way, the 50 minute run would leave me with a time of 2:35:08, and a penalty for dropping my GU packet on the beginning of the bike would add another 2 minutes to my official time. Looking back, I know I pushed to hard on the bike, but I was still happy to have a great race, and a new PR!

Links:

Website: http://www.usaproductions.org/events/triathlon-series/tri-svot
Official Results: http://usa-productions.racemine.com/USA-Productions/events/2011/20th-Annual-Silicon-Valley-International-Triathlon/results

Race 20: 2011 Wildflower Long Course

Date: April 30th 2011
Distance: 1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, 13.1 Mile Run

Starting off the season at wildflower was a tradition, but attacking the long course was something that was new for me. I took on the challenge of a half Ironman the year before, but this race is known as one of the hardest half Ironman races in the US. This race was going to be a challenge, but I was training all winter with this race in mind. Before the race I felt in the best shape I've been in for a race, and was eager to get started.

The swim start was hectic. The boat ramp was a little crowded with our age group going into the water, but by the first 250 yards, the field started to spread out and I was able to go at my own pace. I didn't push very hard as I knew the hilly bike ride was up next and came out of the water in 45 minutes.

The bike ride was known for being very challenging. During the winter, I trained for a hilly course, but nothing like this. Early into the race was a very steep 1 mile climb, followed by rolling hills for many miles. When the course finally did turn flat, it was into a heavy wind. When that nightmare was over, the course took another long, steep climb that seemed to take ages to finish, and when it did, my legs were shot. Every hill that came in the next 16 miles to the finish I cursed.

The run, which again was covered with hills, was very hard. I was already spent, and within the first mile caused my run to turn to a walking pace. I would pick my speed back up when I could, but half way though the race was a dreadfull climb that gave me a break from running, but still kept my heart rate up.

2 and a half hours later, I would cross the finish line. I was so excited, but had no energy left to show it. The small amount of energy I had left went to finding a chair and sitting for a long, long time. I may have been in a lot of pain, soreness, and dehydration, but I was not defeated. And that was all I needed from that finish.

Links:

Original Blog: http://ironmikecanada.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-119-eaten-up-spit-out-pulled-apart.html
Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2013-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20110430_AVIA_Wildflower_Triathlons.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Long+Course+Individual~M25-29

Race 19: 2010 Scott Tinley's Adventures

Date: October 2nd, 2010
Distance: .25 Mile Swim, 12.4 Mile Bike, 3 Mile Run
 

After allowing my hip to heal from it's tendinitis injury took some time, and I wasn't training as much near the end of the season, so I thought it would be best to run a sprint race for my last race of the year. Still, I wanted to push myself and make this last race a good one.

Every year at Scott Tinley's, I play with the idea of not wearing my wetsuit for the swim. The water is usually not as cold as other race, and many other racers will go without as well. Generally being afraid of cold water will get the best of me every time though, and I'll zip up my blue seventy wetsuit. This race I wish I hadn't. It's not because the water was to warm (which it was) but more because a quarter of the way into the swim, my zipper would up zip, creating a large pocket of drag starting from the back of my neck, all the way down to the crack of my butt. This did not make for optimal swimming performance. I came out of the water slower than I could have, at 9 minutes 40 seconds, but still faster than my goal, which was 10 minutes. Getting out of the wet suit was a little easier than normal in transition, seeing as how it was half off, and before you knew it, I was out on the bike course.

I was able to catch some racers pretty quickly with my harder than normal pace before settling in with some racers going about the same speed. With the size of Scott Tinley's having fewer participants than normal, this race gave me a rare opportunity to count the riders who have already reached the turn around point on the out and back bike course, and when I finally reached the half way point, I would know that I was currently sitting in 20th place among all the men. I pushed even harder on the back half as I knew that a strong run could give me a great final standing.

On the run, I caught a two racers quickly out of transition and would have a third in my sights. Unfortunately, he would stay there for the entire 3 mile run and finish before me, but I think having that racer in front of me the whole time helped me push my pace a little more than I would have other wise. I would find out later that day, that out of 9 racers in my age group I would finish 3rd! This would give me the rare chance to stand on a podium and accept a medal bigger than my closed fist!

Bling Bling!

2010 was a great year for racing, and I couldn't wait to see what 2011 would bring me.

Links:

Original Blog Post: http://ironmikecanada.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-326-last-race-of-2010.html
Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/Tinley2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20101002_Scott_Tinleys_Adventures_Triathlon.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=On+Road+Sprint+Distance+Individual~M25-29

Race 18: Big Kahuna

Date: Sept 12, 2010
Distance: 1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, 13.1 Mile Run

I've already done a race recap of the Big Kahuna triathlon, but I'll still go over the highlights of what happened in this race, and if you want to read the long version you can find links below.

The swim took place around the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf for a total of 1.2 miles. Being in the pacific ocean, the water was cold, very very cold. However I have been getting better swimming in cold conditions, and the fact that the air temperature wasn't very warm made the transition to the water easier. I did not bother with a warm up swim for this race, as I figured I had plenty of time to warm up during the swim. The swim around the wharf went well for the first half. I was pulled off course a little bit, but kept my line fairly straight. After the turn around though, I seemed to have gotten caught in some sort of rip tide, because no matter how much I swam towards the shore, I didn't really move anywhere. I had to swim parallel to the beach back towards the wharf before I could make any forward progress. Once I figured that out, I was back on course and headed to shore.

I think the guy on the seadoo is cheating

Coming out of the water, I didn't feel as tired as I thought I would have been. The air temperature was still a little chilly, but I opted not to wear the arm warmers that I brought with me, assuming the sun would come out and start to warm up. I was wrong. The entire bike ride I wished I had brought them with me. The air was cold, and the road was damp. Crossing the only set of rail road tracks 12 miles into highway 9, we were advised to dismount from the bike and walk across, because the roads were that wet. A female competitor was lying on the ground being attended to by race volunteers after she decided not to heed the warnings approaching the tracks. I felt bad, but she was well attended to and I just took her fall as a warning to the conditions.

By the time I came back for the run, my legs felt tired, and a little jelly. I haven't had many rides at that distance and it took its toll. What I didn't know either is that about a quarter of the way into the run my hip would start to hurt a little bit and force me to walk almost all of the up hills of the course. This would later turn out to be a case of tendonitis in the hip, but never wanting to quit, I continued on the run, running what I could when it was flat or downhill, and walking the up hills. I would finish the course in just over 6 hours and 18 minutes. I was hoping for a sub 6, but considering the hip injury I took the time as an accomplishment, and something to improve upon one day.

Links:

Website: http://www.firstwave-events.com/races/Big-Kahuna-Triathlon-2012-Santa-Cruz-Beach-Boardwalk.aspx
Official Results: http://resultsarchive.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?orgID=218713&rsID=99020
Previous Blogs for Big Kahuna:
http://ironmikecanada.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-349-6-hours-18-minutes-and-17.html
http://ironmikecanada.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-351-big-kahuna.html

Race 17: 2010 Sandman Triathlon

Date: August 1st, 2010
Distance: .75 Mile Swim, 13 Mile Bike, 4 Mile Run

One of my favorite races of the season is the Sandman Triathlon at Seacliff state beach. This year would be no different. Again, my main goal was to improve on my time from last year. Being 3 for 3 on that goal this year, I wanted to make it 4 in a row. It was a shorter course, so any little mistakes would end up being more costly toward my end goal.

I'm in there somwhere...

The swim started down the beach from the transition area, and forced us to swim around an old tourist attraction dock before heading back to the beach. Every year, the swim has been difficult for me. The salt water makes me dehydrated, the waves make it difficult to navigate the course, and the water is very, very cold. I did my best to conquer these as I started at 8 a.m. that Saturday morning.

Exiting the water, I put a lot of my bike effort into the first few up hill miles before settling into the saddle and keeping a strong steady pace though the whole thing. That day, the roads were fairly slippery with some water that had not dried from last nights rain fall, so turns had to made cautiously. I even had to watch as one of my fellow competitors ignored the slippery roads and take a spill around the half way mark of the ride. Luckily he was near an aid station, and had people there to help him quickly. The sun just started to show from behind the clouds when the bike portion ended for me, and the ran began.

The run was changed this year to be a straight out and back along the beach instead of though the campgrounds. Apparently racers routinely got lost in there in years past, so the simpler, faster course along the beach was the new option. Realizing this I turned the seconds half the run to be a negative split to finish the course in 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 32 seconds. Almost 10 minutes faster than last year! Count that 4 for 4 in 2010.


Links:

Website: http://www.sandman-triathlon.com/
Official Results: http://www.scsla.org/sandman/results_2010.html

Race 16: 2010 San Franciso Triathlon at Treasure Island

Date: July 10th 2010
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

This would be my 3rd attempt at the Treasure Island triathlon, and I headed into it with 2 goals in mind. I wanted to destroy the bike, and I wanted a sub 3 hour race. The sub 3 hours was something to keep in mind while I was pushing on the bike. I needed the run to be a decent one, even with a fast bike.

The swim started in deep water in the east end of the treasure island boat docks. At first, I struggled to keep straight lines like I almost always do, but after the pack had already left me behind and I started on my second loop, I made a mental switch from keeping form and positioning in the water, and focused on the swim buoys, and something clicked. I was able to keep all 3 lines in the triangular swim course relatively straight with only a small amount of my forward speed lost. A small price to pay to make the course straight lines.

I exited the water with some more confidence than usual. The cold water didn't even really get to me, and I was more ready than ever to head out onto the bike. I made sure to set my pace at the beginning and headed out strong. The course was the usual 6 laps around treasure island, and I had to ride a little more cautiously as some of the slower riders were joining the course, but I was able to keep my speed up close to 20 MPH on the flat roads. I had my personal best for the bike ride at 1 hour, 17 minutes and 34 seconds. I thought maybe this could lead to an even faster time than silicon valley a month ago.

The run started out smooth, but I could already feel how the fast bike affected me right from the start, and 2 miles in, I collapsed. My strides became shorter, my heart beating to fast for my lungs to keep up, and I had to start walking. I only walked for about 5 minutes before I picked the pace right back up and ran the rest of the course to finish 10 minutes below my 3 hour goal time. 2 out of 2 goals accomplished.

Links:

Website:http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/SF2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20100710_San_Francisco_Triathlon_Treasure_Island.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Olympic+Individual~M25-29

Race 15: Silicon Valley Olympic Distance Triathlon

Date: June 13, 2010
Distance: 1.25k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

After my recent success at Wildflower (even if I did get sick) I was really psyched to keep a strong season going with the flat and fast course of the Silicon Valley Olympic Distance Triathlon. I woke up early that morning anxious to improve on last year and set a new personal best for the Olympic distance.

The swim started and ended almost exactly like the year before. It was a deep water start, only I took a chance and tried to swim in the pack of racers. I was worried about getting kicked in the face, and the thrashing of a hundred other pairs of arms and legs didn't exactly excite me, but I knew that if I wanted to improve, I was going to have to learn to deal with it. After about 250 yards of swimming, the pack started to spread out and I was able to get into more of a rhythm with my swim stroke. I must have gotten caught up with just trying to keep a steady stroke, because I stopped checking ahead of me for the guide buoys and once again got caught off course. This added to me time, and in the end my swim time was almost the same as the year before, but I felt a little stronger going into the bike.


The bike went extremely smoothly. I found my rhythm quickly and kept it strong. The course takes place within 30 minutes of my house, so my training for the last few months included this exact bike course, and it seemed the training was really paying off. The bike seemed like the easiest ride I've ever had in my races so far. Looking back I probably could have pushed myself a little harder to gain some time, but then again, if I did I might push myself to hard and run out of gas to soon, so it may have been for the best. Unfortunately, the official results have been lost, but from what I remember I came in from the bike in less than an hour and a half, or just under two hours including the swim. After a quick transition, I began on my run.

I started running feeling fresh, and kept myself at a sustainable pace. One thing that always happens to me when I'm training with the run, is that I start at a pace that I want to run at, and if I'm feeling good, I turn up the pace involuntary. My legs just like to take me faster when I can go faster. Today, my legs were going faster than I was asking them too. I kept my mile splits with my Timex watch though the whole run. The first mile I ran around 7 minutes, 30 seconds.  The 3rd was around 7 minutes, 15 seconds. The fastest of the run was just over 7 minutes. Much faster than I usually run even in training. I was so excited to see my final time, 2 hours and 44 minutes. The run itself was about 45 minutes, giving me an average speed of 7 minutes, 15 seconds per mile! I was so excited about finishing time I forgot to look at the clock as I crossed the finish line! I finished in just under 2 hours and 44 minutes, making for my fastest race at this distance.

Unfortunately, the official results for this race have seemed to be lost. But I wasn't done with making personal bests.

Links:

Website: http://www.usaproductions.org/events/triathlon-series/tri-svot

Race 14: 2010 Wildflower

Date: May 1, 2010
Distance: .25 Mile Swim, 9.7 Mile Mountain Bike, 2 Mile Run

2010 would begin with the same setting and race of my first triathlon ever. The One and Only Wildflower Triathlon. I was really looking forward to really pushing hard this year and recovering from my previous years mistake when I fell off my bike during a fast downhill decent. The race almost didn't happen though due to a late night with what I think was food poisoning. It struck me while I was camping the night before, and if I hadn't been camping and about 5 hours away from home, I may have just slept in that next morning and avoided the race all together. I was up at 6 am that next morning though (not like I ever fell asleep), and feeling slightly better, so I figured "hey, I'm here, so might as well just give it a try". After racking my bike and getting ready for the swim, I hung out in a porta potty, emptying what was left of the food poisoning while keeping an eye on my watch to make sure I didn't miss my 9 am start time. I was literately zipping up my wetsuit and jogging down the boat ramp when the air horn signaled the start of my race, and I jumped in the water in the back of the pack of racers. My only main thought at this point was "please don't shit your self while wearing a wetsuit..."

Within minutes starting the race I began to feel better. It's fair to say I was not at the top of my game, but I was surprised at how well I was able to race considering what had happened the night before... and in the porta potty a few minutes prior. Both the swim and the bike seemed to go by quite smoothly. I was easily used to the distances, and having raced the bike course 2 times already I knew what to expect (and what corner to slow down at). The run was going smoothly, but the sun and heat made sure I could feel the dehydration starting to catch up with me. I stopped for about a minute to walk before I was encouraged by a fellow racer to push on, and I did. I hit up the one and only aid station for everything they were offering at the turn around point, and made a strong effort to run the remaining mile back to the finish line.

My finish time was 1 hour, 12 minutes and 23 seconds. Almost 10 minutes faster than the previous year. Although I didn't finish in the top 10 like I wanted, I still considered this race a huge accomplishment, and proof that I can handle what ever life puts in my way, including some bad food the night before a triathlon.

Links:

Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2013-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20100501_AVIA_Wildflower_Triathlons_and_Festival.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Mountain+Bike+Individual~M25-29

Race 13: 2009 Scott Tinleys Adventures

Date: October 3rd 2009
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

 The season ending race for 2009 took place at lake lopez for an olympic distance triathlon. Last year, my race was spoiled by two flat tires and prompted me to vigorously check over my bike this year to avoid the same problems. After racking my bike in the transition zone, checking and re-checking the tire pressure, and dawning my wetsuit, I headed down the boat ramp to check out the swim course.

When I first arrived, I could see the triangular orange buoys that outlined the swim course for the sprint triathlon. I knew that the swim course for my race was going to be two loops, so I just figured it was 2 loops of the sprint course. After a small warm up in the lake, I stood at the start line with the first wave of racers. 8 A.M. came, and a horn would sound signaling the start of our race. Although I wish I was a much faster swimmer than I am, this was a good day to be part of the pack. As it would turn out, the set of 3 buoys that I could see from the boat ramp was not the entire swim course. Off to the right there was a 4th and 5th buoy that I needed to swim too that I did not know about at the beginning of the race, and only because other racers around me turned towards them did I even know they existed! About half way though the swim, I also noticed that some of the swimmers that started sans wetsuit may have had the right idea. The water was starting to feel warm, and over heating my body a little. I actually had to back off of the speed because I was overheating! A first for me in any swim! 35 minutes later I exited the swim, ran to transition where I checked my bike tire pressure once more before heading out onto the bike course.

The bike course was hilly, but all in all I was able to keep a decent pace of 17 MPH though most of it. The bike portion is a very scenic ride, and I wish I had something close to what it offers back home. The roads are mostly decent with only a few rough patches. Thankfully, this year the bike was relatively uneventful, and I was on the run in 1 hour and 32 minutes.

The swim had taken me longer than I had planned, and the bike was not fast enough to make to much of the time back, so if I was going to get a sub 3 hour time on this course, it was going to have to come down to my run. The 6 mile run was a 2 lap course with one very large hill climb / decent combo near the end of each lap being the only challenging part of the race. I needed to keep about 8 minute miles though the whole thing which would be easy for me if I was just running 6 miles, but adding the extra mileage of the swim and bike before hand made it more difficult. To make things even worse, the temperature was starting to get pretty warm out, and the sun was making a strong appearance. I took in water to help keep hydrated, and even poured a few cups over my head to try to stay cool. After the first lap I knew that it was going to come close at the finish, and unfortunately I would finish 32 seconds behind my goal.

I should have been disappointed, but I was not. This was a great finish to my 2009 season. I was able to finish 4 olympic distance triathlons and improved on my personal fitness to what is possibly the fittest I've ever felt in my life. Triathlons was truly becoming a passion, and I couldn't wait for next year to begin and start setting new goals for myself.

Links:

Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/Tinley2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20091003_Scott_Tinleys_Adventures_Triathlon.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=On+Road+International+Individual~M25-29

Race 12: 2009 Triathlon at Pacific Grove

Date: Sept 12, 2009
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

Last year at Pacific Grove I did the sprint triathlon and things went well. This year, I was going to up the anti a little and go for the longer Olympic distance race. I had already done a few Olympic distances at this point, and felt ready. The swim was going to be in the ocean again, which I still haven't been able to be completely comfortable with, but even with the added challenge of having to swim though kelp I felt like I was ready for this race and what it had to offer.

Setting up my transition area in the early hours of the morning, I was accompanied by a little bit of rain and winds. I was sure that this was just some early morning weather, and that things would clear up as soon as the sun came out. Boy was I wrong. Headed to the start line, not only did the rain keep coming, but the announcers warned us that because of some cold front headed into the area, that the water temperature was much colder than usual, and there were strong swells coming into the swim area. None were deterred from entering the water that morning, however, some could have planned there entry into the water a little better.

Among taking my few first steps into the freezing cold ocean, I noticed that the water was pulling me out. Other racers all around me starting diving in and starting there first few strokes, only to have the incoming swell push them all back about 40 feet. My hesitation to dive into the water turned out to be a wise choice, as I was now currently the race leader, even if it was only going to be for a few seconds.

The swim was tough. Large swells hitting you in the face while you are trying to get some air into your lungs, and climbing over you while swimming back towards the beach. The water so cold that pain became numbness, which became pain again somehow. Kelp all the while making things harder than they all ready were. 35 minutes later, that hell was over, and I was on my bike.

The weather had not picked up at this point. Rain still lightly drizzling from the cloudy sky. My legs and feet fairly numb from the frigid swim, which made getting my shoes into the clip-less pedals on my bike an interesting challenge. The roads were also still wet, and there for caution needed to be exercised during the races 7 u-turns. It wasn't until an hour and twenty one minutes later did the sun finally decide to show itself, and when I was finally off the bike and onto the run.

At this point, I needed to run 6.2 miles under an hour to get the sub 3 hour time that was my goal for all Olympic distance triathlons this year. This was easily obtainable so long as I was capable of running most of the time. The run consisted of 3 2 mile laps along the coast. Somewhere in the middle of my second lap I started to feel tired. I didn't want to start walking yet, as I knew if I did, obtaining my goal of sub 3 hours would become a stretch. I was already running slower than I had planned, and if I was going to finish strong, I was going to need some energy and fast. Up ahead was an aid station, with water, gator aid, and some bananas. In the past, I never really took to bananas. The texture always bothered me, and I rarely ever ate them. Today I learned something new: Bananas are f**king amazing! Not only did it taste good, it went down easy while running, and gave me enough energy to not only keep my running pace, but actually speed up a little! Thanks to that yellow phallic looking fruit, I was able finish in 2 hours 53 minutes and 45 seconds.

Ever since that race, Bananas have become a regular part of my diet, and a great pre-training snack!

Links:

Website: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/PG2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20090912_Triathlon_at_Pacific_Grove.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Olympic+Individual~M25-29
Benefits of Bananas For Running: http://www.livestrong.com/article/439296-the-benefits-of-bananas-for-running/

Race 11: 2009 Sanman Triathlon

Date: August 2nd, 2009
Distance: .75 Mile Swim, 13 Mile Bike, 4 Mile Run

I was determined not to allow the swim to dictate my race to me again this year at sea cliff state beach for the 24th Annual sandman triathlon. I knew that if I was able to make it though the swim while keeping my cool, I could let my bike and run throw me across the finish line with a much improved time over last year. The water this year was just as cold as last, but at least I was ready for it. After a few of my races being in the ocean or San Francisco bay, I knew what to expect, and how to deal with the challenges. Unfortunately, my sighting was still not the best, and navigating myself though a small later of fog between the buoys was difficult. Good thing there were some lifeguards on paddle boards there to help me out and send me in the right direction, otherwise the 23 and a half minute swim might have been much longer! My plan worked though, and I came out of the water ready to tackle the next two disciplines head on.

I was mentally more ready for the bike that year, although that may have lead to my slower than usual average MPH. I knew there were going to be lots of hills, and I reserved my energy to make sure I could make strong successful climbs. This only meant that during any of the flat portions of the race where I could have build speed, I instead kept myself in easy gears making sure I still had plenty left in the tank for the 4 mile run. I still finished the ride in under 50 minutes, and after being able to look at the official clock at the transition area, knew I was capable of setting a new personal best for this course.

I still ran hard even though I knew I had my PR in the bag. I kept steady around 8 minute miles for the whole run (which was a hard pace for me at the time) and finished in 1 hour, 50 minutes and 10 seconds. More than 11 minutes faster than the previous year. Needless to say, I really had fun during Sandman this year, and it was quickly becoming one of my favorite short course races of the season.

Links:

Webpage: http://www.sandman-triathlon.com/
Official Results: http://www.scsla.org/sandman/results_2010.html

Race 10: 2009 San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island

Date: July 10th, 2009
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

I came back to Treasure Island with 1 goal in mind, to improve on my time from November of last year. The parts that scared me the most were of course the swim, and the run. Last year, the swim made me a little dizzy and delusional, so to come out of the water remembering where my bike was racked was defiantly a win. However, a little of an ambitious swimming style caused me to take in some salt water from the San Fransisco bay, which would take its toll later in the race.

The bike ride was a 6 lap course around treasure island. My first few laps were pretty solid, but slowed down as the extra SF bay water in my stomach began to make its return. I tried to keep my speed up, but the feeling of throwing up kept me from going to fast. With a faster swim than last year, and a slower bike, it was going to come down to the run to see if I could improve on 2008.

The run started with a quick stop at the porta-pottys to help with my stomach problems, and then a 3 lap course for a total of 10k. The first lap kept me pretty slow with the stomach issues, but each lap after that got faster, with my last lap being the fastest, and sending me over the finish line in 3 hours, 8 minutes, and 37 seconds. A little slower than I would have liked, but still faster than last year by almost 4 minutes.

It should be mentioned that I don't have a photo of the t-shirt for this race, because I gave it to my dad. Both my mom and my dad were visiting from Toronto and cheered me on for the entire race! I was so happy that they took the time to come across the continent to watch me race!

Links:

Webpage: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/SF2012-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20090711_San_Francisco_Triathlon_Treasure_Island.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Olympic+Individual~M25-29

Race 9: Silicon Valley Olympic Triathlon

Date: June 21 2009
Distance: 1.25k Swim, 40k Bike Ride, 10k Run

Last year I was at Almaden lake for the Silicon Valley Mountain Bike Triathlon, but this year I decided to up the stakes a little bit and go for my second Olympic distance race. The swim was a little shorter than the traditional race distance at 1.25 kilometers due to the size of the Almaden lake. The race started deep water just like last year, and not feeling like I was able to keep in the pack for this distance I allowed the more adventitious and competitive athletes go first, and followed steadily behind.

The swim was difficult for me. I was having a tough time keeping straight between each turn buoy, or even sighting them. I think at least once a lifeguard had to paddle out to me and set me back on course. Eventually I found my way to the water exit, and transitioned to the bike.

The 40k bike ride is one of the flattest, fastest courses I have ever raced on. There is only 1 hill that takes about 2 minutes to climb half way though the course, and then a downhill ride back to the race start. The ride was fairly uneventful as I kept a steady pace though the whole thing. After finishing my ride, I was well on my way to a sub 3 hour time which was my goal of the race.

The run was yet another flat and fast course though the park, and once again I kept a strong steady pace though what I thought was supposed to be a 10k run, but somewhere along the line someone messed up a measurement or two, which forced everyone to run an extra 2 kilometers. This was a interesting surprise, but I persevered though and finished in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 57 seconds. 3 seconds under my goal time! It's easy to say that I was very pleased with the result, and looked forward to doing more Olympic distance races later in the year.

Links:

Website: http://www.usaproductions.org/events/triathlon-series/tri-svot
Official Results: http://www.usaproductions.org/media/SVODT2009.pdf

Race 8: 2009 Wildflower

Date: May 2nd, 2009
Distance: .25 Mile Swim, 9.7 Mile Bike, 2 Mile Run

Coming off a very confidant finish in San Rafael earlier in the year, I was really eager to best my time at the Wildflower triathlon festival. I once again elected to run in the mountain bike triathlon, which was a sprint distance event with some off road elements to the bike ride. This was also going to be the first event where I was actively going to make an effort to get involved in the swim. I was nervous about being in the middle of the pack with all the thrashing and kicking, but if I was to improve as a swimmer and triathlete, it was going to have to be something I am going to face sooner or later. I got to the start line, lining up in the middle of the pack, and only 2 racers deep. Before I could change my mind and back out, the start horn blew and my adventure had started. I threw myself into the open water, starting my quarter mile swim.

As it would turn out, when you swim in a large pack, you really have only one direction and speed to go. The guy in front of you never seems to get out of the way, and the guy behind you makes sure you don't fall back. You hope that the guy in the front is sighting properly, keeping you in a straight line, other wise this quarter mile swim could turn into one third by accident. After the turn around buoy, things started to open up a bit. I had to start sighting for the exit ramp myself, and I apparently did a pretty good job. I exited the water in 8 minutes at 15 seconds, almost 2 minutes faster than the previous year, and was stoked at my time. I got on my bike as quick as I could trying to keep my time down.

I remembered the bike ride from last year, recalling that the course wasn't to technical, leaving me with plenty of room to focus on my speed. Just after mile 4, was a long downhill portion on off road terrain. Feeling fairly confidant and still having plenty of energy I bombed down as fast as I could. There were plenty of straights where I could see plenty of the course up ahead, and there were not many, if any, racers around me to endanger my decision to go fast, so I went for it. About half a mile later, the off road terrain merged back with the road, and a long wide u turn lay ahead. I could see the first half of the turn, and judged my speed accordingly, slowing down a little, but still allowing gravity to keep my MPH up. I entered the turn wide, got about half way, where I noticed that my wide, long u turn would end very sharp. I knew that at my current speed, I would never be able to complete this turn. I just needed to slow down a little bit, and I could make it, so I just tapped my rear break. And that is all it took.

With out any time to recover, or even realize what was happening, the rear tire of my bike slid out from under me, and gravity took me to the ground, where momentum dragged me along the asphalt. When me and my bike came to a stop, I sat up, figured out what had happened, and decided the middle of the road while a triathlon was taking place was a bad place to be. A near by spectator picked up my bike for me and walked me a few yards off the course so I could recover and inspect my wounds. The main thought in my head at the time was "who falls off there bike at 25 years old?". A few moments later, another athlete came roaring around the same corner miss judging his speed, and falling in a similar dramatic fashion. Well, at least I'm not the only one.

The same spectator who walked my bike with me, went to his car and let me and the second fallen athlete raid his first aid kit to repair our selves. He was even willing to drive us back to the start line, but both of us would answer "no no, we're OK. We can keep going." After thanking my new medic, I hopped back on my bike and finished the course, however at a much more cautious speed.

Taking the last half of the bike at 3/4 speed left me with some strong legs for the run. And I was going to need them if I was going to make any attempt at besting my time. Luckily I ran 2 quick 7:38 miles for a final time of 1 hour 21 minutes and 54. Almost 6 minutes faster than 2008. The result still made me extremely happy, even with the adrenaline of the race fading allowing me to notice more of the pain in my knee. Luckily the damage wasn't to bad, and I would still be able to train within a few weeks of the race, and race a little more than a month later.

Links:

Wildflower: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2013-main.htm
Official Results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20090502_Wildflower_Triathlons.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Mountain+Bike+Individual~M25-29

Race 7: Vineman Showdown

Date: April 11 2009
Distance: Swim 440, 9 Mile Bike, 3 Mile Run

The 2009 season had an early start when I found a mid day triathlon in San Rafael California. I was really excited to start this race, as I had done a lot more training in the off season. Longer and faster runs, with lots more time in the pool to help out my weakest discipline. My biking could have probably used more work, but I didn't really like riding in the dark, and I could have planned my weekends a bit better.

When the race started I was still a little bit shy about swimming in large groups of people, and still thinking that my swim was weaker than the majority of the competitors, I let most of my fellow age groupers enter the water before me, and slowly started my swim a few seconds behind. This was one of my first swims where I realized that I wasn't as bad as I thought, because I kept finding myself trapped behind packs of slower swimmers, causing me to either swim slower until a space opened up, or take the long route and swim around them. After dealing with about 3 or 4 packs of swimmers, I exited the water in 8 minutes and 17 seconds. One of my fastest swims thus far.

The bike portion started with a long, steep uphill climb. Many of the competitors elected to walk/run their bike up the hill because of the steepness of the climb, but one of my proudest moments of this race was declaring that I muscled though it, and climbed on my bike all the way to the top. After that it was a fairly flat course with small hilly sections along the northern San Francisco bay on an out and back style course. Coming back into the transition area, we were required do dismount our bikes on the top of the steep hill that we climbed up because it was to dangerous to ride down mounted. I finished the bike in just under 37 minutes, and I was feeling like I still had something in the tank for the run.

The run started with the same hill climbed for the bike, which made for a slow start. I was able to hold a steady pace though, and once I reached the top was able to keep my legs moving though the entire run. I even had enough strength to sprint to the finish with one other competitor (he out edged me in the end) and felt like I had really made some real progress over the winter, and was ready to tackle the 2009 season. My final time was 1 hour, 14 minutes and 34 seconds.

It should also be noted that I always remembered this one race, because it was the only one that gave me a free pair of socks instead of a t-shirt, which I thought was pretty original!

Links:

Official Time: http://www.j-chipusa.com/results.php?bib=mccarry&eventid=2671&p=&Go=Search

Race 6: 2008 San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island

Date: November 8th 2008
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

The Treasure Island was an especially important race in 2008. For one, it was the last race of the season, and if I was going to accomplish something big this year, this was going to have be it. Second, it was going to be my first Olympic distance triathlon, which was a huge step up.

The Olympic distance triathlon is an internationally recognized distance (hence the measurements in kilometers) and is the distance Olympic athletes compete at every 4 years (hence the name). It consists of a 1.5 kilometer swim (0.93 miles) 40 kilometer bike (24.8 miles) and 10 kilometer run (6.2 miles). This was going to be more than twice the distance I have ever race in any of the 3 disciplines, and to say I was nervous, would be putting it lightly.

 The swim took place just off of treasure island on a cool Saturday morning. It was a deep water start, so I was forced to jump into the San Francisco bay and just wade in the very cold water for about 5 minutes before the air horn sounded to signal the start of the race, and what was going to be a long one at that. Knowing that I wasn't going to be any threat to any of the fast racers, I allowed all the ambitious swimmers go on ahead, and started up slowly behind them.

The entire swim course consisted of 2 triangular loops, finishing on a makeshift stage connecting the water to the parking lot of an old army building. It took nearly 40 minutes, but I was able to exit the water dizzy and delirious, but alive and ready to continue on... if only I could remember what to continue on to.

You see, when you swim 1.5 kilometers in 60 degree water, you start to get really dizzy and confused. As I came out of the water, I had to remind myself what exactly I was doing. First, I had to remember that I was doing a triathlon, next I had to remember that the bike comes after the swim, and lastly, I had to remember where I put my bike. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember where I put my bike, and was afraid that I was going to have to scour the entire transition area looking for my bike. Fortunately, all amateur athletes rack their bikes together with others in the same age group, and seeing as I was the last out of the water in my age group, my bike would be easy to find sitting all alone on an empty rack.

The bike ride is a 6 loop course around treasure island. Something that I learned from a course preview that I took a few weeks earlier was to tape 5 numbered tabs on my bike and remove one every time I completed a lap. When there were no more tabs to remove, my 40k was finished and I could start my run. This information was invaluable considering I was having a hard time counting to 6 after the swim, let alone keeping track of 6 laps over an hour and a half.

I've ran 6.2 miles before. In fact earlier that year I finished a half marathon, so I felt like I was pretty well prepared for this race. What I forgot about was planning for my legs to be as sore and wobbly after 40k of biking as they were. If you have ever had that weird sensation of walking after taking a long bike ride, imagine trying to run. I can imagine I must have looked quite comical for the first 1/2 mile while I tried to adjust to the new motion I was asking my legs to perform, but hopefully I was not the only one. While I was running, I was holding a good steady pace, but I was unable to hold it for longer than about 1 mile when I began to walk. I pushed myself to run as much as I was able to, and finished the course in 3 hours, 12 minutes and 19 seconds. Crossing the finish line was so incredibly rewarding. I was exhausted, water logged, sweaty, and accomplished. In just 1 season, I was able to finish both my first sprint distance, and Olympic distance triathlons. They were not particularly fast, but I finished everyone, and I couldn't wait until next year to do it all over again, pushing myself to go faster and farther.

Links:

Website:
Official results: http://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/index.cfm/20081108_San_Francisco_Triathlon_at_Treasure_Island.htm?Fuseaction=Results&Class=Olympic+Individual~M20-24