1500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike, 10 kilometer run
Prerace:
Not much time to get ready for this one. I had to work until 2:00pm and then rode straight to
Des Moines for Sunday morning's race. Much like last year, I was too busy/lazy/proud to check into a hotel room. I actually did find one hotel in Ankeny, and the only room they had was a luxury suite at $165 a night. After a quick "no thanks" I decided to load up dad's cargo van with a mattress and sheet and try my hand at being a Gypsy. After scouting places to stay, I chose Walmart over the interstate rest areas and my previous employer, Moehl Millwork. In retrospect, it wasn't all that bad. I covered the windows with shirts and towels, laid down at 9:00 and didn't get to sleep until 11:30, sweating in the stifling heat. This would be a bad omen.Up at 5:30 and headed to the race site listening to The Allman Brothers to wake me up. I got to the park at 6:00 and the transition area was already half full. I guess I'll have to keep getting there earlier, which at this rate will have me there at midnight next time. Why do people have to be so serious? Other than that frustration, the organization was top notch. This really is one of the best run races I've ever done. Yes, I did this last year.
Swim:
The swim is in a reservoir and with the hot temperatures we've had lately, the water was quite warm: 84 degrees. This means no wetsuits, which is fine by me because I never wear one. I had
a sly smile on my face hearing the groans of people who wanted to wear one. You see, they make you more buoyant, and thus, faster. Now it was all a level playing field. I was in the second wave to start (males 20-29), so 5 minutes after the Elite Wave took off, we were next. This was a wave start, and not a time-trial start like my last race. It meant that the whole wave runs in at once. It's a bit frustrating and can leave you in a panic. About 2 minutes into the swim, I was reminded of the harsh realities of swimming around 75 or so other guys; a kick to the face will do that to you. After things settled down and a pecking order was established, I got into a nice rhythm and was basically alone for almost 3/4 of a mile. The route was bit different this year, a rectangular course as opposed to a triangular one, which meant the water got deeper quicker, and we got to avoid most of the weeds. I got out of the water with a time of 31 minutes and 5 seconds. Not too bad! The best part was that you didn't notice the increasing air temp while you were in the water.Bike:
I really tried to improve on this aspect of the race. Doing a few days of RAGBRAI helped tremendously as well as a few local rides at a hard pace. When I hopped onto my trusty steed during the race, I could tell my legs were in good shape. Normally I don't push too hard at the beginning, and I followed that plan again. There is nothing worse than having 5 miles to go and having nothing left. It's a truly awful feeling. Fortunately, that didn't happen here. After 6 or 7
miles, I knew my legs were good, and I decided to push it a bit. At the turnaround, I found that I had been riding with a tailwind. Now, the tables turned and the legs really started to burn. All you can do is grin and bear it, because you know everyone else is feeling the same. After gritting that out, the wind was no longer and issue, and it was fairly smooth sailing to the end. I went through my entire water bottle of Gatorade, which I never do. Even though you always have air blowing on you throughout the bike, I could tell that it was getting really hot. I finished the bike in 1 hour and 21 minutes, good for an average of 18.5 miles per hour, a personal best.The Run:
I don't need to tell you how much I loathe running...but, I loathe running! Even after going so fast on the bike (at least by my standards!), my legs still felt great. With the absence of the wind in my face, I now started to sweat pretty heavily. The first mile marker came and I drank a full cup of water and dumped another on my head. I knew this was going to be tough. My legs and lungs felt as good as could be expected, but I really started to get hot. So hot, in fact, that I had to break down and walk. There was no shade to be had anywhere since the sun was directly overhead. The trees which lined either side of the road were useless in blocking the sun, but they did manage to block something out: the breeze. I've run quite a few times in hot, humid weather and I actually have enjoyed it, much more so than the cold. Today, it just didn't agree with me. Heat, sun, asphalt and sweat were too much for me. I managed to run for 3/4 of a mile at a time and then would have to walk again. I hated doing it, but it was the only way to finish. It was almost an "out of body" running experience. My legs were moving but I couldn't feel them. I was just praying to God that I wouldn't have a Julie Anne Moss moment and mess myself. In what were the longest 6.2 miles of my life, I finally crossed the finish line in a poor time of 1 hour and 16 minutes, only averaging 12 minute miles, which I suppose was so bad considering the amount of walking I did. As I crossed the finish line, I saw some people in ambulances, so it appears I wasn't the only one struggling. As a volunteer removed my timing chip, and paramedic took a look at my eyes and noticed I wasn't sweating. Apparently that is bad and is a sign of dehydration. He dumped a few gallons of water on me and said I could get an IV if I wanted. Me and needles aren't good buddies.
Postrace:
I grabbed some much needed shade and water, then a bagel with peanut butter. I started to feel
better and I ran into a buddy of mine, Matt Davison, electrician and multisport wonder. I asked him how he did, and in his always modest way, he told me he did pretty well. What he neglected to say was that he got second in his age group, which is no small feat, especially given the conditions. All in all, it wasn't what I expected. I was happy with my swim time, I was thrilled with the bike, and needless to say, the run was not good. Maybe next year I can finally meet my goal of under 3 hours. Final time: 3 hours, 11 minutes and 50 seconds, 238 out of 309 people.Next up, Eagle Creek Triathlon on August 25th
Thanks for reading and thanks for your moral and monetary support. As of today, all money received, not counting pledges, is $1,937.00!!! That is AWESOME!!!
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