Race Day: Part 2

Before we get to the exciting conclusion of my first triathlon let me just say I slept like a rock last night until about 4:30 in the morning when the Garbage truck clunked its way through the neighborhood. I managed to roll over and go back to sleep even though my legs felt like a ton of bricks. Last night I was debating whether or not to teach my morning Spin Class at the Albany Y and this morning I decided to go ahead and cancel since I am subbing tomorrow evening, have my regular class on Wednesday morning, and also subbing the 5:30 am class on Thursday. So I slept in a bit and stopped at the Y before heading to work and sat in the hot tub which felt wonderful.

AND NOW….The REST OF THE STORY…


T1->BIKE->T2

So once I hit the beach and ran up the hill, ripping my goggles and bathing cap off as I went to my transition area. Being in the last heat was both good and bad. Good because I didn't have to deal with a lot of bikes in my way, bad because my transition crate had been knocked around and the stuff I had methodically placed to get in and out quickly had become jostled. I pulled everything out grabbed my bottle of water poured it over the feet, toweled them off quickly and flung the baby powder on them ( I then did a few quick tosses over the shoulder trying to hit my back…but I think I got more on the bike and ground and none on my back.). Threw on my shirt and shorts, threw swim stuff in my bag I put in the crate, choked down 4/5th of a bottle of Gatorade and then put on my helmet and riding gloves and ran the bike to the head of the bike path.

Once on the bike path there were 2 people about 50 yds ahead of me and I tried to keep them in sight the whole time, but I lost them when I accidentally shifted down when I was trying to shift up a gear. For the most part the bike was enjoyable yeah I was passed more than I did the passing but as I passed the volunteers and cops (occasionally asking if they would be willing to switch places) I got my wind back. I did smoke a few of the kids in the younger kids who were doing the race with their parents…who I doubt appreciated the fact that I was smack talking like…Eat my Dust, kiddie or Burned You, slowpoke (okay joking here… I think it's cool and impressive that they were doing the race). Before I knew it I was making the turn off of Old State Rd onto Fuller Station then on Western Ave. I was expecting Old State to be the more difficult part of the race but Western was tough.

I pulled into the Bike to Run transition area and headed to the Batman balloon. Now remember what I said about there being a good and bad thing about being in the last heat for the first transition? There was nothing good about this transition at all. When I found where I had setup that morning, there were bikes blocking my crate of gear. I had to fiddle with peoples bikes, trying to be a nice guy and not knock them over in the process, and grab my gear and ended up plopping down on the ground and changing my shoes and shirt and literally choking while trying to drink my bottle of Gatorade. By this time people had already finished the race and meandering back to their gear so running out of the transition area was almost like maneuvering through an obstacle course.

Total Transition and bike time: 56 min 09 sec. Overall: 349/450

THE RUN
I jogged out of the transition area still trying to get my legs to adjust from being on the bike. Ran down the hill, past one of the coaches who was cheering and once I was around the corner I had to slow down so I could adjust my knee band which ended up giving me fits the whole run. So I started walking just to get my legs back moving when the other coach, the one also racing, was running up the hill towards the finish and told me to get running which I did ..for a little bit. I basically ran for a bit then walked (was trying not to tear my groin muscle or totally screw up my knee). I would pick it back up when I would pass someone I knew who would encourage me, causing me to raise my arms like Rocky and start running again. So as I approached the loop it started to sprinkle which didn't bother me…well as I was half way through the loop heading back out to the main road the skies just opened and it began to pour down the rain. Within seconds I was drenched, couldn't see out of my sunglasses, yet oddly refreshed. So when I got back to the last water station I took some water to rinse my mouth out (I think I was starting to taste Bile) one of the kids asked if he could cool me off by throwing water on me which I politely declined since I was drenched enough already. So I told myself that no matter what I was going to run up the hill and cross the finish running (that and I saw someone in the distance behind me and I was not going to be passed). As I turned the corner the coach was there waiting for me to come back and she was like "You look comfortable with your running" well I couldn't lie and told her I had been walking on and off because of my knee. So I ran up the hill with the coach telling me to relax and reminded me that "we spit on hills" (which I did). Truth be told I was running out of fear of what she would do if started to walk. I turned the corner into the YMCA parking lot and ran across the finish line as the race clock hit 2 hours 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
Total Run Time: 39 min 26 secs. Overall: 356/450

MY TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour 41 Minutes and 31 Seconds. Overall: 349/450

I then had to do what had to be the hardest thing of the whole race... getting my timing chip off without collapsing. I then posed for pictures with the people I trained with, drank a ton of Gatorade, ate some bananas and hung around waiting for them to post the times. Finally after the awards ceremony I caught the shuttle back to the lake to pick up my car and gear at the lake. Then before heading home, I stopped at Fleet Feet and picked up a gift to myself for completing my first(of hopefully many) Triathlon….

I then went home hung up my wet gear and shoes…


Hit the swimming pool and then headed to the Tri-Club Picnic which was fun swapping stories from the day, hanging out, and eating foods like Cheesecake that I tried to avoid for the past months.
Some of the TRI-CLUB members

Overall I am proud of my times…especially for my first race and the injuries I have been dealing with while training. Now that I have a time I can start training in a few weeks to do better next year, a post for later this week perhaps. I think that completing the race ranks up there with such accomplishments as my schooling and earning my Eagle Scout.

I am so ready and pumped to do the Pine Bush Triathlon again next year and perhaps other races this summer if I am clreared by the doctor.
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So I was sitting at work this afternoon and I get a phone call at my desk.
The following is the actual conversation...
Me: "Cost and Revenue this is Chad"
"This is the guard"
Now I thought why is the National Guard calling me at work...is this someone pranking me?
"There is a delivery for you down here"
Me: "uh ok be down to pick it up, thanks"
Really I thought this was a prank...as it turns out my mother sent me a cookie basket congratulating me...now it made sense why she asked me for the office location when I called after the race to tell her I was still alive and had finished the race.

Who Knew Accomplishment Tasted So Good With Milk?

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Well off to bed if I am going to try to make it to Spin at 5:30 am and have to teach the evening class...

I will posting more pictures as people send them to me...I have a few already