Breezy Point Race Report

Breezy Point Sprint Triathlon
June 1, 2008

1K Swim / 12.4 mi Bike / 3.1 mi Run

Summary
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Swim - 40:17.90
T1 - 5:54.45
Bike - 41:23.95
T2 - 3:11.10
Run - 34:41.45

Total Time: 2:05:09
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- Karen's Pictures
- Official Race Pictures

The day began at a nice leisurely hour of 4:15 am. I'd been up till about 11:00 pm the night before getting all my stuff ready, my numbers on my bike and jersey and helmet, packing my transition bag, getting my bike ready, and lots of other things. I can't eat much before all that exercise, so breakfast was a couple of PowerBar gels, a cup of coffee, and a bottle of mocha Frappuccino from the hotel convenience store.

Our Team in Training group rolled out of the hotel parking lot about 5:30 am, and we were on the Naval base by 6:00. I got my bike checked out, my race number marked on me, and my transition area set up, then went to pick up my timing chip. By that point is was about 6:30, and I was pretty much set up and ready. I warmed up with a short little run, then came and watched them set up the turn buoys for the swim course. One kilometer of open bay water looked a lot bigger than I thought it would. I could hardly see the farthest buoy. Yet at that point I was still surprisingly calm. About 7:30 they opened the swim course for warm-up swimming, so I wiggled into my wet suit and spent some time in the water. I'd forgotten just how salty salt water actually is.

A little before 8:00 they shoo'ed us out of the water and out of the transition area, and began staging the start waves. I was in wave 5 of 10 to start. There were over 600 people milling about, so I could barely see when the first wave started. As my time got closer I was moving up toward the seawall, till finally they moved our wave of 56 guys to the top of the boat ramp. That's when the reality set in and the nerves kicked in. But then it was our time, and we went down the ramp and into the water, and swam to the start area. Lots of good luck was wished all around, and then the air horn sounded and we were off!


The swim to the first turn buoy (250m) was the hardest. The current kept pulling me out of line, and I was nervous enough at that point that it didn't occur to me to swim toward the left of the buoy. Instead I kept getting pulled right, and then correcting, so I zigzagged that leg. Sighting was also a lot harder than I'd imagined. I ended up breast-stroking a lot more than I'd planned just so I could see where I was going, and occasionally having to stop completely to resight. I felt like wasn't making any progress whatsoever, but I wasn't going to look at my watch till I reached the first turn. Finally I did, and I was just over nine minutes. A horrible time, but about in line with my pool time, and on track to make the 45 minute cutoff, so I relaxed a little.

A nice left turn, and I was swimming straight against the current, so the second leg was slow, but I was finally starting to get a rhythm, which felt good. I was grateful to reach the second buoy, which was the halfway point. I took a moment to look back toward shore, and was totally unable to locate the boat ramp where we'd started. That was a little scary, but at that point I was already out there, so there was nothing for it but to finish the swim.

Third leg went better still, and finally I reached the last turn buoy. There was a life guard there on a long board calling out "Turn left! Into the sun!" And we did. The turn toward the swim finish was right into the morning sun. Glad I had mirrored swim goggles (thanks for the suggestion Ned!). Now the current was with me, and I could see the end of the swim, so I started to really push. For the first time in the swim I actually started to pass people (after being passed by wave after wave myself). Then I reached out and my hand touched concrete, and I stood up. One kilometer of water was behind me. Six months of swim lessons, practice, and lots and lots of encouragement, and I had done something I hadn't thought I could do. It probably sounds silly to anyone who's a decent swimmer, but the thought of being that far out in dark water that's 50 or more feet deep (it's a navy ship staging area and so dredged out quite deep) was really scary, given that six months ago I could barely swim 10 meters. But it was done! 40 minutes and 18 seconds -- the third worst swim time of the race (but at least not THE worst), but it was done, and within the allowed cutoff time.

So, up the boat ramp and into the transition area. I wriggled my way out of my wet suit, and got ready for the bike portion. It was a long transition (just under six minutes), but I was tired from the swim, so I didn't rush it too much. Then out on the bike for a much-looked-forward-to ride. By that point I was tired of being passed by everyone, so this was my chance to make up a little ground. I tucked into a decent aero position and took off. No one passed me on the bike course (of course, all the really serious athletes were already ahead of me, having passed me in the water, but still...). It felt good to keep passing people on the course. What was hardest was that I'm used to riding in hills, where you have to work harder going up, and easier going down. Norfolk is, naturally, very, very FLAT. So except for some difference due to the wind, it was a constant-effort ride. That was harder to do than I'd expected. My speed wasn't great, but I averaged 18 mph over the course, going as high as 26 and as low as 12 depending on the wind. I finished 12.4 miles in 41 minutes and 24 seconds.

I came sailing into the transition area and hopped off my bike, started to run it to the rack, and nearly fell over. I hadn't backed off the intensity soon enough, and my legs were not at all pleased at the notion of going from pedaling to running. So I slowed down a little and walked my bike in. I finally got my legs to cooperate, and got my running shoes on. T2 was better than T1 at just a little over three minutes, and I was out on the run course. Last part!

The run itself for the most part was not terribly noteworthy except that it was completely devoid of shade. On the base, the entire race (except the swim of course) was all on tarmac and asphalt, so it was pretty hot, and there were no trees along the course to provide any meaningful shade. By two miles I was getting quite warm and thirsty, but didn't feel like I could actually manage to keep any fluid down at that point and still keep going, so I slogged on. I finally made the turn onto the seawall toward the finish, with a half mile to go. That's the longest damn half-mile I've ever seen. Looked more like five at that point, but fatigue was a bit of a factor. :) As I closed in on the finish, though, there was the cheering crowd, and that was a real motivator, and gave me the boost to put in a final kick across the finish line! A run of 3.1 miles completed in 34:42 (which is horrible run time for me, but it was hotter than I was used to, and I'd been a little busy prior to the run). Total time: 2 hours, 5 minutes, 9 seconds.

I came into the finish chute, and went to take off my timing chip (which was around my ankle on a neoprene and velcro ankle strap), but I couldn't get it off. At that point, I'd pretty much had it. The volunteer there had to take it off for me. I then made a bee-line for the refreshments table and got in some water, some Gatorade (or their equivalent) and a couple oranges.

Through it all, my wonderful family was there to support me, and take care of me after the race. The post-race party at the park featured some great BBQ and other foods, though I still couldn't stomach much at that point. By dinner time, though, I was ready to eat small herd animals.

It was a lot of work, and tiring, but it was fun, and I'm looking forward to my next race on June 22nd. Thanks again to everyone who was so supportive, and especially my family, who've put up with a lot of training and standing around in the heat at the race. It's really meant a lot. And especially to everyone who donated to LLS. Being able to raise money for such a good cause really made this a doubly meaningful race.

A Few Much-Delayed Updates

Once again, I've been slack in updating this log, though not slack in training.

Since my last posting, I've run the Run for Autism 5K with my kids (even Jessa (5yo) ran the whole thing), managed to actually swim 1000m a couple times, ridden a cycling time trial, and done a couple full-distance brick workouts. And lots of general swimming, cycling, and running.

Now, the time draws near -- day after tomorrow, I leave for Norfolk. Time to see if everything I've done was enough. My thanks to everyone who has contributed, offered support, and expressed interest. I promise there will be pictures when it's over. Wish me luck!

Wetsuits are Here!

I've just received word that our wetsuits have arrived and we'll be picking them up this Wednesday. Because really, what better way to improve your speed workout at the track than with a brand new wetsuit?

I've been trying to learn a few things about the fine art of successfully wearing and swimming in a wetsuit, and of all the bits of wisdom I've picked up, I think the most helpful went along with the attached picture... "Never fart in a wetsuit".

A Victory for Blood Cancer Research (Bad News for the Homecoming King)

Taking a break from tri training to think about the greater good of blood cancer research, I was heartened to read in that most reliable and serious news journal, The Onion, about Albany High School sophomore Brett Oster's full recovery from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Brett's story was really only a quick mention in this article about their yearbook staff's quest for a fitting dedication for their 2007 yearbook, but nevertheless it's good to know that blood cancer research has saved another life. Unfortunate, perhaps, for Ryan Edwards, but sometimes life goes that way. Being a homecoming king and star athlete can lead to tragedy.

Want to help save more lives like Brett's? (Sorry, Ryan) Help out with a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through my fundraising page.

Speed Workouts

(I liked this picture of a British police officer preparing to use a phased plasma energy weapon to evaporate cars speeding down a rural English highway. The Brits are such a polite group of people; I'm sure he'll apologize afterward.)

This past week saw the introduction of a new sort of pain into my life. From here on out, Wednesdays are speed workouts at the UVa track. At first glance, it might seem this would be a welcome thing, because it's much shorter than any other workout. This past Wednesday consisted of only 2.6 miles, and was done in well under an hour.

The pain comes from the fact that it's FAST. One mile warm-up at a reasonable speed, then alternating fast laps or half-laps with moderate-paced laps or half-laps. When you normally run at an 8.5 to 9.0 minutes/mile pace, running laps at 6.5 to 7.5 minutes/mile is rough. As always, serious runners will scoff at my pathetic pace, but it's a tough pace for me. It was hard enough at the time, but my failure to properly recover/rehydrate/renutriate (yes, I made that word up) afterward REALLY did me in. I was wiped out for nearly 24 hours. I'll do better next time.

So, looks like Wednesdays will be speedy from now till June. Weeeeeeeeeeee...

A Little Bit Farther

Just a quick note that I managed 550m in 23 minutes, so that's another improvement. Still pathetic, yes, but it's progress nonetheless. And I'm thinking if I employ the concept in this picture, while someone else drives the truck, I can cover huge amounts of distance rapidly!

Spring is Here!

It's Spring! The long, cold days of winter are over (not that it ever actually got that cold, but still). This is my favorite day of the year!

Also, it means Breezy Point is getting closer... 1749 hours, or 2 months, 11 days, 21 hours to go. Not that I'm counting.

As for the picture, all I'll say is, "Spring is here, spring is here/Life is skittles and life is beer/I think the loveliest time of the year is the Spring. I do. Don't you? Of course you do." And mention that I'm a big Tom Lehrer fan.

(And no ACTUAL pigeons were harmed in the making of this post)

ADDENDUM:

But if you like high-energy particle physics and are less fond of pigeons, you've gotta read this XKCD.

500m Nonstop!

Okay, this post is just plain self-satisfied happiness. All you good swimmers out there will scoff, but today I swam 500 meters without stopping. A trivial achievement to many, I know, but given that four months ago I couldn't swim 25, it's a big deal for me.

To be fair, it was alternating freestyle and backstroke (25m of each), but the key was that I didn't stop. Even when I thought I was going to pass out, I kept going, and finished it! That's the distance I need to swim for the Charlottesville Sprint Tri, and half the distance needed for the Breezy Point Tri. It's still a long way to go before June 1st, but it's the most progress I've made so far!

It WAS a little disconcerting the way the life guard (Mirjana, three-time Olympic swimmer for Macedonia) was looking at me, with a very concerned "Is he going to pass out" look. But she smiled when I was done.

Recommitted

Perhaps it would be more apt to say that I should BE committed, but as of yesterday I have filed all my recommitment paperwork with Team in Training, pledging that I will, in fact, be seeing this whole thing through.

This pack o' paperwork included my race entry form, hotel and food arrangements, wetsuit sizing form, TNT race clothing form, and other stuff, too. But it's all in, there's enough money in my account that they probably won't break my legs at this point (but the fundraising continues!) and I'm physically on my way to being able to do it. So... June 1st, here I come!

(Note the silence as June 1st fails to cower in fear at my approach).

Martha Jefferson 8K

Another race under my belt, and a fairly decent time even -- This past Saturday I ran the Martha Jefferson 8K through downtown Charlottesville. My goal was to finish in the top half, which I managed to do. I was 209th out of 437, with a time of 44:14. That meant a pace of under nine minutes per mile over about five miles, which is a PR for me for that distance! Woohoo! Nothing stellar, but decent performance for someone who is probably not genetically tuned to be a serious runner. I was 20th of 33 for my age group, so a little on the slow side there, but still...

The weather was, um, icky. Chilly, gray, drizzling (except the brief downpour 20 minutes before the race started), and utterly uninspiring, except that it made you want to get it over with quicker. I blame the weather for my relative performance not being better, because I presume the less-serious runners probably stayed home; attendance was a little lighter than I expected. So it was just the die-hards, and the folks (like me) not smart enough to stay home in bed on a dreary, wet morning.

All in all, though, I'm pleased about the race. It felt good, I had a decent time, and I at least feel my running base is now pretty solid (given that I sort of forgot about the race and didn't train much in the couple weeks leading up to it).

Brick

And now for something completely different...

(If you're not into Monty Python, I'm sorry -- you probably won't get the reference :)

It's mostly been all about the swimming the last few months, but I HAVE actually been doing other things, like, oh, say, cycling and running, too. (I've also been taking a boxing class, but that's just in case things get ugly on the course -- my right cross is getting pretty good.)

We did our first actual "brick" workout with Team in Training a week or so ago. For those not in the know, a brick is not just a building material, or what becomes of your iPhone if you try to hack it to use a different mobile provider. It's also a term referring to a combined bike and run workout. Why brick? Go cycle hard for an hour, jump off the bike, and try to run. Go ahead, try it. For a little bit, you'll feel like you're carrying a load of 'em. So we practice this somewhat painful transition in training.

The nice thing was, for this workout, we actually did more than the bike distance for Breezy Point (14.9 miles -- BP is 12.4 miles), and about the same run distance (3 miles, 0.1 mile short of BP). And tougher, because we biked and ran basically the C'ville Sprint Tri course (which I'm also planning to do, on June 22), which is a hilly ride and a hilly trail run. Breezy Point is flat, being in Norfolk. So, I just need to work on speed. Oh yeah, and surviving the swim so I can get to the rest. :)

I've Been a Bad Boy

I hide my face in shame -- I've been bad about updating my training log. BUT... that doesn't mean I've been bad about training! Quite to the contrary, I've gone off and done something remarkable. Amazing, even (at least to me). Somewhere in the last couple of months, I've actually learned to swim. Really! Okay, I've got a HUGE amount of work to do to be able to do more than backstroke the whole 1000 meters, but I'm getting there.

I'm now swimming at least three and often more times per week. I'm in my second round of lessons, and we're at the point of refining technique and working on endurance. I can tread water and/or float for at least 10 minutes in deep water. I may (possibly) have a chance of doing this thing! Woohoo! Thanks for all the support from everyone.

Triathlon Swimming

This may be tougher than I thought...

New Training Plan

We just got the next four weeks' worth of training plan from Ned. He sounds so encouraging. So kind. So "can do!" And yet, I wonder... what is the price of failure? Is he merely drawing us in, till we're committed with no hope of turning back? This is the man who just ran a marathon and a half marathon in the same weekend! I fear for our wellbeing.

(Please help out with a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through my fundraising page -- Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!)

Four-and-a-Half Sixths

Woohoo! We're more than six eighths of the way to the goal! That's over one-and-a-half halves! It's even more than three quarters!

We've now hit 76% of the way to our fundraising goal. I hope to have it all raised by my rapidly-approaching recommitment date, whereby I have to have raised my goal or be willing to pony up the rest myself. Ouch. I told you these people were like the mob.

Thanks so much to everyone who's helped so far. Only a little bit more to go. C'mon, we can make it! Drop by my fundraising page to help out! Please?!?!