Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Not a good swim for me, but it was about what I expected. I injured my shoulder about 10 days ago and was just getting back to the point where I can swim with it again. I had a sprint race last Saturday and my shoulder was killing me in the water. I had only been in the pool once (yesterday) since then and my shoulder would still hurt if I moved my arm the wrong way. So I wasn't expecting a great swim. I also didn't think ahead and forgot to spit in my googles (which are very scratched up as it is) to keep them from fogging up. So I started out all right but couldn't see much and tried to stick close to the other swimmers. I really got beaten up this time because of it. The first lap I had plenty of people to sight off of (since I couldn't find the bouys through my goggles) but I spent most of the second lap alone and got off course a number of times. On the last straightaway I had to bring my head up each time and hope that I could find something orange (either a bouy or another swimmer's cap) to tell if I was going the right direction. All in all it worked out, but could have been better.

New goggles and remember to spit in them.

Very long run from the water to T1 which included a steep grassy downhill run. Very nerve racking. Nearly lost my balance putting my socks on but everything else went well.

Learn to clip my shoes onto my pedals and get into them once I'm on the bike and moving.

Great bike ride! I passed three people right out of the gate and didn't look back. This was my usual slaughter of the bike course. I had looked at the results from last year and knew there would be alot of good racers out here, so this was where I would have to make a charge if I was going to place well. We kept coming back to the same intersection and would go on one street up the hill then back down to the same intersection and up the hill on the next street. Lots of long (but not very steep) climbs and fun segments of hammering back down the hill. The first lap was only olympic racers (sprints started later) and it was quite enjoyable. I would pass one person and get the next one in my sights and go about my business hunting each rider down one by one. I caught Gary right before the second u-turn. I was a little surprised he wasn't further ahead and I knew that I would be able to hold him off if I had a clean race. About midway through the first loop my front tire began to make a rubbing noise. I was afraid my tire wasn't properly hooked onto my rim so I rode a little conservatively thinking that a blowout was about to happen. But after a few miles nothing had happened. So I tried to open my brakes to get the rubbing noise to stop but that didn't do a thing. I shrugged it off and went back about my business of dominating the bike segment. Passed Henschied toward the end of the first lap. Had to love that I was beating a kid who was only doing the relay and who could kick my ass at running back in high school. I hadn't seen a single person in my AG on the first lap. Then the second lap. Ugh. Sprinters everywhere! I had to go into the left lane a number of times to get around the bunches of slow riders grouped together. I don't think I've ever yelled "ON YOUR LEFT" so many times in a race. Finally, about 1/4 of the way through the second lap I passed a 24 year old. He looked like a strong rider and I guessed that he was doing the olympic. Progress! It wasn't until about half way through the second lap that I was finally passed. The guy got a few meters ahead of me on a downhill but I made quick work of him on the next uphill and got out of the saddle and sprinted to make sure he wouldn't catch me again. No one ever caught me today. Got out of my shoes coming down the last hill and jumped off running into T2.

Looking at the final results: My chip didn't catch the mat on my way out of T1 so my bike time and T2 time were put together and I don't have a bike ranking. Looking at my watch and bike computer I did it in about 1:04 so that's what I put down in my report. That puts my average at 23.3 MPH and I would have been 18th overall on the bike (including relays).

My hydradtion strategy worked really well today. Alot of AminoVital on the first lap and just enough Gu2o on the second lap. My stomach felt good going into the run.

I'm starting to consistently move into the top 10% on the bike leg (top 6% today) which is where I want to be.

Handled the long T2 run well. Lots of people to avoid but it went pretty smoothly.

I got grease from my bike chain on my flag somehow. It needed to be washed anyway, but I'd still like to know how I managed that one.

I felt good going into the run and knew that I was doing well in my age group. I had killed the bike leg so if there was anyone in front of me they must have been really good. As soon as I thought that (as I crossed the mat to start the run) I was passed my a 22 year old. Great! Just what I needed; a chase to start off the run! So I kept him in my sights but knew I couldn't afford to chase him right from the start. He was slowly pulling away from me when we hit the 5K/10K split. I go around the corner and through the tunnel toward the first u-turn. He's not coming the other way! He was doing the sprint! Okay, hardware is still on the agenda for today becuase for all I know I'm in first. Brandt went rolling past me as he came toward the end of his day on the bike. Seeing someone I knew cheering for me gave me a good boost. I picked a 27 year old ahead of me as my mark and picked up my cadence to match his. I would pass him and then he would pass me a few minutes later. We took turns like this until the second u-turn when he made a break for it. There was another 27 year old ahead of us and that's who he was trying to leave behind. I left my pace where it was and eventually passed the other 27 year old as well. I was able to hold a sub-8:00 mile pace in the last few sprints I've run, but hadn't done an oly in a while and had never tried to run one this fast. I still had Gary breathing down my neck (or at least that's what I pictured to keep myself moving) and I knew there were other guys in my age group trying to pick me off.

At the halfway point I was questioning whether I could keep this up. Then just after mile 4, it finally happened. A 24 year old passed me. He passed me at a very good clip. With 2 miles left and this guy putting alot of distance between me and him I knew I would have try and stay with him. So I started to accelerate and match his pace. Then suddenly my flag pole came apart! The eagle on top had got caught on a tree branch and the two pieces sepearted! I had to stop and go back a few steps, grab my flag and then put them back together on the run. I looked up again and could see the new AG leader leaving me behind. All right, I'm just going to run my race and that's all I can do. So I went back to that hard but not completely exhausting pace I had been at previously. Hit the last aid station with one mile to go. I could still finish well if I could just hold my pace. Made it down the final stretch toward the YMCA and suddenly I could see the 24 year old agian! He had bonked! Less that 1/2 a mile left and I had caught him! And not just that, there was another 24 year old right in front of him! I knew I had to be running as I passed them or else at least one of them would try to go with me. So I lengthened my stride and made my move as we hit a turn to go down a hill and through the final tunnel. I waited, expecting to hear footsteps behind me but there was nothing. I had gotten away with it!

A quarter mile to go and I could hear the crowds at the finish line. Then suddenly a 23 year old passed me at full speed! Everything I had just done was flying out the window! So as soon as I realized what was happening I matched him step for step. He never had more than a 2 pace lead on me. We were winding down the final curves and I could see the finish. We made the last turn and I knew this was it. A dead sprint to the finish. I pushed as hard as I could and could feel my muscles burning and my veins pumping battery acid. I took a line on the inside of the final turn and stepped in front of him to keep him from repassing. I crossed the finish line all of one step ahead of him. Nearly knocked over the kid waiting to take our timing chips. I bent over to catch my breath and try to figure out what the hell just happened. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was but it all came back to me in short order. I was excited to find out how I did in my age group so I went over to the kid and asked him if he knew how many guys were ahead of him in our age group. "I have no idea. I'm running the relay." WHAT?!?! I killed myself to beat someone that I wasn't even really racing against?!?!?! Turns out that one of the two 24 year olds I passed was also relay runner, but I don't care. This was by far the most memorable run of my life. I've never actually been in a sprint to the finish before. That's a totally different rush than anything else.

I had no idea that I could run that far at that pace. There's nothing more I could have done. Except maybe be more careful with my flag.

Chugged down a bottle of AminoVital at the finish line. The guy (I forget his name) I met at Tri the Rock when we both showed up late and had to start the pool swim last was there to congratulate me. I found Henschied next to the finish chute and we BSed about triathloning for a while. Then who should show up.... but Lorraine Licon! I went to high school with this girl (she was the younger sister of a guy in my grade) and she had run cross country as well. Turns out that this (she did the sprint) was her very first triathlon! It took her a minute to realize who I was but it was great when it finally clicked in her head. I love that look of shock people who haven't seen me since I've been fat get when they see me now. So we talked and took some pictures before David (davidb) and Gary each came across the finish. I'm not sure about David but Gary had PRed. Great day for all the BTers. I asked Gary to hold my flag for me and I went jogging along the course from finish to start to find Brandt and pace him in like I said I would. I cheered on the people who were still coming in and let them know how much more they had left. It's surprising how grateful someone can be just for finding out how many 1/4 miles they have ahead. Found Brandt just past the mile 4 marker and ran in with him. Got myself some pizza and a banana before I checked the results.

Posted results: I was 51st overall (the online results included relays and say I was 55th) and 5th in my age group. However, the two overall winners were in my age group. So they got bumped into the overall standings and I was moved to 3rd in my age group. So I got hardware, but on a technicality. I'm not really sure what to think about it. But it is a pint glass, so I'll be putting it to work regardless. Oh, and my final time was a PR at this distance by 23 minutes and 28 seconds and was my 4th oly. My first oly was three and a half months ago and I've cut just over an hour off of my time. You should see the smile on my face right now!


Little technical mistakes. Nothing serious. I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with this distance.


This race was much bigger than I expected. Last year was around 600 and this year was supposed to be 850. But they opened up more slots and it ended up being over 1,000. Lots of really good racers were here today. Staci and Ahmed always put on really good races and I think this was their best yet. Things got started a little late, but other than that it was great. Another one I'll be back for next year.