Race Report - Du The Tri - W. Wood Harter 1997

Du The Tri. September 21, 1997.

Camp Pendleton

1k (1/2mi) swim /30k (18.6mi) /5k (3.2mi)

Thanks to everyone who came to my race to spectate. Collette, Judy, Tom, Dad, Mom, Bud. It is really nice to have people there to support you.

Highlights

1st person out of the water who actually swam around the last buoy!

My run was 22:32, my fastest 5k ever.

My final time was 1:29:22. Just under 90 minutes!

I was 9th out of 25 in my age group. Another top ten!!!

I was 91st out of 340 overall.

Pre-Race

Collette's 30th birthday party was Saturday. A lot of hard work, but we had a great party. Got to bed at 11:30 and up at 4:30. I had a bowl of oatmeal with a banana and a peach/banana smoothie with protein powder. We hit the road at 5:45 (15 minutes behind schedule). I was drinking water the entire way. We picked up Tom in Lake Forest on the way. I stopped drinking water 90 minutes before the race. We arrived at 7 and Collette got a great parking place near the transition area. I got my bike ready and headed to the beach to relax and site some landmarks for the swim finish.

Swim

I had a strong swim. Someone drafted off me the entire way. I know that because they kept hitting my feet. Nothing better to make you go faster than having someone remind you every time you slow down. There was a group of about five that was just ahead of me 15-20 yds to my right. I kept thinking that I was going too far left, but my line on the buoy was perfect every time I looked up. My family says I was first out of the water that actually went around the buoy. It seems that group of five was too far to the right and decided to skip the buoy and swim to shore. We asked the race director after the race, but he said it was probably only 10 seconds. I think 20 yds X 2 = 40 yds which is at least 30 seconds!!! So much for an honest race (director). I finished the 800 yd (875M) swim in 10:30. First in my book!

Bike

Hills killed me. I think I said the same thing after the last race at Pendleton? I got to the top of the monster and switched back to low gears and my chain came off. Had a quick 20 sec stop to put it back on and I was off again. Michelle Jones passed me at the bike turn around. She was gone in no time. I think she was in a hurry to get back and sign autographs. I didn't see anyone in my age group pass me on the bike. I would say 25 people passed me total. All of them were very expensive bikes. Remember, my bike is 13 years old, in great condition, but made in the stone ages as far as bicycles are concerned. One guy and I passed each other about 6 times. I passed him for the last time on the down hill into the transition area. My computer says the distance was 27.19k (16.88 miles). It took 54:36. My average speed was 29.8k (18.5 mph). My max speed was 55.1k (34.2 mph).

Run

I had my fastest 5k run ever. As with the last Pendleton race, they had the water immediately after a hill. I tried to sip the water but ended up gagging. Later, a person in front of me stopped to stretch and I encouraged him to keep going. Only two people in my age group passed me on the run and it was in the last mile. That means if I can take off about 1 minute, I would have been 7th place! I think 30 people passed me on the run. Every person who passed I told them "good run, keep it up", or something along those lines. Even the two guys in my age group though they didn't deserve it. My run time was 22:30 which means I ran 7:05 minute miles!! I'm almost under 7 minute miles. A little more work and I'll be doing 5 minute miles. (I can dream!)

Post Race

The person who stopped in front of me to stretch found me after the race and thanked me. He said I helped him finish. That was nice.

After getting some water, I went back around the the finish to cheer for the people coming in behind me. Some of them were out there for 2+ hours and needed all the encouragement they could get. I think this is a good race ritual. Plus it is a lot of fun to watch some of the close finishes. One guy's wife beat him in the last 100 yards. Poor guy.

Lessons learned.

I have to start working on hills. This Tuesday, I'm going to drive to Orange and do the Chapman hills.

Sighting some land marks on the beach really helped me come into the swim finish at the right place. Another good race ritual.

Keep working hard on the run, my work is slowly paying off.

I didn't have any Gu or Gel (pure Carbohydrates) for this race. I forgot to buy some last week. Need to have a supply handy.