Distance was 1.5k swim (.93 miles), 40k bike (24.8 miles) and 10k run (6.2miles).
Note that I have not trained at all for this race. I have not warn my wet suit in 20 months or so and I am riding a friends bike as mine is still being built up. There you have it.
Weather was perfect at 57 degrees at start line. Water was a balmy 60 degrees (warm for the Monterey Bay) and there was absolutely no wind. Cloud cover was high so the ground was nice and dry.
"Kelp Crawl"
Since I had not worn my wet suit in some 20 months, I did a pre-race swim about 15 minutes before my wave start. It was erie. I have done a few open water swims over the summer, but never needed my wet suit. Having it on now I felt constricted. I was definitely buoyant, but would have rather been sans suit. However, the water temp prevented that.There was more kelp in the swim channel than I had ever seen. Several others made the same comment. Within the first 30 seconds after the gun went off I was "crawling" over several bunches of kelp. It was intermittent and it initially threw off my rhythm. I eventually got a flow going and I was simply dealing with the people swimming across my line. Don't people know how to sight!?
Anyhoo, it is a two loop swim and I, of course, made my turn to start my second loop just as the next swim wave was heading out. So, lucky me, I got to essentially do two wave starts. Luckily I am a confident swimmer so I, once again, climbed over the kelp as well as the backs of those swimmers who should know better.
On the bike . . .thank goodness
Once I fumbled my way through T1, I was out on the bike course. I LOVE this course. Literally on the Monterey coastline on a nicely paved two lane road. Very small rolling hills with nothing but tri-geeks out hammering in the morning light.My bike frame broke so I am getting a new one. So today I was on my friends bike without aero bars. So I was simply spinning and enjoying the scenery. I am always amazed that I can simply be cruising in a race and all the $7,000+ bikes I pass. And then the guys with the circa 1989 Schwinn 10 speeds with tassel's on the ends come ripping by me. I am constantly convinced it is all about the rider and very little about the bike.
Anyhoo, I felt fine the whole 24.8 mailes and was chatting up everyone I came across. Most chatted back. Others just grunted. :-)
The Run - Gotta Love Oranges
I probably should have been better prepared, but I assumed it was a 2 loop run. About half way through the second loop it felt kinda short so I asked someone and they informed me it was 3 loops. DOH! No problem. I was running well.The first of the 2 aid stations on the loops had orange wedges. I learned at Ironman California 70.3 in Oceanside a few years ago the power of the orange. I was melting about 6 miles into the 13.1 mile run and I ate an orange. I noticed a bump in my energy. At the next aid station I ate another orange and got the same bump. Needless to say, oranges saved me from a major bonk that day.
I wasn't bonking at this race, but the oranges gave me the same bump and I pushed myself on the run. I am not fast, but this day 6.2 miles was E A S Y. Considering that I have only run > 6 miles only four times in the past four months, I was moving.
I finished strong and had a great day.
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