Pre-Race:
The morning started at 5 a.m. with a half a bagel, CeraSport EX1 and 2/3 scoop of Base Amino. We left the house at 5:45 for the hour drive to LaGrange for the race. On the way I had a bottle of water and a few sips of NOS energy drink and half an energy PowerBar to eat. Once I arrived I had about 8 ounces of watered down gatorade.
It was raining off and on with lightning off in the distance, nothing hard just a light rain. I set up my transition area, met a few friends, made a few new friends and I went for a short run. By the time I returned it was about 15 minute before the start and they told everyone to get out of the pool. Ooops, I was wanting to get in the water and go for a short swim.
As I was waiting for the final few minutes for the start, I kept thinking how I was going to make a difference for God. It was a small race and I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time on the course to talk to people as I normally do. I decided I would smile from start to finish and let God's light shine through me and talk to and thank everyone I had the opporuntity to meet on the course; the volunteers and police and even the competitors.
Swim:
The swim was advertised at 300 meters, come to find out it was a yard pool so the swim would be 300 yards. It was a time trial start with someone starting every 10 seconds. I started number 22 and figured I would swim hard an have fun. I told the lady behind me before the start, if you catch me, slap my feet and I will let you pass at the next wall and I told the guy in front of me the same thing. At 8:03:20 a.m. I was off and swimming. I caught the guy in front of me in less than 75 yards and he didn't let me pass. By 100 yards during my catch I was reaching up to his knees, finally I decided at 125 yards I was going to try and pass him without hitting anyone coming the opposite direction. The pass was successful but almost immediately I was on the next guy. I followed him the remainder of the way, just not know where the people were coming the opposite direction. This is the one thing I hate about pool swims, you just can't get around anybody safely. As I exited the water I took a quick look at my watch and it was 4:40, much faster than I had anticipated. I had about a 100 meter run to the transition area where the timing mat was located reaching the mat at 5:21. I took it easy as it was raining I didn't want to go crashing to the ground on the concrete. As I made the turn on the timing mat my feet went out from under me and down I went. At least I hit the rubber timing mat.
Passed one guy by this time, can't get around guy in front of me.
T-1:
I took way too long in transition. I gotta start to ride and run without socks. I had to dry my feet to get the socks on and then I was standing in the puddle. It took me 1 minute to get through transition, but that also included the fall. I am just glad my wife didn't get a photo of it.
Bike:
The bike course was advertised at 20k. The course was well short measuring 9.3 miles, so a little over 3 miles short. The course had some pretty steep hills and a bunch of sharp turns. Since it was raining I took it cautiously around the corners as I didn't want to take any unnecessary spills for stupidity. My initial goal was to ride around 22 mph, but with the rain I wasn't going so hard in the turns and it turned out the hills were a bit harder than I anticipated. Despite being warned about the turns on the turn around loop I was going to fast and almost went off the road and by the time I hit the bottom of that hill the mud was spread across the road from the down pours overnight and the continuous rain and then a steep 200 meter hill before heading back. At about mile 6.5 I was averaging 21.2 and was happy but that climb through mile 8 got steeper as we neared the top of the hill. I passed a bunch of people on the bike course. By mile 6.5 and heading up that hill I didn't see anyone in front of me all the way back to the transition area. As I rode into the transition area, I slipped out of my shoes and prepared to dismount by the dismount line. I lost a lot of time from mile 6.5 through mile 9.3 with most of it on that darn hill. I finished in 27:54 averaging 20.1 mph, a far cry from 22 mph. I was happy with my time considering the rain and it was the 6th fastest time on the day.
Putting my shoes on leaving transition.
Dismounting Bike.
T-2:
The bike to run transition went quick, 25 seconds. I put the bike on the rack, shoes on and helmet off and out of transition I went and still nobody in sight in front of me. I gotta run hard to make up time.
Run:
Out of transition I went and headed down the road. After I made the second turn I caught a glimpse of one person in front of me and my goal now was to run him down. I became focused pushing, but not overdoing it. By 3/4 of a mile he was within reach and I was closing fast as I made the turn up the first nasty little hill, I slowed but kept grinding away. By the time I reach 1.5 miles he was right in front of me trying to hold me off. We made the turn a turn at approximately 1.9 mile for the second hill and this is when I made my move past him up the hill giving him ecouragement. At the top of the hill was mile 2 and a water stop and the second person I seen in front of me. He turned an looked back at the water stop, a sure sign that he was fading and didn't want to get passed again. I ran hard up that hill and now it was slightly down hill for the next 1/4 mile. I was closing on him and as I got close enough I knew he was in my age group which made me run that much hard and push all the way to the finish line. I made the pass at 2.75 mile and ran with everything I had left to the finish. My Garmin measured the course at 3.05 and I finished in 19:47, 4th fasted run time. It is definitely one of the harder 5K run course I have been on and to run a sub-20, even on the short course, makes me happy.
Last little hill to finish
Nice Blue Shoes
Official Mens Results
I hope that I glorified God throughout the day. Sharing His joy with the volunteers, the police and the other triathletes on the course. I thank God everyday for the gifts He has given me.
Thanks to my sponsors and supporters: MultiSport Ministries, Base Performance, CeraSport and Brooks Fanatics.
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