I checked in right at 6:30am. I had to find my own name on the list while the girl got my T-shirt. The shirts were bright florescent green with the above logo. They are in a technical material and I'm pretty sure I will wear it on my runs. After check in came body marking. #20 on each arm, my age on my right leg, a happy face on my left leg (always) my estimated swim time on my right hand and 4/3 on my left - that was to tell me I had to do 4 loops on the bike and 3 for the run to make the Olympic distance of 1000m swim, 24.8 mile (40K) bike, 10K run.
Transition set up for #20 Ready to Go
I like getting to races early because I don't have to rush. So I spent the hour setting up my transition, making new friends, hydrating, playing Pokemon GO (the aquacenter was a PokeStop - how convenient). And before I knew it I had to go into the pool to start the swim. I got deck side and there was a man yelling. When you yell in a pool you get LOTS of echo so even though I was close, I had trouble hearing him. What I did catch was "organize yourselves" and "1 lap in each lane for 1000m (10 lane - 50m pool...simple math). Then people started milling around checking hands for swim times. This took a shocking amount of time. But I found my group with similar times and mixed myself in. I was in the back of the pack but this is not surprising. I am usually in the back of the pack. I am not a fantastic swimmer, cyclist or runner but I train hard and do my best. If that ends up being dead last then I am OK with that. Back of the pack is my wheel house.
The swim started with the first swimmer and already the problems started. Swimmer #1, who was supposed to be the fastest, was certainly not the fastest. He had estimated his time at 15 minutes but was a slow swimmer. Then I realized why. He was going up lane 1, back lane 2, up lane 3 and so forth. So simple math says that is 500m, not 1000m. The marshal stopped him at lane 2 and told him his mistake. Dude nodded but kept doing it. Anyway, they launched the swimmers every 25m and I was in the pool about 10 minutes after the start. I started strong, kept my eye on the time but soon caught the swimmer ahead of me. She kindly let me pass at one end and I kept going. Then I caught another and passed him easily in the lane. I even caught 3rd one that let me pass at the lane's end. But apparently quite a few swimmers did what the first swimmer did...or selectively did that. As I got out of the pool I was quickly passed by a man going to transition. The girl behind me told me he had cheated and just decided to go under the lane marker mid lane to get in front of her. That is frustrating for me because he'll get a faster swim time than I did but I swam all 1000m.
Into transition, loaded up for the bike and was off. I felt like I took a LONG time in transition but I think I always feel like that. Out of the "Bike OUT' arch and mounted and prepared for 24.4 miles. The advertisement for the race said the bike route was set up so only right turns, except for the Bike In which was a left - that was helpful. The bike was on a mix of closed roads, partially closed roads (as in one lane is blocked for the cyclists and one open for cars) and open roads with no lanes for the cyclists. The bike was HILLY (see the elevation profile below). I had biked Silk Sheets to prepare but I was really pushing myself on this bike. I kept close eye on my splits and my times and then I got to the hill.
Bike Map and Elevation Profile (1375ft gain)
Or should I say THE HILL. THE HILL started at mile 5 ended at mile 7.5 of loop 1 and it was a climb. I nailed it the first time and I felt strong. Then a girl passed me and said "we have to do that 4 times" and I think it set in in that I had to do that 4 TIMES! Ugh! I looped around and finished loop 1 and felt strong. I started loop 2 and right before THE HILL is a great down hill where you can rest for the big one ahead. There is a sharp right turn on that downhill and a police man stepped in front of a car that disobeyed him (The car wanted to turn left into my lane where I was turning right - cop said NO, guy didn't it anyway). If that cop didn't do that for me, that car would have 100% hit me. I am thankful that policeman was so brave to step in front of the car for me. Then THE HILL for time 2...and 3...and 4. About loop 3 I realized that we were pacing for more than a 24 mile bike. It ended up being almost 27 miles and that played with my head mentally too. Up the hill on time 3 I saw 2 cyclists up ahead getting their bikes loaded on to a truck, I guess there was a crash or they decided to take a DNF. I hope everyone is OK. FINALLY it was time to go to the BIKE IN. I was exhausted. It was starting to get very hot and I started to really dread the run. As I was coming down the last stretch before the BIKE IN, I saw a cyclist sitting on the road, he was shaking his head telling the marshal "I can't do it". Such a shame when you train for something but it just becomes too much. I knew then that no mater how bad my run was going to be, I was going to finish. In to transition and there was a bike that had took over my transition spot. Right there among all my stuff was another bike. Did that other athlete use my towel too? Did they use my nice cold water out of my cooler? I am going to assume they just lost their own transition spot and borrowed mine. But I then had to scramble to figure out what to do with my bike. After what felt like 45 minutes I was out on the run.
We had to run up the ramps for a bridge that takes us over the main road and then on to residential roads for the 3 loop run. The first water station was at mile 0.3 so I took some water and dumped some on my head and I was off. After mile 1 I realized the run was going to be tough. I went hard for the bike and the heat had set in and I was tired. I remembered that one guy on the bike shaking his head saying "I can't do it" but I was going to finish. So my run was no run at all. Maybe a shuffle? But about mile 1.5 I was in desperate need of water. That water station I passed at mile 0.3 was the ONLY water station. I was going to loop it 2 more times but I didn't need it at mile 2.3. I really needed it now. Though the hills (elevation profile below) of the residential area the sun was really beating down.
Run Map and Elevation Profile (218ft gain)
I thought about quitting a lot. I thought about shorting the distance (I could do 5 miles instead and still be proud of myself right....no I would hate myself...keep going). Passed the water station at mile 2.3 and took as much as I could for my 2nd loop. The pack was starting to thin now but this is my wheel house remember? I'm usually at the back of the pack but I try hard. Up an down the hills trying to hold on. Water station at mile 4.3 and by mile 5, knowing that I didn't have any more water stations was really taxing mentally. This is when I thought really seriously about quitting. But I dug deep and shuffled along. I was going MUCH slower than my best but I was in 'just finish' mode and I didn't care that I was one of the last one the course. I was going to finish. Rounded mile 6 and pushed to the finish. I finished and doubled over (not collapsing thankfully) while the lady put the medal on me and asked me where I got my shoes. What? My shoes? I should be asking you where the bloody water was on the course. But I stumbled out "I got them on Amazon.com" and walked off. I went back to my transition spot, got lots of water, my frozen towel (such a good idea), found a spot under a tree and rested. Other racers talked to me, we laughed and high-fived our congratulations with each other and I remembered that is why I like to do this. It is the feeling I get when I am done and the people I meet. I may be last, the marshals may be off the course and the crews are taking down the course, but I'll finish and I'll meet some great people along the way. I also race for those people that I pass, those people that I used to be - that look at you and think "I'd like to do that one day" or "that looks like a lot of fun" because in the end it is fun.
So - to sum up. Here are my "Great Things", my "Work ons" and my Tips
Great Things
- The course is beautiful. Except for Monster Hill on the bike most of the course is rolling. But honestly, even that hill is on a pretty part of the course.
- Great coverage by police and signage so you don't get lost.
- Lots of space in transition, no one seemed cramped.
- Chiropractor available after the race for all your sore spots.
- Fantastic support from the marshals, volunteers, police.
- Challenging run - not a fast and flat but you will test your limits.
Work ons - I hate to criticize without offering suggestions on how to make it better.
- We shouldn't organize ourselves for the swim. List each athlete in an excel spreadsheet with their estimated swim times, sort by swim time/last name and BOOM you have your bib numbers and race order. Swimmer bib 1 will go first because his swim time is faster and alphabetically first too.
- MORE WATER STATIONS on the run. It got brutal out there. One lady came in after me told me they had pulled the water stations and she had to do 2 loops with NO WATER - that is unacceptable and dangerous in the Georgia August heat.
- Maybe assign transition spots? I've done races that did not have assigned ones and never got my spot stolen. But this time I did and it bothered me.
- Open roads for the bikes are tough because you have to navigate around cars making stupid mistakes. Like not passing, or passing TOO close to you, or rolling down their windows to yell at you things like "get on the side walk" or "Pay attention". Cars like to forget that they HAVE to yield to a cyclist on the road.
TIPS
- Park at the Kroger, lots of people were trapped there until the race was complete after 1pm.
- Bring lots of water and even a little run carry bottle. It is HOT on that run.
- Be patient with the swimmers starting to get organized in the swim. It shouldn't be hard organize ourselves but it took forever.
- Hill train, for both running and biking. Do bricks with both hilly legs.
- Embrace the suck. That MONSTER hill is tough and if you need to get off your bike and walk it, do it. You won't be the only one. But don't quit.
- Don't quit. There were many times I wanted to quit on this race. But stay tough the feeling at the end is great.
- Talk to lots of people, athletes at these races are the best part about racing. And they can offer their own tips for the next one.
- Sign up for the next one, you'll get hooked, but do your research. I got stuck in my head a little bit because things were not going as planned simply because I was naive.
- Have fun, that's why you are there right?
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