Emerald Pointe Triathlon: Executive Summary Numbers

The best way to enjoy a race report is in person. The second best is a longwinded written account of every detail that is music to the ears of some and torture to others (who admittedly aren't likely reading this blog). The third and perhaps most entertaining, is - as always - by the numbers.

Emerald Pointe Triathlon
Sunday October 7, 2007
400 m swim - 13 mi bike - 5K run
Race start: 7:30 am

The Trip:
- Time I had to wake to get to said race start: 4:45 am
- Left the house: 5:15 am
- # in my race crew/caravan: 1: A little dog named Tilley
- Breakfasts eaten en route: 1: Shared oatmeal with Tilley
- Wake up calls-checking to make sure I made it out and for moral support: 1: JoMarie
- Other callers on the drive: 1: John-who has been awesome in supporting my time training whilst he studied away

Race Site Arrival and Transition Setup:
- guys cussing out their friend for not holding his bike right for him: 1
- guys cussing out "that f*ing dog" (Mine who barked when we pulled up): 1
- guys I wanted to go over and say you are the reason this sport gets a bad rap: 1
- Miles walked from parking spot to transition area and check-in: just under 2
- Warm up runs done with Tilley because of said distance: 0
- Number chicken sticks crumbled and stuffed into bone to entertain dog: 1
- My race number, bodymarked on well despite humid post-walk skin: 622
- Other number of people doing the race, making for a big transition area: 799
- Cushy neoprene ankle straps I brought from home for my timing chip: 0
- Crappy, itchy velcro straps I slathered with BodyGlide instead: 1
- People who looked at me like I had horns or ignored me utterly when I made pleasant chatter: 4
- People who were actually nice while setting up: 2
- potty breaks had on race site before race: 0 (a personal first)
- vows made self to remember to tinkle in the lake: several

Swim and T1:
- strangers involved in wetsuit zipping: 2 (I asked one, and later one asked me)
- strangers I told "hi, please take these hairclips as a gift I am afraid they will rip my swimcap":1
- number of people I had to pound/hi five/go git em with: 0
- nice people I met waiting for our wave to go in the chute: 1 - Dana - she complimented my toes :)
- biggest mistake: going out slow and left as usual
- moment of realization of mistake: getting stuck behind 3 women frog-kicking that I was unable to get past until 1/2 way point in the swim
- happiest swim moment: turning the buoy to the homestretch and realizing, I am not going to get spooked
- people I almost beat senseless: woman on the last 100 yards who wouldn't get off me so I just kept my line (sorry, but I had had enoughathat)
- biggest coup: remembering to pull off wetsuit top pre-photo (they hold water and add yet another 10 lbs)
- second biggest coup: remembering to stash (and them remembering to retrieve) water bottle for the very long jog/walk up to T1.
- missed opportunity: forgot to pee, after all those self-made promises. RATS.

The Bike
- Number of hybrids and first timers: a LOT (I am all for first timers as you all know, many of you firsthand-but it also means that these are folks who may not know the rules or be as cautious about other bikes...as evidenced by my jumping over a guy's tire once years ago)
- nasty downhills out of T1: 1
- times I thought, this isn't flat: probably about 8
- Sure enough, vertical elevation gain on my watch post-race: 1100-not a mountain but not flat
- people I saw walking bikes up some hills: 4
- people I saw pulled over vomiting partway up a hill: 1 (I feel for this guy, but yet it validates the not-flat point)
- times some stranger told me I was in the wrong gear: 1 (to which I replied, I am keeping my cadence up and letting my legs recover) - gee thanks "Coach"
- times someone told me to keep to the right unless I was passing (no shit, sherlock) - as I was passing someone (not fast enough for their taste apparently): 1
- number cars I was sandwiched inbetween trying to pass a clump of people back into the park, including waving backwards with my hand for the truck to back off till I passed: 3
- times I passed or was passed by the two 36-year old women: countless (I ended up finally getting them on the bike with a fierce 29mph downhill performance down back into the park...that's where I really make up speed when people coast)
- Times I passed the Tilleymobile: 2 (yelled TILLEY only one of those)
- surprised self: 1 - had thought I would walk up the steep hill into T2, especially if there was chaos, but I floated right up it, quick like a bunny, and did a tidy dismount (kept shoes on)

T2 and the Run
- Times I thought, this is great in T2: 1 - so quick! rack bike, swap shoes, grab pile containing hat, water, gel, race belt, and go...putting things on as I ran out
- Times I thought, "this too, is not flat": several, including the one 30-sec walk moment I took to get my heart rate in check up one of the hills
- Times passed by/passing those two 36-year old women: 1, sadly. them passing me. Though I will say I too would have run faster with company.
- Times I passed the self-appointed Coach lady: 1. Woohoo! How's that low-cadence high-gear tactic working for you NOW, lady?
- References made on the smell of BBQ on the course (heavenly!): 2
- 15 year olds who passed me on the course (who I told she was a total badass): 1
- Times I smiled going into the finishing chute: 3
- Total time to complete course: 1:45 and change

The Aftermath
- Things I did after getting my chip removed and being handed water before going to get Tilley: 0
- Surprised dogs who gave me the "oh, you, back are you?" blank stare: 1
- Dogs who slathered me with kisses and licked my race number: 1
- Number of us who ended up wearing peanut butter: 2 (Tilley's head, my arm)
- Folks who came up to see Tilley: Thousands
- Attempted transition area break-ins by doglet: several in one sitting (see video below)
- USAT officials who came to pet Tilley: 2
- ChampionChip officials who gave Tilley her own water bottle:
- Time it took to get home: 50 minutes
- Time it took me to bonk: 2.5 hours (after Steak n Shake, Target, Staples, and dog park)
- Naps had: 2 (me, Tilley)
....and now, the video of Tilley tunneling into transition (after the fence biting:) (has sound)



Stay tuned this week for another geek-o-rama post with results breakdown and splits by sport, detailed analysis and the inevitable self-deprecation and self-re-inflation, actual race photos, and photos of the various folks you read about in today's post :)