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/