Triathlon Results

In 10 weeks I prepared for the Bassman Half Distance Triathlon. In the first week I got on a bike for the third time in 3 years and got in a pool for the second time in 4 years. I learned how to swim freestyle.

My schedule was effectively swimming every weekday morning and running or biking and lifting on weekday evenings. On weekend mornings I would go for long bike rides and on weekend afternoons I would go for long runs. During those 10 weeks I missed 18 out of 100 weekly workouts, and 20 out of 40 weekend workouts. However, I tried to make up for all the missed long workouts by lengthening a few of my weekday workouts. In total, I swam 34,350 yds (~19.5 miles/31.4km), ran 106 miles (171km), and biked 681 miles (1096km).

Was I prepared? Would I meet my goal of finishing the 1.2 mile (1.9km) swim, 58 mile (93km) bike, and 13.2 mile (21.2km) run in under 7 hours? Would I even finish? If I told you that I was not at all nervous approaching race day then I would be lying. I knew that individually I could do any of the distances, and I was very confident that I could finish any two of the three combined. But all three? Seven hours of endurance? I wasn't 100% certain, and that certainty started slipping a little as the final week wound down and I was cutting back on workouts to be rested enough for the main event. Then it occurred to me that If I wasn't ready mere days before the race, there was nothing I could do to fix it, so I might as well just go for it.

Saturday afternoon we packed up the rental truck with our bikes, gear, and clothes. Mike, Hyunmi, Yilin, myself, and Rusty (who acted as our coach and put together our training plans) all drove out to Mike's parents' house in NJ, which was a short distance from the state park where the race would be held. That evening we went and checked in to the race, scoped out the swimming and biking courses, and went home to carbo-load on an enormous meal that Mike's mom prepared. I was the first to go to bed, and the others quickly followed.

Sunday morning. Race day. We woke up at 5am, ate breakfast, and headed out to the race. Yilin went back to bed and showed up for the start of the race (8am) with Mike's parents. During that time we got our bikes ready, got everything sorted and organized in the transition zone (the area where you transition from the swim to the bike ride, and then later the bike ride to the run), and picked up our electronic ankle bracelets (for timing) and had our race numbers written on our arms and calves.

It was at this point, at 7:45am, fifteen minutes before the race began that we found out that the air temperature was 68F (20C) and the water was 60F (15.5C). Understand that I had been practicing in a pool that was about 80F (26.7C). As we walked down to the lake and prepared to get in (you start in the water), I realized that out of the 132 people in this triathlon, there were only two people who did not wear wetsuits to stave off the effects of the cold water. I was one of the two. In fact, I got some crazy looks.

Yeah, the water was cold. I think I had adrenaline running through my veins at first, because it didn't seem too bad. I was actually passing some people at the start of the race, even though I was trying to pace myself. Part way through my first lap (of two) around the lake, the adrenaline must've worn off because my arms started to get cold, slow, and heavy. By my second lap I had 'warmed up', only in so much that I wasn't cold, but I was never actually warm. When I ran out of the lake to my bike in the transition zone I was moving really slow. My body was just sluggish from the cold, and my stride was only about 1.5 feet long. I wasn't tired or winded, so I paced myself well.

The bike ride (58miles/93km) went well also. I initially gave myself 4 hours. I wasn't exhausted by the end either. It took a while to warm up from the swim, but once I did I was moving along at a good pace. It was quite flat, which made it easier.

When I got off the bike to start the run I felt pretty good, and not as tired as I thought I'd be. I was breathing fairly heavy, but not too bad. Then I tried to run. Well, I ran, but it was technically only running because both feet were never on the ground at the same time. My legs were virtually non-responsive, my stride was about 1.5 feet long (again), and I felt like I was moving at a 15 min/mile (9:30/km) pace. This lasted for what seemed like 30 minutes, and then I saw a sign telling me I just finished 2 miles (3.2km) out of 13.2 miles (21.2km), and I was crushed: I was running at a 15min/mile pace. When I reached the 4-mile (6.4km) marker I started being able to move faster, and felt better. The rest of the run went pretty well. I tried pacing myself and not running too quickly because I didn't want to hit a wall. After mile 10 (16km) it got hard, and I had to push myself to finish the last 3.2 miles (5.1km).

The run was definitely the hardest part; not just because it was last, but because the temptation to stop and walk, especially when your legs aren't working at all, was enormous. I think that at various points throughout the run, and for a total of at least an hour, I could only think about how I wanted it to end.

And it did. I came in 110th place out of 132 racers with a time of 6:48:45. My age group was 30-34, and there were 2 guys from my age group that finished after me. Hyunmi finished in a similar time, which made her happy since her goal was to finish in under 7 hours, as well. Mike finished in about 5 hrs 57 minutes, which was pretty darn impressive. As for Rusty, well... Rusty came in second place overall. He finished in 4:45:23. The only person who beat him was a professional triathlete who has competed in the Olympic trials. Lucky for Hyunmi and I, the awards ceremony was delayed by more than an hour, so we were able to finish with maybe 10 minutes or so to catch our breath and watch Rusty collect his trophy. Initially we thought we were going to miss the ceremony (it was pre-scheduled for 2pm, which would have been about 6 hours after the race started, an hour earlier than our projected 7 hour time), and we were fairly certain Rusty would be collecting an award.

The best thing about this course was that I got to see my friends several times (well, except Rusty). I thought that it was going to be boring because the bike ride was two laps down and back on the same road. The run did some weird figure-eights, but had a lot of cul-de-sacs that you would run up, run around a sign, and go right back the way you came. However, it allowed us to all see each other several times during the race and cheer each other on. I saw Yilin and Mike's parents many times, and they were yelling and taking photos. It was great.

Also, even though the course was confusing, there were a lot of staff at every junction telling us the way to go, and there was water or sports drink at almost every mile of the run. They were mostly high school kids from the Bronx, and they were excited to be there, and cheered us on, which was great. On the bike ride, there were cops at every intersection stopping traffic and directing us, which was great also. At the half way point of the bike ride (at the end of the first lap and start of the second), the kids had a bunch of water bottles and you could exchange your bottle a fresh one, refill your own, or even get food (they had food at some of the running stations also): peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Nature Valley granola bars, cookies, and bananas. I didn't eat on the run (but I had some food with me that I ate during the bike ride). It was surprisingly well organized for an event in its second year, and run by a husband and wife team.

Afterward we went back to mike's parents place, took baths with epsom salts, drank a beer (and water), and went to dinner (Mexican). I was the first to go to bed at 9:06pm. Everyone else immediately followed. Yilin massaged my knees and calves (with tiger balm that Hyunmi brought) and then I fell asleep.

We got up at 4:45am, packed the rental truck, climbed in and drove back to NYC. Yilin made me a giant breakfast, and I went to work. It was a long, crazy, fun weekend.