Race: Xterra Uwharrie Triathlon (Sprint)

Distances: 500m Swim, 12k Mtn Bike, 5k trail run (more about these later)

My Place: 3rd Overall

Pictures at: http://www.speedylizard.com/gallery/albums/28.aspx

Results posted at: http://www.racescapes.com/results.asp   

Weather: The day started off kind of rainy.  It appeared that it was going to be a fairly crappy day.  However by the time race started, the rain stopped, clouds went away and the sun came out.  

Race Snafus: The bike course ended up to be 12 miles instead of 12k.  This was confirmed by the timing staff and numerous guys with speedos on their bikes.  Not sure if the people who set the course up just goofed, thought 1k = 1m or if there was a communication problem, “Yeah, Bubba, the course needs to be 12k.”   “Ok, 12 miles it is.”  Personally, I think t the 5k run was a 5 mile run as well.  The guy who came in first took over 35 minutes to do the 5k.

Swim:

Triangular course with an in-water start.  Water temp: 67 degrees.  Between the high winds and all the fishing boats speeding by, there was quite a bit of “surf”.  Personally, I had a few “issues” with the swim as this is only the second time I’ve done an open water swim.  First, because of a late race briefing, I had no time to warm up.  I spent any potential warmup time fighting with my right goggle trying to get it to seal.  After turning around the second buoy, we’re supposed to head for shore.  My goggles were completely fogged over and the sun was staring us right in the face.  The only way I made it to shore was to follow everyone else.  Near shore, my knee hit a basketball-size rock.  It was more of a brush, but scared me.  It could have been much worse.  I stood up but realized I was still too far from the exit, so I went back to swimming.  I was in 18th position coming out of the water.  

• Personal improvements needed: Don’t forget to get anti-fog for the goggles.  Need to work on sighting.  Need to work on not starting too fast.

Transition 1:

 I took the race directors recommendation to wear aqua shoes.  It was a bit awkward in the water and may have even slowed me down a little.  However, I passed numerous people on the 75 yard run from the water to transition while they tiptoed through the rocks and debris.   My transition was very well organized, but I still need to work on what I need to do in what order.  Getting out of the full wetsuit and getting into my shoes was a breeze.  I had trouble getting my shirt on.  Should have toweled off a little first.  I leave transition forgetting my shades (proved not to be a problem).

• Personal improvements needed: Wear the tri-top under the wetsuit.  It cost me valuable time putting it on. 

Bike:

Bike course is laid out in a “lollipop” fashion.  Out of transition, we had to ride for a mile or so on slag gravel road.  As always it’s an uphill out of transition and the road consisted of several ups and downs.  Since there are no mountain bike trails, we’re riding on horse trails. 

Once we dive onto the trail, it would prove to be a preview of things to come.  A long uphill rock garden.  For that matter, about 75-80% of the course *is* a rock garden (think the very beginning of Goat Hill at USNWC or the first small uphill right after you leave the bowl at Anne Springs).  If it wasn’t rocky, it was muddy.  If it wasn’t rocky or muddy, it was both.  There were 5 hills that were not climbable.  Everyone I talked to did it on foot.  One hill in particular Tod warned me about.  It was all rock and almost straight up.  I just thought he was exaggerating.  Once I arrive to it, I immediately knew which one it was.  I would be surprised to see a horse climb it without trouble.  There was another hill that seemed to go on forever.

The horses also seemed to do an excellent job at creating these two foot wide by two foot deep ravines.  There’s no way to ride on one side or the other of the ravine, so you’re stuck in this groove.

Numerous large logs that you can’t really jump or ride over.  Four or five very rocky creek crossings ranging from 6 inches to a foot deep.

My bike gave me numerous problems once I shifted into the lower gears.  It kept skipping.  I was so frustrated that when it came time for me to hit the downhills, I just went for it.  It’s amazing how speed can carry you over a rocky terrain.

At one point, the course dumped us back out onto a blacktop road for a mile or two.  We finish up the bike course by returning down the same slag rock road back to transition.  All-in-all, I passed quite a few people on the bike.  Several of them while they were walking their bike up a hill (and I ran mine).

• Personal improvements needed: Get the bike checked.  Shifting into the low gears sucked.  Also make sure the rebound on the shocks are set correctly.  Don't forget the speedo and move "Sharkie" over so you can attempt to get into an aero position on any road sections.  Practice climbing hills with the bike over the shoulder.  Carry fuel on the bike.  Consume plenty of water while on the bike to hydrate for the run.

Transition 2:

About a mile into the bike ride, I realize that I took my timing chip off in order to get the swimsuit off.  And I left it in transition.  So priority one was to dismount and get the chip to scan it at the transition entrance.  I yelled it to the race marshal and she said it was ok.  Other than that, transition went very smoothly.  I came out of transition in 8th place.

• Personal improvements needed: Practice dismounts.  Have additional fuel ready to be grabbed for the run.

Run:

The course was a lot of fun.  We think that they made the same mistake with the run as it seemed more like 5 miles than 5k.  It ran around the lakes edge for the most part with some gravel road running.  There were numerous large trees that you had to climb over and two that you had to literally crawl under.  Some steep rocky climbs and challenging hills.  There were two sections that I found particularly interesting.  First, there was a really steep climb that had lots of overgrowth.  At first I thought I had turned off of the course route, but I hadn’t.  The second was about 100 feet or so of *solid* rock that was slanted towards the lake (with a dropoff).  That would not have been fun to run over when wet.  My quads were cramping quite a bit, but I ran through it.

• Personal improvements needed: Run faster.  ;-).

I finished third.  :-)