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 :)

My Nervousness Exists on Several Levels

So it was the day before the race, and I was nervous. After spending week's end doing exciting things like picking up my race packet at Roswell Bicycles, and not so fun things like fighting a serious head cold, it was with mixed emotions that I finally caved and elected to drive out to Lake Lanier on Saturday to check out the course.

I think it was mostly for my mental benefit since obviously what I would find there would leave me little to do other than just know what was in store, which is actually important in a race. Things like where are the hills, are there any tricky downhills and turns, what's the pavement like...all things I knew I wouldn't be able to see at o-dark-thirty on race morning.

So I packed up Tilley and Laika and out we went. Thanks to a side window that wouldn't roll up all the way and a pacing, window scratching Laika, I was really jittery on the drive out. I was fine once I got there, and could see it - really picture it - in my minds' eye. John asked me later why I was so jittery and I said it boiled down to performance anxiety stemming from a few things. In no order:

1. It's been a while....a long while. My last race (the mini triathlon we put on for our wedding in June 05 notwithstanding) was in April 2005. Would I remember what to do? When I did, would my body respond in the right way?
2. That last race was unfun. A swim of 62 degrees, 42 outside, and enough rocking and rolling on the swim to turn months of dedicated training into a panic fest. This topped by a rolling hilly bike where my legs never really thawed out, and it wasn't one to reflect back and and say, ah, I miss that. And believe me, two and a half years is pleeeenty of time to replay THAT in one's head maaaany times.
3. I was going to be alone. Being new to the city and with a husband at an all-day training, this would be my first race totally alone. I was also bummed that there was no way for Tilley to hang out and watch the race after all the running she's been doing with me. Laika's cheered me on at tons of races, but this would have been Tilley's first. For me, so much of the race ritual has been about friendship and family - racing together, or taking turns going to each others races for moral support. I think doing a race solo would be less of a deal if either I had raced recently, or at least knew folks in the community a la TriCATS in DC. There would be none of that. I finally decided to take Tilley and let her nap in the car during the race itself, much like she had done with me in the past for brick workouts at Columns Drive.
4. I was sick. Despite taking the afternoon Friday to rest, I was counting on Claritin to get me through the race. I knew that even though I might have drier sinuses, I would still be "down" and have to be really careful about hydration to not get the chills on the run.
5. I was bloated. Yes! I had 9 weeks to do the math to figure out I would be at peak PMS for this race, and two months to pull off alchemy to change those dates, and didn't. So imagine - if you will - packing on about 6 extra pounds of aqua saddlebags around the waist and the chest just in time for a race. Looking forward to packing all THAT into a wetsuit.
6. I was going to be slow, and I knew it. Not only did I only start really training 9 weeks ago, but I had no base. In past races, effort would hurt but my muscles were buffered by several years of biking. That was gone now.

Ultimately, I had to take this race at face value. The goal was to remember what it was like, and to start again with inspiration and experience, and begin to build again.

I splurged and bought a new race top for the occasion, and carefully, ritualistically laid out everything I needed for the next day. I selected alternating black and silver toenail polish for the occasion. I hydrated. I took a hot bath. I set my alarms, and I was ready.