NJ State Triathlon - 2008 USAT Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships

NEW JERSEY STATE OLYMPIC DISTANCE TRIATHLON 2008
July 27, 2008
Trenton, NJ
Mercer County Park
Previous Best: N/A
Goal: Finish with a strong run and really push the bike. Also, have fun.

After a long winter of strong training my hopes were looking good for a strong season, but with back to back shows and dueling rehearsals, training took a back seat to work and the inevitable "real world" took hold of my life. I had to withdraw from the Columbia Triathlon due to a previous time commitment and a minor calf injury back in late February had seriously derailed my efforts to conquer Ironman Wisconsin in September. And before I knew it the club championships were here during one of the busiest months of the year. Luckily, Kevin and I went up to Lake Placid the week before to see the race and do a little training--but I hadn't been in the pool in almost 4 months. What does that mean? Even though I've never done an Olympic distance triathlon, I'm not looking to PR.

PRE-RACE WEEK & PRE-RACE
After a long week of work, Kevin & I headed up to Butler, PA for the bi-annual Kelly Family Reunion and a night game at PNC Park, which meant we had to leave in the early evening on Saturday, drive through the night to NJ, find the park, pitch a tent (illegally, that is) and somehow get up after only a few hours of sleep. No problem, right?

Well, with lack of sleep and a late start, race morning wasn't going great either. We packed up the tent and drove to the other side of the park to transition and the start of the race that awaited us. To be honest, I really didn't stretch, warm-up, plan, etc. Would it play a part? I don't know, but Kevin was having trouble finding water to put in his water bottles but luckily for me Joe Coyne had extra to share. How long 'til the start? How many people? How long/large is the course? How could we not draft on the bike? All questions to be asked and answered in due time. But first, the swim.

SWIM
With the temperature of the water too warm, race officials informed all participants wetsuits would not be offically allowed, but if you choose to wear one, you could race but not for any overall/age group awards or team points. And with no possession of a wetsuit, the decision suited Kevin and I just fine. So after what seemed to be a 25 minute wait at the ol' port-o-john, I headed down to the start, took a dip in the water, inhaled my last full water free breath for the foreseeable future and was off. Lining up alongside my club favorites, I had more than my share to keep up---and by "more" I mean too much. Quickly I found myself struggling at the top. Unable to find a rhythm and clearly undertrained in the pool, I began to struggle. Any winter swim training had evaporated which was to be expected, but what wasn't to be expected was the major cramping in my left calf muscles with 1/4 of a mile to go. As I pulled up lame in the water, my heartrate skyrocketed as my muscles began to seize. Seconds from screaming for help, the muscle finally relaxed and I continued on though I started to see colors...pink in particular. It was the first wave of the women. Was I really that slow? Yes. And as I crawled out of the water as one heaping pile of S*@t! the clock confirmed my overall lack of preparation and dehydration.

Swim: 41:25 (12 minutes behind Kevin in his first triathlon)

BIKE
Throwing myself up the little incline and into transition, it was a miracle my feet weren't split open by the gravel parking lot we had to traverse to get our bikes. Once I grabbed a swig of my bottle and dressed myself I was off. Kevin's bike was obviously gone (we had set up our stations in transition close to each other so I knew his whereabouts, but not how far out he was) and my main goal was to attack the bike course. I haven't actually tested my new bikes legs I acquired over the off season, so it was important to push the envelope while still leaving some left for the run--and quickly my plan went into action. Smooth in execution, I began to pass most cyclists (sans 2 or 3 who had passed me) with overall my confidence growing, but the lack of a bike computer put me at a disadvantage. Unaware of how much further we had to go, I questioned how fast I took off and without seeing Kevin and TJ no longer in my line of vision, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to hold my speed. But the oasis arose around the corner and as I dismounted and sprinted into transition with only two things perplexing me: first, Kevin's bike was already racked and two, there was something going on with my side.

Bike: 1:02:48 - 22.2mph (fast avg. mph in any bike leg for any of my previous races--Awesome!)

RUN
Kicking off the bike cleats, well, pulling and yanking is more like it, I took inventory of myself and took off to the sounds of Rachel Wadsworth and a few other DC Tri members cheering me on. "How far is Kevin ahead of me?" She paused to think..."He's came through awhile ago. Probably ten minutes." TEN MINUTES! Crap! In the world of a 10K race, 10 minutes is a lot. At best, if I ran a 40 minute 10K race, I had to have Kevin falter a little on the run or I was done. With the shoes laced up and the cap on tight, I took off. Weaving in and out of the other runners I felt that nagging pain in my side begin to worsen. Step by step and breath by breath, my stride began to suffer. Mile 1 was on track, but something was wrong. Kevin and I passed each other on the out and back portion, but it wasn't my legs giving me problems, it was my rib. Or rather my ribcage muscles. Had I pulled and oblique muscles? Tore a muscle? I was beginning to wonder. My breathing became erratic and I began to weaze. I was a running orgasmic noise. My stealth like gait gone as I made little gasping yelps of pain with each step. Again, something was wrong. Thoughts of IMWI flashed in my head--Should I quit? Can I finish? Am I going to need a medic after the race? For those who know me, I never give up during a race, but this was different. It was, by far, the worst pain I have ever felt while running. And to top it all off, I thought my IRONMAN dreams for this season were done. What to do, what to do? The answer: WALK. That's right walk. I had no choice. Either this was the worst stitch caused by either a lack or excess of fluid or I was headed to the emergency room. Fortunately, it was the former, but unfortunately, I was WALKING! I saw Eric Goetz ahead of me and began to shuffle along, attempting to find a miracle on the trails...and it came. Slowly, the pain subsided and I began my assault on the final few miles. Head down, hips forward and my arms in motion I inched closer and closer to the final mile when I finally spotted Kevin again. It wasn't to be. As I did the calculations in my head, it was impossible---the little shit beat me in his first triathlon! But the race wasn't over. I figured, if I couldn't beat him, I could certainly ruin some other athletes day by taking them down in the last 1/4 mile. Humidity rising and sweating dripping off my visor, I rounded the final corner onto the straightaway and headed for the finish line playing cat and mouse with two other runners. With a tug here and a push there, I laid the hammer once more in the final stretch of a race and blew by the few individuals looking for last second glory. For them, it was not to be. (notice there's no pictures of me crossing the line: Too fast for you Mr. Photographer?) Once again, if I have you in my sights with a 1/4 mile, you're mine. Unfortunately, the race was not mine. Kevin had won. (which I'm completely proud of--he's by far a better swimmer than I am and with a 12 deficit out of the water, the race was already his. He's come a long way with only more PR's to come)

Run: 42:43 6:54 mile/pace (my 2nd mile was almost a full minute slower than every other mile)

Overall: 2:31:33
21st in age division 30-34M
154th Male
184th Overall