Can you help an ignorant writer?

Just a few other things not mentioned; the waves are determined by age group and/or gender, which can be good or bad, since that means before the race you can just look at race cap color and see what really intimidating-looking people are in your age group.  No matter, the age is also usually body-marked on the back of the calf, so you can be intimidated on the bike and run as well!.  Being of master's age (40 and up) as well as female, I'm usually stuck in one of the last waves.  Very frustrating when you want to just start and get it over with already, but it also means most of the bikes are gone by the time I've finished my swim and it's easy to find my bike.  The timing of the waves has been as little as 30 seconds apart and as much as 5 minutes apart in my experience.

One thing I always find myself doing before the race is checking and rechecking my stuff in the transition area, always afraid I've forgotten something and making sure my stuff is arranged in the easiest way possible for retrieval.  Do my tires have enough air?  Is the bike pointing in the right direction?  Where's my race number!?!  YIKES! 

Camraderie is great at a race.  I do a lot of local sprints, as well as a few out-of-town races at longer distances.  There are always people I know and always new people to meet and see next race.  Which is nice, because sometimes it takes FOREVER (not really, but seems like it) for them to calculate results and give out trophies.  But even that is filled with pictures and chatting with people that just finished the same crazy thing I did!

Sharon

Wow, Kim, 2 or 3 posts were put in while I was making my last one.  

The timing chip is about the size of an oversized watch and attached to a velcro strap like an oversized watch band.  It is wrapped around the ankle.  At the end of the race, there are usually volunteers that bend down and take it off you so you don't have to.  (not always a good idea to stop and bend over right after that much exertion).  The chips are great.  They time you from the start of the race, there's a mat at the end of the swim when you run up the beach (UGH) that will give a little beep when you cross it so you get your swim split.  You run into the transition area, wiggle off the wetsuit (if the water was cold enough to warrant it), get the bike shoes and helmet on and run out of the transition area with the bike (you're very rarely allowed to be riding your bike in the transition area for safety reasons) where there is another mat which records your transition split.  Then you mount your bike which can sometimes be an interesting activity in itself, especially if it's cool out and you're all wet.  At the end of the bike, you dismount and cross another mat into the transition area and get your bike split.  Then you re-rack the bike, change into the running shoes (DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THE HELMET OFF!!)  and run out the transition area, with that mat beeping at you for that transition split and you're off.  Or so they say.  The beginning of the run is a lovely study on how well jelly can move.  The legs had been in cycling mode, are tired, and now they're supposed to run.  It can take over a mile before they realize that and go from flopping to striding!  Every water stop, every mile marker is a blessing because now it's just a matter of "when can I be done".  Then there is that finishing clock 100 yards down the road and the pace picks up.  There are spectators all along the area cheering on anyone that's made it this far.  It's awesome.  Legs are too tired, so attention has to switch to arms.  If you move the arms faster, the legs have to follow.  Gotta sprint!  Gotta get done before the clock ticks to the next minute.  Pump the arms more and you're across that line!  Sweat pouring, one volunteer giving water, another taking off the chip band.  If you keel over, there's a volunteer for that, too.  Kim, I say again.  It would be great for you to see one for yourself to really get a picture of it. 

By the way, if you were wondering how they get your name to announce at the finish line, it's that chip again.  A lot of bigger races have yet another mat to cross about 100 yds from the finish.  The announcers have a monitor in front of them and when you cross it, your name comes up on the screen.  It is really a boost when you hear your name announced.

Sharon

Edited by snikpos 2004-04-12 12:54 AM

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