Vineman...the report

i don't even know where to start this report...this summer has been a totally insane...i have not been able think much beyond school...so...leading up to this race has been less than ideal...it's not really the training it's more the mental training (that i really like) that i have not been able to do...so part of that brings less anxiety leading up to race morning...but there are drawbacks as well...so anyway that is the background for this...

i had a test friday after class...my prof was very cool...and let me take my test early...(thanks!) then j and i had a little time that afternoon to get ready to go...i had to pack still (so not like me...i usually do this a week before i go anywhere) and get my self together...decompress and think about my race plan...seriously...i really don't do this the day i leave...but my brain has been fried...totally...

so...our plane got in about 8.30 pm CA time...then we had a two hour drive to the hotel...would have been great and fun...but we were SO tired by that point we just wanted to be there...so we got to Boon about 11.45 and promptly crashed...

got up in the AM to grab a quick swim in the river...me and jeremiah got in and swam a bit then got out...back to boon and hooked up with chrissie and ben for a run up to the redwoods and back again...then it was time to grab packets and drop run gear, pick up bikes and do the pre-race thing...back to boon...and chrissie and i headed out to test the bikes...did a 20 minute (or so) ride...felt good...but a little stiff...

rest of the day was spent chillin around the pool...michelle came by to hang...then amy and etg stopped by and brought us dinner...(thanks for that!) then back to the room to get the race stuff together...still i was not nervous about this race...it's as if i was just going out for a big brick the next day...

got up about 5.30...made my breakfast...had some coffee...and was ready to go...chrissie, lory and i rode our bikes down to the start (half a mile from the hotel) transition was a mess...it was wicked disorganized by my standards...thanks austin race series....you make us jaded...found a spot on a rack..dudes were racked there (not the right spot for them..grr...) but hey what are you going to do...walked down to the beach...put on my wet suit...with some T3 peeps...then it was time to race...(it was nice not to sit around and stew before the race) got in the water...felt like there were a lot of people creeping in on my space...so the start was a bit of a mess...went off with the gun...was in the washing machine...i wasn't down...popped up and moved towards the line of big orange buoys and felt a lot better...then about 5 minutes later my goggles fogged and well i couldn't see anything that was not 15 feet in front of my face...so i just swam...it felt long...hit the turn...was breathing and saw that peeps around me were standing up and walking...weird...i swam faster then they did...so i swam...uneventful swim...out of the water about 36.00...not great but not bad...found my rack...got my stuff packed up (swim)...grabbed my bike and was off...found ETG...to drop my bag (thank you !!!) hopped on my bike and was off...

was odd that there was not any road closure on the bike course...very strange...but it was very pretty...first thing we road through was the Korbel vineyards...then to the first turn off...and about a mile later there was a crash...at the bottom of a hill so that was tough...momentum down...then up the hill you go...argh...about a mile later (ok maybe 5 or 8) there was a much more serious crash...i was about 50 people deep in a totally stopped pack of racers...there was a tree that had fallen on two riders on the course...screaming riders loaded into ambulances...very disconcerting...then the 100 people stopped behind the wreck were allowed to pass...we all tried to be careful but that many riders all at once is tough...we made it out ok...but it took a while for the course to clear out...i settled in to a good pace...nothing too aggressive...just riding well...

it was a weird race for me...i didn't really get into the bike until about mile 20...part of it was seeing those two crashes earlier...and well just getting settled in...saw matt on the ride...we played leap frog for a while...then i lost him somewhere in the town where T2 was...he took off...i didn't want to push it...made it in to town just under 3h on the bike...about a 19 average...good deal...

T2 was smooth and fast...saw jon on the way out (surprise)...turned away from the school...out on to a really hot and sunny run...i was already starting to get really hot in the first few miles...i kept on my plan...taking in my electrolytes...grabbing water and ice at aid stations trying to cool off...the hills were tough...and a lot of the folks i saw on the way back in didn't look all that happy...saw kevin teh and chrissie...they both looked happy...as i was about 5 miles in...they were headed back...at that point i was running by the sonoma airport..lots of planes taking off...and a good stretch of HOT road...got up the the la crema winery and was able to run through a mist station...and grab two cups of ice...that felt great...so at each aid station after i got as much ice in me as i could...in my tri-top, my hat, held some in my hands (your palms really help to regulate temp)...but could never get my temperature to come down...pushed on...my pace was not very happy...i felt really slow...and never found it on the run...i did run the whole way...pushed though those last few miles and finished with very wiggly legs in just under 2 for the run...9 minute miles average...no the 8.30 i was shooting for...but hey...

total time of 5.38...the goal was 5.30...and i am disappointed that i didn't hit it...trying to figure out if i went too hard on the bike...i never felt like i was really pushing it to hit the average i hit...nothing different than my training...or if it just was the heat that got to me...my legs mostly felt ok running...and the cardio was fine...so we learn and we move on to the next race...

jon and i had to take off pretty much as soon as i finished...he had an appointment back at the hotel...so put the bike with the tri bike guys and headed back to boon...hung out by the pool with a glass of wine after the race...took a nap on a lounge chair in the shade...great recovery for sure...