Registration Opened

On November 1, 2011 registration opened for the Philadelphia Triathlon and this year I signed up for the Olympic distance event.  I wish the site allowed you to see how many people registered and what the limit was for number of participants.  I guess I have to wait until June 24, 2012 to find out the answer to my questions.  So who else signed up for the Philadelphia Triathlon?

Nation's Triathlon Race Recap

After the Nation's Triathlon I stopped training and took time off to relax which is why it's taken so long to post my thoughts about the Nation's Triathlon.

A restless night followed by a 4:00 AM wake up, someone remind me why I like triathlons.  My transition bag was packed so I just had to pull on some clothes, fill my gel flasks and water bottles before heading out the door.  The elevator doors opened and I was surprised to see so many people were in the hotel lobby at 4:30 AM.  I walked outside and was greeted by a 72 degree morning and a volunteer pointing me towards the first bus.  I was the last person to get on the bus and the only person not wearing purple and green.  How many people are on Team in Training?  Someone started singing a song and everyone (except me) joined in.  I'm so glad I didn't get the song stuck in my head.

It was nice to find my bike was still the first bike on the rack but there were nine bike on the rack so space was tight.  It was too dark to inflate the bike tires so I filled my hydration system and laid out my clothes on my yoga mat.  One of the athletes wearing a headlamp was looking for a pump so I lent him mine.  He returned the favor by lending me light so I could inflate my bike tires.  I've added a headlamp to my Amazon wish list.  I had a lot of time to kill so I checked out the other bikes on the rack and chatted with the other athletes.  Since the swim was canceled we were allowed to wear shoes and everyone had their own opinion about what to wear.  I walked to the bike out and found the mud was just as bad from the bike rack to the bike out.  I clipped my shoes to the pedals and decided I was going barefoot.

There was a beautiful orange sunrise over the Washington monument as we lined up on the street in our swim waves.  Most people wore their bike helmets and about half of the athletes wore their bike shoes.  Someone sang the Start Spangled Banner and there was a moment of silence for 9/11.  The officials walked the elite athletes up to the starting line and the triathlon started.  I was in wave 10 so it took awhile before my wave was walked to the starting line.

The officials counted out groups of 12 and released the athletes every 15 seconds.   I ran through the mud and was two rows past my bike before I stop running.  I backtracked, threw my bike on my shoulder and headed to bike out.  I felt water running down my leg and I stopped to look at my bike.  When I filled my hydration system I didn't screw on the cap.  I set the bike down and screwed on the cap.  I'm one minute into the triathlon and I've already lost valuable time and water.

I crossed the bike mount line and tried to get on my bike but the two guys in front of me stopped and I almost ran into them.  I twisted the handlebars to the left and put my right foot down on the road to maintain my balance.  My toes hit the pavement and I left some skin on the street.  My toes hurt for the rest of the day.  It was then I realized I hadn't tried getting on the bike with my shoes clipped to the pedals since the Philadelphia Triathlon back in June.  My next attempt to get on the bike and into my shoes was successful.  There were some twists and turns and one lane sections on the bike course but for the most part the bike course was wide open and fast.  I finished with a good time and found my bike rack in transition without running past the rack.

I put on my socks and shoes and ran out of transition.  I grabbed two cups of water and poured one on my back and one on the front of my shirt.  The weather wasn't hot but it was humid but I really hadn't noticed the weather while I was on the bike.  I grabbed two cups of water at every location and poured them over my head.  The water beaded on the brim of my hat and rolled off the side so I never had to deal with water on my glasses.  I was passing a guy when I saw a photographer sitting in the middle of the street.  I looked over my shoulder and saw the Washington Monument.  If I managed to break clear the other runner there should be a great photo of me and the Washington Monument.  There was a timing mat about half way through the run course.  If I had a complaint about the Nation's Triathlon it would be the lack of signs on the course.  It's very difficult to gauge how hard you run to the finish line and how far out you can start sprinting and still reach the finish line.  When I thought I was getting near the end of the race I picked up the pace and passed a couple of runners.    I crossed the finish line and gladly accepted the finishers medal, a bottle of water, a bottle of gatorade and a towel.     

It was a long walk to the food and an even longer walk to the transition area which was already open.  I packed up my bag and walked to the road.  I was getting ready to leave when another athlete asked if I was going to the Marriott?  We rode our bikes back to the hotel and chatted about triathlons.  He was riding a Trek Speed Concept which I remember passing me on the bike course like I was parked on the highway.  There was a long and steep hill from the bike trail up to the hotel which proved to be the toughest part of the day.  Four police officers stood in the hotel driveway next to a sign that said "all vehicles subject to search."  I stopped and they searched my transition bag which I thought was funny and unnecessary.  I rode my bike into the parking garage and put it in the car.

My timing worked perfect, I finished the triathlon in time to get back to the hotel to take a shower before heading home.  We stopped at a rest area on the way home and met another athlete who was on his way home from the Nation's Triathlon.  He was in my age group and he lives near my home.  I'm sure we'll meet again in a future triathlon. 

2011 Age Group National Championship

I'm researching the Age Group National Championship to find out if I qualified for the 2012 triathlon.  I finished in the top 25% for my age group at the Nation's triathlon but we didn't have a swim event so I don't know if I qualified for the Age Group National.  I did find this highlight video from the 2011 triathlon on YouTube so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Nation's Triathlon Penultimate Day

I started the day with breakfast at McDonald's which I don't recommend but it seemed like everyone in line was entered in the triathlon.  I had the sausage egg McMuffin and the Mango Pineapple Smoothie so I'd like to think I had the good and the bad but I doubt a nutritionist would agree with me.  I really need to figure out what to eat for my pre-race meals.  It hasn't been an issue with the sprint distance events but it will become more important for the longer distances.

The transition area opened up at 10 AM so I put my running shoes in my backpack and rode my bike down the trail.  The trail ran along the Potomac river and I was glad they cancelled the swim.  The river was a chocolate brown color and there were many tree branches floating down the river.  The trail wan't very wide and there were many people running so it was a slow ride to transition.  The trail was muddy and rocky in spots as I would have expected after all that rain.  There were just a handful of people lined up waiting for the transition area to open when I arrived.  The racks were marked by swim wave and it was first come first serve as to where you placed your bike.  I was the first person to place my bike on the rack so I took the spot next to the main aisle.  I let air out of my tires so they wouldn't over expand in the sun and I put a bag over the bike seat to keep it dry.  I saw people bagging their handlebars and one person was bagging their tires.  I don't know if it's necessary to do all of that so I'll have to ask my coach the next time I see him.  The main aisle of the transition area was already getting muddy and should be a real mess on Sunday morning.

I was the only person to take the bus back to the hotel so I sat behind the driver and we talked.  The bus driver had those long fingernails that  curl and look like the talons on an eagle, she was holding a cell phone in one hand and a piece of paper in the other hand.  It was an interesting ride back to the hotel.

Carol and I spent the rest of the day at the National Zoo.

Dry Tri

On Friday 9/9/2011 we drove to Washington DC for the Nation's Triathlon.  The expo for the triathlon was held at the hotel and while speaking with on of the sponsors they said the new name for the triathlon was "The Dry Tri."  I know there have been other triathlons that cancelled the swim event but I like the way "dry tri" sounds so I'll always smile when I hear "dry tri."  Since this will be my first Olympic distance triathlon I still have to bike 40K and run 10K even though the swim is cancelled.  There are 5000 athletes signed up for the triathlon.  On the elevator I met someone that flew in from Seattle but the doors opened before I could ask if they rented a bike or brought their bike from Seattle.  I wonder who traveled the farthest distance to get to Washington DC.

Rain, rain go away

This week we had inches and inches of rain that caused flooding all across Pennsylvania but Sunday morning we should get a break from the rain and have good weather for the triathlon.  This afternoon the race director for the Nation's Triathlon sent out an email telling everyone the Potomac river was flooded and the swim portion of triathlon was cancelled.  I guess there were logistical issues that prevented the race director from adding a run event to replace the swim event.  The new plan is to have everyone line up in the corrals as if they were going to do the swim.  Then every 15 seconds 12 people will run into the transition area to get their bikes to start the triathlon.  I hope the transition area is paved or it's going to be a muddy mess.  It should be an interesting day and I can't wait to see what happens.

Yard Work

I took Friday as a rest day and today I spent the day working in the yard.  I feel guilty about slacking off when I have a triathlon next weekend but I've found September is the best time to rejuvenate a yard.  Today I mowed the grass, aerated the yard, planted grass seed, fertilized and watered the yard.  Yard work tends to uses muscles that are not typically used during training so I'm sure I'll be sore on Sunday.  The plan is to get up early Sunday morning, water the yard and go to the YMCA.

September

In August we had a record number of days where the temperature was above 90 degrees.  In August we set a record for rainfall and that was before hurricane Irene dumped 5 inches of rain on Philadelphia.  I wonder what September has in store for us.

 

I spend so much of my training time running on the treadmill that I find myself very sore after I run outside.  Tuesday's 10K took a lot out of me so on Wednesday I went swimming and biking after work.  Today I went swimming and ran an easy 5K on the treadmill.

Survived Hurricane Irene

We survived hurricane Irene and the 5 inches of rain that fell but we went 24 hours without power.  I didn't bother leaving the house to even see if the YMCA was open so I lost a day of training.  Today I went for a 10K run during my lunch hour and after work I rode around the yard on a tractor mowing the grass.  It's funny (sad actually) how we create structured training plans and then use modern conveniences to make yard work easier.

LiveStrong Challenge Philadelphia Bike Ride

Today I joined hundreds of other bike riders in the LiveStrong Challenge Philadelphia.  I signed up for the 100 mile bike ride but this year I concentrated my training on triathlons rather then long bike rides so I decided to do one of the shorter rides.  Just like I did for last years LiveStrong Challenge, I showed up for the bike ride with optimism for a bright and sunny day.  I put on the sunscreen, donned the sunglasses, left my rain jacket in the car and just like last year it rained.  It started raining at mile 12.5 and then the skies opened up at mile 13.5.  Some riders immediately turned back but I continued on and finished the 45 mile bike ride in 3 hours.  

 

I was riding with another guy and we were just casually talking about this that and the other when he said this would be the last bike ride on these tires.  Not more then 5 minutes later he asked if his rear tire was going flat.  The moral of the story, when you're on a bike ride, never tempt fate by talking about rain, flats or crashes.    

This was the first time I used my gel flask on a bike ride.  I put two packets of gel in the flask and topped off the flask with water, it was just the right consistency to easily flow from the nozzle.

LiveStrong Challenge Philadelphia 10K

Today I ran in the LiveStrong Challenge Philadelphia 10K.  This was my first 10K race and I finished with a time of 47:08 minutes.  I never saw the race results so I don't know how well I did.

Did Not Start

Today I should be telling you about my race results from the Lums Pond triathlon but instead I'm going to talk about the weather.  The weatherman was calling for thunderstorms so I decided I'd put the bike rack on the car Sunday morning.  It started raining Saturday evening and every time I woke up it was raining harder and harder.  The alarm went off at 4 AM and it was still raining.  I decided to put the seats down and pack the bike in the back of the Highlander rather then use the bike rack.  At least the bike would stay dry in the car and only get wet if it was raining during the triathlon.  Unfortunately the farther we drove the harder it rained and the worse the visibility became.   There was thunder and lightning along with the heavy rain so I kept questioning my decision to drive to Delaware.  Last year I participated in the LiveStrong challenge and it rained for most of the 70 mile bike ride.  Being familiar with bike rides in the rain I wasn't looking forward to another ride in the rain.

 

When we got to the park it was raining and lightning continued to light up the sky.  The organizers were still setting up for the triathlon and there was a line of people waiting to get registered.  I put on my rain jacket, pulled up the hood and stood in line while Carol enjoyed the dryness of the Highlander.  After standing in line for ten minutes and not gaining much forward momentum to the registration tent I decided I'd had enough for one day.  I walked back to the Highlander and drove home.  I didn't see anyone follow me out of the park but I wonder what people thought when they saw me driving away.  The rain continued all day and I'm confortable with the decision I made this morning.

Does Did Not Start (DNS) = Did Not Finish (DNF) ?

 

I checked the race results and it shows 197 people raced today.  There are times for the swim, bike and run but it looks like all of the events were shortened since the winner completed the triathlon in 0:34:48. 

Photos from 2011 Philadelphia SheROX Triathlon

It was very hot and humid for the triathlon.  We had lots of rain before the triathlon but that didn't prevent the swimmers from going into the Schuylkill river.  I enjoyed seeing the triathlon as a spectator but it's a lot of work getting to the perfect location to get a perfect photo.  I actually ran part of the course to get photos of the athletes in the river, at the T1 exit, at the T2 exit and the finish line. 

2011_Philadelphia_SheROX_Triathlon

Photographing a Triathlon

Today I went to the Philadelphia SheROX triathlon to watch a friend compete in her first triathlon.  We've had a lot of rain lately and there were many questions about the water quality of the Schuylkill river.  Even with last nights heavy rain the race director decided the participants could swim in the river.  Wetsuits were not permitted due to the river temperature being 81 degrees.  The women raced the same course I raced in June in the Philadelphia triathlon except the swim portion was a little shorter in the SheROX triathlon.   There were about 1000 women in todays SheROX triathlon.

 

I managed to get some pre-race photos and then ran up river to see the swimmers in the river.  Then I went back to transition exit to take photos of Mary as she left transition to start the bike ride.  The bike course was two laps and I managed to spot Mary in the crowd both times and take her photo.  I ran to the transition exit and took Mary's photo again as she started the run.  The run course was an out and back course so I went to the finish line to find a location where I could take a photo of Mary as she crossed the finish line.  I worked my way up to the fence and waited.  I took a photo of Mary at the finish line that showed the race clock with her official time.

 

I enjoyed seeing a triathlon as a spectator but it's a lot of work trying to photograph a triathlon.  I'd like to say thanks to my wife Carol for all her hard work taking photos at my triathlons.

Raindrops

Today was overcast with an occasional raindrops here and there.  I went to the YMCA not knowing if the pools would be open and I was pleasantly surprised to find the pools open with very few people swimming.  I selected the center lane of the 50 meter pool and jumped in.  The water felt cold compared to the last time I went swimming.  I swam 30 laps (1500 meters) which is a new distance record for me but it's the distance I need to swim in the Nation's Triathlon.  Tomorrow is the first day of our next heat wave so I doubt I'll get to swim by myself but it was nice while it lasted.

Heat Wave

We've had a long lasting heat wave and it's not going away anytime soon.  Having skipped my workouts on Friday and Saturday due to work I headed to the pool early on Sunday morning.  There was a Masters class using the pool so we only had two lanes available for lap swimming.  I'm not a fast swimmer but I was faster then the other people sharing the lane with me.  It probably helps my training having to speed up and pass people but I always wonder how they feel when a faster swimmer swims past.  After swimming 2000 meters I headed inside to run where I put in a 5 mile run at a moderate pace. 

I signed up for another triathlon

I waited to long to get into the Steelman Triathlon on August 7th so today I signed up for the Lums Pond Sprint Triathlon on August 14th.  The swim portion of the triathlon is a half mile (880 yards) so it's a good thing I went swimming four days this week.  The Lums Pond Triathlon has a 19.5 mile bike leg which should help offset my poor swim time except I like bike routes that include hills and Delaware is pretty flat. 

Patriot's Triathlon

Patriot's Triathlon
Swim     650 Meters
Bike        cancelled
Run         3 Miles

The hotel wasn't too far from the lake so we didn't get up until 5:00 AM.  A lot of people decided not to race today since the bike portion of the Patriot's Triathlon had been cancelled.  It was strange walking into the transition area without a bike and just setting up my running shoes, hat, watch and race belt.  The race director announced the water temperature was 87 degrees and wetsuits were not permitted.  I grabbed my swim cap and goggles and walked over to the lake for a pre-race swim.  My arms and shoulders get tired after the first 50 yards so I'm hoping a pre-race swim will prevent that tiredness when the race starts.   The swim course was laid out so we swam counter clockwise keeping the buoys on our left and the shore on our right.

The men staged in the lake for the swim course and I ended up on the left side of the group.  The race started and we swam towards the first buoy where I found myself cut-off at the buoy because I was on the inside.  I did the breast stroke to get around the buoy and make my way clear from the other swimmers.  I swam to the next buoy and I was following another swimmer  across the lake.  I could see the buoy just ahead when the life guard swam over on said we were off course.  The way the course was laid out we had to swim into the sun and there was another orange buoy in the shadows of the trees that we hadn't seen.  I changed course for the other buoy that I had almost missed.  Now I'm out of the water and sprinting for the transition area.   After the race I learned I wasn't the only person who didn't see the buoy in the shadows.  

It should have been a quick transition except I was wet and putting on socks and shoes slowed me down.  I wasn't going to wear socks but decided to do so at the last moment.  I also took the time to unclip / clip my race belt before I left the transition area.  As I ran out of the  transition area I followed a woman who was pulling her belt over herself while she was running.  I'll have to try that in my next triathlon to shave a couple of seconds off my transition.  The run course was an out and back course on a paved road that was partially shaded.  I didn't pass anyone on the way out but a couple of guys did pass me.  There were no body marking before the triathlon so I don't know if these guys are in my age group.  The road back was a gradual climb and I started to wish I had done more on road running instead of treadmill running.  The race ended in a field and I don't know how far we had to run after leaving the road but I started running as fast as I could so I could pass the guy ahead of me.  My race results showed I finished one second ahead of the guy I passed and he was in my age group! 

I finished in 28th place and 4th in my age group.  I was the first person listed on the results page that didn't win an award, so close and yet so far.

Pre-Race Day

Today I finished packing for the Patriot's Triathlon and drove to Bath, PA to pick up my race packet.  As is the custom I drove the bike course so I could get familiar with the roads twists, turns and hills.  The first thing I noticed about the roads were the signs that said "fresh oil and chips."  Just the sort of thing you don't want to see on the roads for a bike race.  The excess chips were kicked up by the car tires and carried over into the intersections.  While every bike rider has to ride the same course everyone must ride defensively or there will be a lot of crashes.
 
We checked into our hotel and went out to dinner.  I should have a pre-race meal planned in advance but it's tough to do when I eat at a restaurant the night before a race.  We went back to the hotel and I setup my bike for the race.  After setting up my bike I sat down to relax and checked my email to find an email from the race director telling all participants that due to the road conditions the bike portion of the triathlon would be cancelled.  This is my fourth triathlon and I've never had part of the triathlon cancelled, tomorrow will just be a swim and run duathlon.  

Intervals

Last night I did intervals in the pool, on the bike and on the treadmill.  Let's just say I slept well last night.  Only 5 days until the Patriot's Triathlon.

Sunday Morning Brick Workout

Yesterday I installed the Showers Pass VelEau 42 and needed to test it out so I filled it with water, put on my bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses and rode off into the sunrise.  All in all the VelEau work really well, no more coasting down the road while I drink from a water bottle.  This should make my bike times in the triathlon shorter.  I cut the tubing short by about an inch and there isn't a way to make it longer other then to order more tubing.  So take my advice and plan on leaving the tubing long until you get in a couple of practice rides.  I just need to stay in an aero position to drink which is really a problem.  

After the bike ride I went for a run in the neighborhood.  It's been awhile since I ran on the road and I noticed two things.  One, I started off very fast which never happens when I run on the treadmill.  Two, running fast down hills can put you into bad form and cause injuries so I had to slow down.

Bike = 22.48 miles
Run = 3.1 miles

Swim Meet

I went to the YMCA early in the morning so afternoon thunderstorms wouldn't cancel my plans to swim.  But there was a swim meet using the 50 meter pool and there is another swim meet tomorrow.  I managed to find an open lane in the 25 yard pool but it seemed like I was constantly making a turn at the wall.  At least I got to swim.

No Swimming

More thunderstorms his afternoon brought over half an inch if rain and closed the pools.  Very few people ventured to the gym but I did.  I was so wet by the time I got into the building that I had to use my swim towel to dry off so I could change into my workout clothes.  I spent my workout time on the bike and treadmill.

Thunderstorms

Big thunderstorms rolled through this afternoon and when I got to the YMCA the sign said all pools were closed.  So I spent time riding the bike and lifting weights in the wellness center.  When I got home I found a car magnet that said "Tri" on the kitchen table.  The kids across the street saw the magnet in the store and bought it for me.  It's wonderful having a fan club and I hope one day they can come to a triathlon to cheer me on to the finish line.

USA Triathlon

Today I faxed in my membership application to USA Triathlon.  I hope they quickly process the application so I don't have to buy another one day pass.
 
I was looking over my training for June and I noticed it had been a month since I had done any weight training.  So yesterday I swam 2000 meters and then I hit the weights.  This morning my shoulders were really sore.  In April and May I set aside one day a week for weight training and I need to get back onto that schedule.

The Sprint

Today I decided to sign up for the sprint distance Patriot's Triathlon.  This is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event so I needed to buy a one day pass when I registered for the triathlon.  I printed out the USAT application and I might join USAT since I'm planning to enter more sanctioned events this year.

Patriot's Triathlon

I was looking through the race calendar and found a triathlon for July.  The Patriot's Triathlon has a Sprint distance and something called "Half Lite 50" distance.  There is only one person signed up in my age group for the Half Lite 50 but I haven't been swimming 1300 meters in practice so I think I'll stick with the Sprint distance.

Bike Shopping

Today I went to High Road Cycles in Wayne, PA to check out their triathlon bikes.  I don't need a tri bike but I want a tri bike before I start entering longer distance triathlons.  High Road Cycles sells four brands of tri bikes and I wanted to hear the pros and cons of one brand over another brand.  My search has narrowed the field to two brands, Cervelo and Trek.  To buy or not to buy, that is the question.

Philadelphia Triathlon

Philadelphia Triathlon
Swim    .8K                .5 Miles
Bike     25.3K          15.7 Miles
Run     5K                3.1 Miles

The alarm went off at 4 AM and I concluded yesterday's visit to Shady Maple's all you can eat buffet wasn't a good idea on the evening of a triathlon.  Carol was ready before I was ready and we made good time getting to the Please Touch Museum where we parked for the Philadelphia Triathlon.  We walked down the hill to the transition area and I had my bib number scribbled on my my body in five places.
 
The transition area was setup with 7 bikes per rack which gave us lots of room to spread out our gear.  The bikes assigned to my right and left never showed up so I had even more room.  Carol pointed out my row had a tree which did make it easier to find my bike after the swim.  I practiced running from the swim exit to my bike so I would not have a long transition time.  We receive the official word, the river temperature was 77.5 degrees which means we could wear a wetsuit.  All the first timers and nervous seasoned triathletes jumped for joy.  I should have gone for a practice swim but I ran into friends and missed my chance to swim. There were about 140 people in a wave and my wave entered the river at 7:40 AM and started our swim at 7:46 AM.
 
We had to swim up river and under the bridge.  My arms and shoulders were tired and I wasn't even at the bridge, this cannot be a good sign.  Under the bridge, around the buoy, turn right at the next buoy and pass back under the bridge. I'm starting to pass swimmers with pink caps. They were in the previous wave and had a six minute head start; so now I'm thinking I'm not doing too badly.  I kept following the people ahead of me when I noticed they started swimming to the left.  It seems we headed off course because we aimed at the river exit but we needed to pass around a buoy over on river left.  I made it to the buoy and now it's just a straight shot across the river.  The river exit was steep and there were rocks under the water.  I ran up the river bank, over the timing mat and into the transition area.  I had a little trouble getting the wetsuit unzipped but my bike was at the far end of the transition area and I was ready by the time I got to my bike.
 
You cannot move your bike unless your helmet is on and the strap buckled.  I see a guy in my row take his bike off the rack and lay it on the grass. Then he starts getting his stuff ready for the bike ride.  If the officials were watching he should have received a 2 minute penalty.  I put on my glasses, yeah I can see again!  I put on my helmet, grabbed my bike and ran to the exit.  After crossing the timing mat I ran into the street and jumped on my bike.  My feet slid into my shoes and I reached down to synch the velcro straps and started peddling as fast as I could go.  The bike course was flat on Martin Luther King drive and had a hairpin turn around at each end.  A slight hill up to the bridge and another hill on the other side of the bridge take us to the other side of the river.  Now we are riding on the left side of the road.  I never did figure out if I was supposed to stay on the left or right side of the lane to avoid a penalty. I  was passing lots of people and just about to come back across the bridge when I got passed by a handful of people of tri bikes.  I think they were in the elite group that started 12 minutes ahead of me and they were on the second lap of the bike course.  I finished my second lap, undid the velcro straps and slipped out of my shoes just ahead of the dismount line.  My rack was only 4 rows in so I made a quick transition to the run.
 
I racked my bike, took off my helmet and put on my hat.  I put on socks and shoes and started running for the exit as I pulled my racing number to the front of my body.  I grabbed cups of water and spilled most of it down my chin.  I still don't know how to drink and run.  I crossed the timing mat as I felt an intense pain in my stomach.  The pain wasn't going away no matter what I tried and I just wanted to start walking but I kept running.  I wasn't running very fast but I was passing people.  Some people passed me and I always looked at their age but so far no one was in my age group passed me. I grabbed more water but I spilled more then I drank.  I made the turn around and headed back, only one and one half miles to run but I wanted to walk. I was in too much pain to keep track of the number of people I passed or the ones that passed me.  I was nearing the end and tried to pick up the pace when I saw the finish line.  I ran over the mat thinking the race was over but that mat just let the announcer know who I was.  I keep running as the announcer called out my name and the clock showed 1:45:49.
 
They handed me a medal and a bottle of water.  Carol was waiting for me at the finish line but she missed the perfect photo op when someone walked in front of her as I crossed the finish line.  Now I have an excuse to Tri Tri again.
 
Official results
Bob Gannon
Time 1:33:59
Finished 137 out of 997
Finished 12 out of 46 in my age group

Penultimate Triathlon Day

Today was the penultimate day for the Philadelphia Triathlon.  I took the day off from work so I could go to the city and pick up my race packet.  The traffic on the Schuylkill highway was slow and steady but we eventually made it to the expo.  At one end of the expo were the race packets and at the other end of the expo were the free race shirts.  They tried to make me stop at all the vendor exhibits by making me walk past them twice.  It didn't take as long to drive home but it wasn't much shorter then the trip to the expo.
 
When I got home I put the bike rack on the SUV and setup the rest of my gear in the garage.  I wanted packing the vehicle to go quickly at 4 AM.  

Tradition

In keeping with tradition today I was carbo loading.  It's a good thing I like pasta because it feels like I've eaten enough pasta for two people.

Tapering for the Philadelphia Triathlon

I planned to work out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week with Thursday and Friday as rest days.  I scaled back the distances of my swimming, biking and running.

Testing the Tri-Clips

Today I attached the Tri-Clips to my bike and practiced my transition.  In practice the clips worked perfectly and disengaged from the shoes without issue.  Also, it was easier to setup the shoes with clips versus setting up the shoes with rubber bands. 

Tri-Clips

I've learned the hard way that a triathlon is made of of five times, not three times as the name triathlon implies.  Races are won and lost in the transition area.  After my first triathlon I bought triathlon shoes and I used rubber bands to hold the shoes in place at the Got The Nerve Triathlon.  I saw an ad for Tri-Clips in a magazine and today I decided order a set.

Can't Focus on the Goal

My next triathlon isn't until June 21 and I'm having trouble staying focused on the goal.  I've had an event almost every other weekend for so long that this next triathlon feels like it's month's away.  I've already had two rest days and I feel like skipping training again tonight. 

Open Water Swim Class

Today was the Open Water Swim class at Marsh Creek State Park which was taught by the staff from Mid-Atlantic Multisport.  I wish the class had been held before I did the Got The Nerve Triathlon since today I learned some valuable skills.  Now I'm more at ease in the open water, I hope I still feel this way when I swim in the Schuylkill river for the Philadelphia Triathlon.

Got The Nerve Triathlon

Got The Nerve Triathlon
Swim 500 Yards
Bike 16 Miles
Run 3.1 Miles
 
I didn't sleep very well so I had no issues getting out of bed when the alarm went off.  I didn't plan very well for my race day breakfast.  The hotel didn't serve breakfast before 6:30 AM and I was at the lake long before then so I ate a granola bar and drank a Gatorade for breakfast.
 
There were only a couple of cars at the lake when we arrived.  The sun was shinning and yesterdays rain created a low level fog across the field.  I was glad I was driving an SUV but I saw just as many cars in the field later in the day and I don't recall anyone getting stuck in the mud.

I grabbed my bike, my transition bag and I headed for the check-in.  I had my bib number and age written on my arms and legs, now I can enter the transition area.  My rack was just inside the transition area so it should be easy to find after the swim.  There was another guy setting up so I take the second spot on the rack and setup my gear.  This will be his first triathlon too and he was going to ride a mountain bike.  We have to squeeze 10 bikes onto the rack so space was going to be tight.  I decided to take my transition bag back to the car.  I sat in the car and closed my eyes but I couldn't fall asleep.

I ate another granola bar and drank another Gatorade.  I wanted to be over hydrated before the race started.
 
The lake was 63 degrees so I pulled on my wetsuit and headed for the lake.  They sent us back to the transition area for the Star Spangled Banner.  We walk across the timing mat and group into our waves.  I'm in wave nine so I'll be one of the last groups entering the water.  The swimmers have exited the lake before my group even entered the water.  The timing chip was on a big piece of plastic and there was a discussion about taking the chip off before taking off the wetsuit.  No one has a clear answer on the best procedure to get out of the wetsuit. Each wave got to swim for three minutes before their wave started.  The water was freezing and it took my breath away.  I went under water hoping I could acclimate my body to the water before my wave started but it didn't work.

I started in the middle of the wave because I am a slow swimmer, but I swam into other swimmers and they kept swimming into me.  I couldn't find my rhythm and did the breast stroke for awhile.  I made it to the first buoy but the second buoy looked very far away.  I put my head down and just started swimming until I ran into someone.  I did the breast stroke to get my bearings and started swimming again.  I made it to the second buoy and headed for the beach.  I remembered to keep swimming once I touched the ground but I forgot to engage my legs before it was time to stand up.  In one big motion I stood up and reached back for the strap on my wetsuit.  I almost fell over into the lake as I pulled on the strap.  This was the very moment my wife took my photo.  My legs didn't want to work and I walked across the beach.  Once I got to the pavement I started running to the transition area.

I had trouble getting out of the wet suit so I took off my timing chip and hung it across the rear tire of my bike.  I got the wetsuit off, put on my glasses, watch and helmet.  I grabbed my bike and headed for the exit.  The field was muddy and I was glad my new shoes were clipped to the bike pedals and held in place with rubber bands.  I got to the timing mat and realized I didn't have my timing chip.  I headed back to my bike rack and scanned the ground for the missing chip.  I found the chip on the ground at my rack.  I verified the number on the chip was mine so I strapped on the chip and headed out again.  I crossed the mat, slid my left foot into my shoe and swung my right leg over the bike and into the other shoe.  I peddled one revolution but the rubber bands didn't break.  I reached down, broke both rubber bands and pulled the velcro closed as I rolled down the street.  I followed a rider onto the main road, then I passed him and set my sights on the next rider in front of me.  We turn left at the stop sign and start climbing the hill.  Now I'm passing lots of riders and I'm glad this is a hilly bike course.  The fifteen miles fly by and we are getting close to the last turn onto the road to the transition area.  The rider ahead of me is in my age group and slowing down.  I get annoyed following him and pass just before we turn off the main road. I noticed he was undoing his shoes so I reach down and undo the velcro straps on my shoes.  I pull my feet out of the shoes and jump off the bike just before the timing mat.  
 
I racked my bike and take off my helmet.  My socks are rolled up inside my shoes.  I pull on my socks and shoes, grabbed my hat and a drink of water and started running.  Just before we left the transition area there were volunteers handing out water.  Note to self, you shouldn't have wasted time getting a drink at your rack.  We ran on the road for a short distance before turning onto a rails to trails path.  The trail was flat, shaded and covered with small stones, a perfect trail for a triathlon.  I felt great and kept passing everyone.  Before long I was at the turn around heading back towards the finish line.  Just before we left the trail and got back onto the road I passed a guy in my age group.  I lost track of how many people I passed but I know only three people passed me and none were in my age group.  I sprinted for the finish line but I couldn't catch the guy ahead of me.  It's a good thing he wasn't in my age group.

Did you notice my feet were not touching the ground in this photo?  There were four photos of me running in this triathlon and my feet were not touching the ground in any of the photos.  I guess I was running on air that day.

Bob Gannon
Chip Timing 1:31:36
Finished 126
Finished 111 out of 401 men
Finished 5 out of 26 in my age group

Travel Day

I'm off work today and traveling to Mt. Gretna for the Got The Nerve Triathlon. I've decided to pack the bike in the SUV rather then use the bike rack. It's not raining now while I'm packing the car but if it rains the bike will stay dry.

We are about half way to Mt. Gretna when the skies open up and it rains the rest of the way to Mt. Gretna. First we checked into the hotel and then we went to the lake to pick up my race kit. It's raining so hard we cannot hear the instructions about the race. Tomorrow should be an interesting day, especially if it doesn't stop raining.