Galveston Race Report

Swim: First of all the swim was actually going to happen (unlike the day before where the sprint and Olympic distance events turned in to du-athlons because the water was too rough)...so that was good...but it was to be my first ocean open water event...and not one that i was looking all that forward to...in the past few weeks i had been thinking a lot about the CdA swim...and how it can be rather unpredictable in terms of conditions...so i was a little focused on how my swim would go in galveston...

the wind was picking up at race start (7am) and my wave didn't get in the water to go until 8am...the wind had totally picked up by then and the water was rather choppy...but didn't look too bad from the dock...i stood on the edge of the dock for a second...and the jump was rather high...but jump i did...wow...hot and salty and brown..awesome...and well as i surfaced...much choppier than it looked on the dock...with this i was not all that pleased...swimming...well what ever it was over to the start line...i could feel my self getting a little nervous...the chop was over my head at times...then a lifeguard boat would zoom by with a triathlete on the back of it (always an unpleasant sight) and that didn't help matters...

i did manage to de-fog my goggles...get a clear and open space in the water at the front...and calm my self down...what really calmed me down was the voice of coach amy saying "put your head down and swim" and that is what i did...it was not pretty and for damn sure not my fastest...but i was a huge boost to be calm...collected and swimming the whole time...in rather rough and salty water...the first leg was ok because we were parallel to the chop but after the turn which put you on to the longest stretch of the swim the waves were hitting me head on...i only twice got a nose/mouth full of sea...and really tried to spit when i could just to get it out...yuck...i knew i wasn't going fast...but i was plodding along...finally made the last turn...and headed in to the shore...i managed to pass people in other waves and only got passed by a few caps from the wave behind me that went off 3 minutes after...

but i must say my biggest accomplishment was not freaking out...and getting through some of the roughest water i have ever been in...and there was no sea sickness either...i was very happy about that...not happy with the time...but i will take it

44.31

T1:

awesome wet suit strippers and cheering from Mo, michelle and others...thanks guys!...smooth fast transition...and i got a huge cheer from Chuck as i mounted the bike...thanks for being there chuck!!

2.47

Bike:

i just couldn't get it together on the bike...and that was really sad...my bike and i are usually really good friends...but on sunday we had a fight...before we even got out on the main road i launched my nutrition and had to stop and get it...note to self...time for new cages that don't launch bottles...got up onto the seawall and rode...head wind going out so i was really hoping for some help from the wind coming back...but that was not the case...anyway...was hitting 18ish on the way out...but started to feel my lower back complaining early on in the ride...the past few time i have been riding...especially the flat stuff...i have been getting some serious low back pain...so much so that i can't be in aero anymore after it starts...i kept forcing my self to get back down...but would eventually have to get back up and re adjust try and scoot around on the saddle to find somewhere i was not in this amount of pain...nothing was working for me...it was really tough to try and get in some hard cycling when i was grunting in pain...i managed to get my nutrition down...made the turn and was looking forward to some help from the wind...

no such luck there...the wind was exactly the same both was on the bike...no fair...we turned at 28...i started feeling a bit better as we approached mile 35/40...but what i had done was switch to a big big gear and stand up for about a minute and hammer...get in aero until i couldn't stand it anymore and repeat...finally i was hitting the 22s that i had wanted to see on the bike...so i did that the last 20ish miles...it was a real head game at that point...i knew that all my time goals we shot...and i was thinking about calling the bike shop as soon as i crossed the finish line to get booked for a fit asap...got in off the bike...and was very glad to be....

3:03

T2:
very uneventful t2

1:57

Run:

if you have ever done lonestar you know that the run is mind numbing...and that it was...4x3.275 mile loops around moody gardens...i just really wanted to focus on not loosing count of laps so i did a lot of "you are running lap two you are running lap two" in my head...

felt a little bloated/belchy coming off the bike...and of course felt all compressed in the lower back...but i tried to stand tall and find my stride...the T3 tent was right by run out...and so i would pass it 4 times on the run course...a good marker to count...ran comfortably out to mile one...looked at my split...it was 8.30something...i said well i have had a not so great swim and a very disappointing bike i might as well lay it all out here on the run...i felt really good on the run for 3 of 4 laps...there were lots of people out cheering ( a pro or two said some kind words) and lots of friends out cheering...again chuck and kristen, george and suzanne...lots of t3 peeps...and lots of blue on the course...

totally steady on the run...i was really happy at least one thing could go my way...4th loop i started getting a bit of the goose bumps...i had been carrying my hand held with nutrition and i was getting water at every stop...took 6 salt tabs on the run...but never stopped to pee...so...something was off there...goose bumps passed after i took the last salt and got down some more water...but i totally could feel the last lap was slower...logan gave me a shout as i came into the shoot and adam actually gave me a shout out over the PA...i was happy to be done...and happy with my run...

1.54
(my PR in the 13.1 is a 1.48 not attached to a tri so that made me smile)

this was not my best performance in the half distance...but i did learn a lot and feel like i accomplished a lot in this race...of course i am disappointed i didn't pr on a course known for such things...but i was able to swim in major salty chop, mentally overcome serious back pain on the bike...and pull out a pretty ok half marathon...

big shout out to my travel buddy ETG...always fun...and thanks for driving :D


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