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| Kick it up a notch! |
Race Preparation
I did not train
too well for this race, mainly because the distance was such that I was
comfortable doing very little training. The other reason was that I wanted a
dramatically less stressful experience than the last race I completed. In fact,
I did not do any swim training – 300 yards is less than my typical swim warm-up
for a workout – and only got one group cycling workout in preparation for the
race. But I felt this was sufficient for a 12.5 mile ride. The 5k run I was not
worried about because I knew I could walk if I got tired. However, my goal for the
race, in addition to just finishing, was to jog the entire 5k. I do not
recommend this for most new triathletes doing their first sprint distance so if
you want any tips on race preparation, please ask in the comments section!
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| Before the race! |
Race Day (Pre-Race)
The race was
two hours away from where I live had a 6:45am start time. Naturally, my husband
and I waited until the last minute to get a hotel that we could stay at so we
did not have to get up at 3 in the morning. Goochland is in the middle of
nowhere so the nearest hotel was still 20 minutes away near Richmond. (Note: I highly recommend spending the night
at races that are 2 hours or more away. You will likely be well rested the
next day and gives you a place to shower/rest after the rest). The downside is that I did not plan
very well for food in the morning as I usually do steel-cut oatmeal before a
race. Staying at a hotel, I did not have access to a kitchen. I figured we
would just pick up a bagel or banana at a gas station right before the race.
Wrong!
We passed
the last open gas station near our hotel that we did not stop at. We assumed
there would be one closer to the race.
Wrong again!
Remember
Goochland being in the middle of nowhere? The gas stations were closed at 5:30
in the morning. Not off to a good start. Fortunately, the race provided some
race gels – for the record, Apple Cinnamon is quite possibly the worst flavor
ever – and I had purchased a Gatorade and water the night before, which is my typical
race hydration.
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| Rare capture of me during the swim leg. |
To add
insult to injury, the staff working the registration desk was not very friendly.
Then I realized while putting my number stickers on my bike that I forgot my
bike pack and my bike water bottle. You should ALWAYS bring a bike pack with
two spare bicycle inner tubes and a canister of CO2 in case you
get a flat. I shrugged my shoulders and hoped for the best. It was all I could do.
The Race
With all the
problems I was having, one would think this would be one of my worst race
experiences, second only to the one I did not finish. But this was actually one
of the most well designed races I have raced:
- The swim was based on your seed time! Because it was a pool race instead of a mass start they let you give your race pace 300 yard time. I passed one person and was only passed once myself. Whew! So much better than getting kicked in the ribs when I swim over someone I cannot see.
- The “rolling hills” on the course were in fact not hills, but slow inclines. I definitely struggled on these inclines, but the majority of the course I spent rolling down the slow declines. The only downside was I could not switch to my higher gear (large cog) because I had to be on my second to lowest gear on the inclines. So some of the downhill portions I either pedaled furiously with no extra boost in speed or just coasted.
- A two-loop course allowed me to plan my energy usage better.
- The run was challenging with two steep hills, but
fun. Also a two-loop course so the same benefit as the bike course. My only
complaint was running in the grassy portions. A recipe for twisted ankles.
Hold the seat while running making transitions easier. - Two water stops on the course, though the placement could have been better.
- Volunteers and onlookers were EXTREMELY friendly and supportive. One of them at the water stop heard me breathing heavily (one of the two steep hills was right before the water stop) and asked if I was ok, which was unexpected, but appreciated.
- Other racers were amazingly supportive and cheered on their fellow racers. Most of those who passed me on the cycling leg called out “passing left” and quite a few sad “good job, racer” or “keep it up”. There was a small boy, probably 10 or 11, racing who was inspiring. I kept thinking how good this boy would be when he grows up!
- Lots of new people BUT unlike the Nation’s Triathlon, which is over-booked in my opinion, it was not ridiculously crowded – therefore dangerous – and the newbies were not ridiculously underprepared for the bike portion. Only a young boy who clearly had not been taught the rules passed me on the right.
- We got race medals! As sweat dripped down my face (oh did I mention I forgot my hat too!) crossing the finish line, a volunteer slipped a finisher medal around my neck. Totally unexpected and totally awesome.
- Post-race food included fruit, pancakes, and bacon. I did not partake of the bacon or pancakes, but I thought that was a nice touch for a small race.
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| Finishing the race. Look at those gams! |
The officialrace results were posted later in the evening the day of the race. I did not stay long
enough, but they were also printed and posted after the race as well.
Swim Time –
5:26
T1 – 2:20
Bike Time –
52:14
T2 – 1:43
Run Time –
37:04
Overall –
1:38.46
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