Mach Tenn 2009

Overall this race went pretty well. I started things off taking a short bike ride to warm up there after getting my transition area set up. Then i got in the water to warm up there. Swam probably 200 yards to get good and warm. While standing in line, probably about 30 people left to wait on the girl behind me tells me that my swim cap is on inside out. So i decided i had enough time to fix it. When i got things situated my goggles didn't feel like they were on my face well and i couldn't get them right. I didn't know that the seal had started to tare away from the right eye at the time, but that was the issue and it was time to go. So swimming with one eye i took off, not knowing really what to expect.

I don't think there is much to prepare you for swimming in mob of people. With in the first 5 strokes, i made a point to myself to relax and to pace myself because i knew i was already going out too hard. I think i held good composure for the remainder of the swim. I got off course once while rounding the second buoy. Don't really know what happened, all i knew was a guy in a boat was yelling at me about it getting back on course and i held my pace.

I need to work on sighting. I was looking up every 4 strokes or so. I also think if i could at some point after i get winded to not breath every 2 strokes but 3, i think my speed and effort would be greatly improved.

Things got a little rough in the water rounding the last buoy. I had to swim over people and really hold my ground. I had hands and legs in my face and was being shoved around. The only solution i saw to the problem was to swim faster and just shove back. Nothing too bad in the water though.

I got out and looked at my watch and was impressed and surprised to see i was under 17 min in the swim. Swim time: 16:56 (1000 yards).

Running up the hill to the transition area, Shawn handed me a cup of water, i probably needed it. I tried to drink it, but really just couldn't get it down. I was too busy trying to breath. I chucked it towards the trash can where i missed and almost in slow motion watched the bottom of the cup hit the pavement and the stream of water come up and all over a lady standing in the transition area. whoops...

I felt like i had a slow transition. Looking at my time, it wasn't' too bad 1:57.

On the bike... Time to hydrate. The first mile or two on the bike was rough, i was still hurting from the swim. I choked down half a gel pack on the start. I felt it in my best interest to quit when i did. After i recovered from that though i got on it. I started passing people which should make anyone happy. I sluffed it off when the people with just over the top bikes, disk wheels etc, blew past me. The one thing about the swim and the run (more so on the run due to wetsuits) a guy passes you you don't' have the excuse, "well if i had his shoes i could run faster".

Anyway, the bike went well, the hill going up towards UTSI didn't even really slow me down as much as it had before in my training. I passed quite a few on that hill alone. I finished the last of my gel pack going around UTSI. All and all i had a time i was happy with if i didn't slack in the first few min, it might have been a tad better, meh. I started to really like the aero bars and feel comfortable when i was on them. Bike time: 48:55 (16 miles).

T2 went pretty smooth. Again i felt that i was slacking in the transition area but the time said otherwise 0:56. Forgot to grab my gel pack for the run though. Don't think it mattered really.

The run was slower than i had really hoped for. I was hoping for around a 8:30 pace. I ran at a pace i was comfortable with. I got passed by a lot of people... I think i only passed 3-4 people, and well they were walking. I saw Coach Lester, Joe and Lisa at the turn around cheering me on with her cowbell. Good to see them, i laughed a little just at the fact that they were there which let me kinda get my mind on something else other than the run. When i crossed the finish line, i was glad to be done. Jessie was waiting on me at the finish line. Talked to Shawn briefly as i recovered. Run time: 36:02 (4 miles).

Finish time: 1:44:45.

The race was a lot of fun. Especially considering that less than a year ago i never saw myself really doing this. I've came a long way but there is definitely room for improvement. I'm sold on the triathlons though. The foot races are fun, but i definitely like getting a little more of a break in the monotony in just the running part.

I saw quite a few people that i hadn't seen for a while volunteering. My old boy scout troop and my scoutmaster. As well as the HAM radio guys. Thanks to all.

I've been toying with signing up for the Music City Triathlon that team magic is putting on. Its of the Olympic distance. So it will be quite a bit more challenging than this one. I think its well within my abilities to finish it. I think I've about got myself talked into it.

As far as training this week. I'm skipping the running and just swimming. I went to spin class on Tuesday for the first time in a while. Chad puts on a mean class. Sunday I'm going to pick it back up with the training. With a middle distance run through Bonnaroo on Sunday morning with Jessie. This week is Bonnaroo time. Looking forward to a few bands however I'm skipping the headliners this year... probably take a nap so i can be awake for MGMT and Girl Talk who both have late night shows.

First Tri - GJCC

This is a couple of weeks late, but better late than never.

I had planned on my first Triathlon to be the Mach Tenn. A goal i set back for myself around Nov, Dec when i realized i could run a few miles and didn't hate it. I haven't really been in great shape since well high school and after that college was kinda on and off. After college, it was pretty much off. Anyway, for a long time, I've kinda thought a triathlon would be a fun thing to try. I really had no motivation or desire to peruse that thought though. I've never been able to run and most of all didn't want to put myself through the pain and agony that is running.

I started getting in to shape, started to like running. My friend, Lisa, that i used to work with at the theater in high school challenged me to sign up for the CMM half. After i did the math in my head about pace to finish etc... i was out of excuses. I signed up. And in the next few months i got comfortable with the skill i thought I'd never had.

So after that things started to fall in line... I was going to spin class and trying to swim in the pool for cross training. Then probably the best motivator was the onset of a master's swim program at the rec center in Manchester. After this, i really had no excuse... Mach Tenn here i come.

In talking to Don Rogers he actually mentioned the GJCC as a great beginners tri to make my first one. I took his advice, and signed up for it.

So on to the race:

I was lucky enough that my brothers girlfriend lives about a mile from the bike course. So when i had planned on driving up that morning, i was able to stay over there and get a little more rest. I went up the night before for the beginners briefings. Some helpful information was said. A lot of stuff was just review, as I've spent a good bit of time researching how to take this on.

It was a great day for it in the morning, overcast looking like it was going to rain really and not really hot either. The swim was technically wet suit legal. That morning i warmed up with a 200 meter swim in the pool nice and slow and smooth. Its been my experience that my first 200 or so is always rough in swim class.

I got to the front of the line, GO... the race was on. I hopped in the pool (i was expecting to be able to start in a swimming start fashion, however, 5 min before race time i was informed that would get me DQ'ed.) So i jumped in and started swimming. The swim felt smooth and at the 100m turn i had passed the guy in front of me. I got out and was kinda happy with the swim especially with the unexpected things that came about on race day... ie, not being able to dive in, and having to swim across 3 lanes and a swim well to exit the swim. Swim time 3:38 (200m).

T1 went pretty smooth: 1:52.

On to the bike. Not knowing what to expect and wondering how easy/hard it is to get a drafting/passing violation, i kinda started off a bit timid. After i saw what other people were doing on the bike, i picked it up. I passed quite a few people and pushed it hard. Hard up the hills. The downhills weren't as friendly as I'd had wished pretty much any downhill we had, there was a turn in it with people yelling to slow down. Going into the last turn, the girl in front of me, lost control of her bike and hit the gate and rolled. It didn't look pretty. I finished the bike strong. 28:51 (8.5 mi + T2).

The run was the first mile of the bike course, out and back. I took off, trying to run my own race. Didn't want to pace anyone and wear myself out. I know I'm slow, I've got a lot of work to do on the run. around the turn around the girl that wiped out on the fence came trotting past me. Glad she was OK, however a tad depressing that she could take a spill like that and still catch me. I might have had a little left at the end of the run, but i was definitely ready to be finished. I ran at an 8:22 pace which is respectable for me. 16:43 (2 miles). Total 51:03.

I recovered, and got some snacks and stuck around for the results to be posted. I was very surprised to find out that I took first in the beginner class age group. So i can't complain about much there. Team-Magic did a great job organizing the race. It was a great experience and a confidence builder for the Mach Tenn coming up in a couple of weeks.