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.
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