Whiterock Racing

Lonestar 1/4 Iron Triathlon - 2009 - Galveston, TX

2009-04-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Another great time in Galveston this past weekend for the Lonestar 1/4 Iron distance Triathlon on April 5, 2009.

Here's the quick stats:

965M (.6 mile) swim = 21:15
T1 time = 3:11
28 Mile bike = 1:18:54 (21.3 mph)
T2 time = 1:30
6.5 Mile run = 52:45 (8:07/mile)

Overall time = 2:37:38

Division place (Men 40-44) = 14/78
Overall Place 132/784

This is the third year I've done the race I've been lucky with good weather conditions each time.

Got down on Saturday, spent some time at the beach (got sunburned...oops), visiting with some friends and getting my first look at the Island since Ike hit my hometown last year.

I was saddened to see so much damage still, but humbled to see the work that people are doing to rebuild the Island and their lives there. I enjoy doing this race, but I also know that this one event probably pumped at least $500,000+ into the economy with its 2800 participants (hotels, meals, etc). Even the race organization benefits local groups by donating money to charities that supply volunteers to help with the event. Hopefully we helped some!

I went for a warmup swim on Saturday evening, and found the water a brisk 65 degrees. A little chilly, but OK in my wetsuit. My favorite part is when the water first seeps into the suit down the back....yow! The problem is, my training pool is kept way too warm at 83 degrees, so a 20 degree difference in temp is definitely noticiable!

Sunday morning started early about 4:50am...down to the car to get the bike and head over to the parking lot to set up in transition. For anyone who isn't familiar with a triathlon...here's the drill to setting up:

- Show up at transition early to get bodymarked and set up your transition area. Volunteers use a marker to write your race number on your arm, hand, leg, etc. Your transition area is a spot on a bike rack where you will come to transition between swimming, biking, then running.

- Make sure all your gear is lined up to access as fast as possible going from swim to bike, then bike to run.....the clock never stops ticking!

- Stretch, warmup run, fluids/electrolytes, calories (bagel, banana, gel)

- Put on the wetsuit, cap and goggles and head over to the swim start

Swim Start

Swim start is next to the 'Palm Beach' area. I was in the 3rd wave to start (organized by age group...about 70-100 people per wave). Climb down the ladder to get in (the pier we jumped from last year was swept away by the hurricane) and swim about 30 yards over to the start line. A few minutes of treading water and the start horn goes off. A washing-machine of arms and legs, and you're off swimming for the first turn buoy. In the video, I'm the one in the blue swim cap. ;-)

I was able to find someone to draft on, and worked on a nice smooth stroke. It always seems that the turn buoy in the distance takes forever to get to (kinda like that scene in Monty Python's Holy Grail where the knight running across the field never seems to get there!).

I exited the water and ran down the swim exit lane where they have high school kids volunteering to pull your wetsuit off. You get the top part down to your waist, then sit on the ground while they yank the rest of it off. Hold onto your shorts though, I think some of them have a contest to see who can rip *everything* off with the wetsuit!

T1 is the first transition where you strip off your cap and goggles, put on your helmet and cycling shoes, then unrack your bike and run it out of the transition area (you can't ride it in the transition area for safety reasons), get on and start the ride.

Bike

The bike heads out to the seawall, then west along 3005 for 14 miles, then a turnaround to head back. I passed a lot of people on the bike, but had to remind myself to keep the effort level in check to save some legs for the run. I also did a better job of taking in more calories and keeping myself hydrated while on the bike, which, I think turned into a better performance on the run. There were a number of packs of riders (which is against the rules....you can't ride closer than about 3 bike lengths from the rider in front of you) that I had to get past, as well as a number of people riding on the left. I made a couple of technically illegal passes on the right (once in front of the referee) since I couldn't get by on the left....but fortunately, no penalties assessed.

I was actually 14 seconds slower on the the bike this year, but still a decent effort. Save...something....for...the...RUN!

T2 is the 2nd transition where you re-rack your bike, take off the helmet/cycling shoes and put on the running shoes and head out to the run course. Make sure you know where your bike is supposed to go!!!

Run

Its always tough starting the run after the bike. The legs feel wierd starting to run after pedaling for over an hour, and it usually takes me about a half mile or so to start getting into a groove. My watch clicked 8 minutes as I passed the first mile marker, so I was on track for the pace I hoped to run. I planned to pick up the pace over the next few miles, but instead, I started fading a little. This year was a 2 loop run course since part of the previous year's course was still under repair from the hurricane. Took water and gatorade at each aid station to stay hydrated and I did have enough for a sprint on the last 500 meters. Managed to keep about an 8:07/mile average which really helped my placing.

Afterword

Here's the bike and transition area after the race. A jumble of wet, messy stuff!

Overall

I came out of the water in 43rd place in my group (really need to get a faster swim!), but with a decent bike and good run, clawed my way up to 14th.

Again a great event, with outstanding organization and logistics and a really nice venue. I had fun, and the family had fun too!

Horse Country Time Trial # 1 - 3/7/09

2009-03-09T17:53:00.001-07:00

Was a very windy day. I knew it was going to be bad when I took my bike out of the trunk and it almost blew out of my hands (with disc wheel attached). I went back and forth a few times on wether or not to ride the disc in these conditions, but after a short out-and-back ride of part of the course, I decided that I could manage it and it would at least be good practice. I didn't have any trouble a couple days before in the wind, but it was stronger and gusting race morning.

Was great to have some friends from the SMU Cycling club there (watching and racing). As well as teammates from Fit2Train.

Plenty of fluids, a GU about 20 minutes before the start (to supplement the banana and bagel/honey I had earlier), and two 20 minute sessions on the trainer to warm up. Trainer warmup is absolutely essential to these races....your engine's got to be warm when you hit the start line.

Headed out from the start (west) reasonably hard with the strong south crosswind. Was able to keep the speed around 24-27 mph. I knew it would be rough when the course turned south almost directly into the wind....and it was. Couple hills and flats into the wind and I was struggling to keep 14 mph. I passed 2 riders on the way out and made the turn.

Got a nice boost with a tailwind heading back north up the hills and passed 2 more riders....couple of spots were 30+mph. Course turned east and I fought some gusty crosswinds that really moved me around. Still, I felt that I was getting somewhat of a sail/push effect with the disc, and was glad to have it.

Passed one more rider with about a mile to go, and emptied the tank on the last 1000 meters uphill.

Crossed the line in 32:39...just about 23mph average for the 12.5 mile course. This is 17 seconds slower than the last time I did the course, but with the insane wind...I'll take it. Came in 26th place in the Cat4/5 division. Passed 5 riders, no one passed me.

I think first place Cat4/5 was 28 minutes and change. First place overall was 26:27...smokin'. Take heart all you 'older' racers...that guy was in the 40+ masters.

Thanks to Scot Montague for taking pictures!

Cowtown Half Marathon

2009-03-01T05:04:00.000-08:00

Waking up a little before 5am and seeing the wind whipping the bushes outside (knowing it was 36 degrees or so) had me thinking of some creative ways that I could duck out of this race....was my throat a little sore? Maybe I'm running a fever?

Naaahh....this'll be fun.

Got to the race site a little before 6am and went to pickup my packet and get a race belt (the one thing I forgot at home). Was nice to spend some time in the somewhat heated expo tent and do some stretching. Went back to the car to drop off my wallet, keys and (sigh) nice warm sweats.

Now, just to hang around for the next 40 minutes in 20's degree wind-chill in my shorts. I ended up wearing shorts, thermal shirt, cap with ear covers, and gloves. I did remember to bring a trash bag to wear at the start of the race...and it did help a little. Ditched it after about a mile or so. After about 4 miles, the gloves hung on my race belt.

The starting area was so packed when I got there, there was a large group of us that couldn't even make it on to the starting street...we had to wait on a side street. Starting horn went off and we didn't move for the next 4 minutes.

A few minutes more and we funnelled onto the start chute and crossed the starting mat to register our start times. I was just ready to get running and warm up.

Unfortunately, I was near the back of the crowd and had to weave my way through miles of slower runners/walkers to be able to get up to speed.

Other half-marathons I've done, there's a crowd at the start, and then it thins out some after a few miles. This one stayed packed the whole way. Maybe it was my starting position, maybe the narrower streets. Fortunately, I was able to get enough room to run the pace I wanted with just a little weaving.

I didn't have a firm time goal in mind for this race, since I knew it would be somewhat hilly and I was not familiar with the course. Instead my goal was to keep a 'driving' effort on the flats, 'motor' up the hills and take advantage of some 'free' speed on the downhill sections. In the back of my mind I wanted to at least beat my last half-mary time of 1:51, and possibly get into the mid or low 1:40's if possible. However, I didn't really follow my overall time until the last few miles.

At around 7 miles I took a GU, I was feeling good, staying hydrated at the aid stations. I was keeping my pace around an 8:00 to 8:15 mile, with some sections in the sub-8:00 range. This felt right, so I stuck with this perceived effort level.

The hills were rolling, and never felt very steep, and I liked the variety.

The last 2 or 3 miles of this course is generally uphill, so its a bit of a mental challenge (which I've been practicing). At about 1/2 mile out I picked up the pace to about a 7:00/mile and crossed the line at 1:49:10. A new personal record by about 2 minutes on a challenging course.

It was a good race...easy logistics (easy, free parking downtown). Quick race-packet pickup on race morning, and the new disposable no-return timing chip was nice.

I went back to the car to get my sweats on to come back and enjoy the food/drink and finish festival...but once I got a little warmed up in the car, a hot shower at home sounded much better!

The finisher medal is really cool...its one part of a Texas star. If you do the event for 5 years, you get to make a complete star...nice idea to help influence people to come back.....4 more years and I've got it!

http://www.cowtownmarathon.org/images/2009_Medals.pdf

I'll do this race again...hopefully without the wind next time, but still worth it!

Cold Weather Training

2009-01-16T04:05:00.000-08:00

It sure has been tough rolling out of bed on some of these mornings. I have a weather station near my bed that reports temp, wind, chill, rain, etc....so sometimes, its too much information.

I generally don't ride unless its at least 45 degrees, but I can seem to handle running with windchills down into the teens so I usually follow this formula...

50+ = shorts and short sleeve shirt
40's = shorts, light long sleeve (cap and gloves for mid to lower 40's)
30's = shorts (no wind) or tights (windy), thermal long sleeve, gloves and fleece cap with ear covering
20's = same as above, but maybe with an extra layer if windy
teens = I'm stayin' in bed!

I may wear the next level colder gear if its wet or very windy. And I may wear the next level warmer if I'm running during the day in the sun (instead of 5am in the dark).

I may also adjust based on how long I'm running and at what effort level.

Its amazing the amount of heat generated while running.

Getting in our club's outdoor pool during the winter is a story for another post.

2007 Texas State Time Trial Video

2008-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

Last year (2007) when I did the Texas State Time Trial down in Pattison, TX (near Houston), I rode with a small video camera attached to my handlebars. (see picture)

If you've wondered what a bike time trial is like from the drivers seat, this will give you an idea. Since you probably don't have an hour to spend watching, I've compressed the video down to about 4 minutes....so you get to see it at 'supersonic' speed! ...and no, there's not usually music accompaniment at the race.

When you check in for the race, you're given a specific start time, which means your race clock starts counting at that time (wether you've started or not!)...so it pays to be on time! As you get close to your start time, you should see other race numbers lining up at the start tent, so you find the gap with your number and wait. The officials start the riders every 30 seconds. When you're on deck (30 seconds before your start time), you come to the line and a 'holder' stands behind you and holds your bike while you clip both shoes onto your pedals and get ready. The starter counts the last 5 seconds....5...4....3...2...1...and you're off. This race is about 12.4 miles out and 12.4 miles back...you can read the race report from this year below for more info.

My time last year was 1:10:16 (21.2 mph) which put me at the bottom of the cat-5 stack at 48th out of 59 riders....which explains the number of riders passing me.

This year, I was able to improve to 1:05:26 (22.79 mph) which moved me up to 23rd place out of 50....so this time, I did my own share of passing other riders. To reach the podium in this race, you've got to finish in under an hour....maybe next year!

Running course

2008-11-17T05:51:00.000-08:00

My wife Alesia (a Physical Therapist) just took a continued ed course on running over the weekend. The course was geared toward therapists and covered topics such as running mechanics, shoes, injuries, treatments, etc.

One thing she found was a potential cause of some of my IT band issues. In several of my race (running) photos, I'm dropping my left hip while on my right foot. She thinks this could be the root cause of the problems that I developed back in May this year......and, she has some exercises/drills for me to strengthen those muscle groups to see if we can correct it. I have been doing a lot of stretching, hip exercises, foam roller, with a lot of improvement, but still not 100%. More details as we go along.

2008 Racing Season Wrapup

2008-11-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

I decided to start this blog to pull together a lot of my experiences and pictures from the racing I do...I hope you enjoy reading them.

I've got things put together on several of these events, but I'll be adding more as well as on other topics as time goes on, so feel free to check back periodically and see what's new.

Wow....2008 has been a busy racing season! Lots of races this year and lots of fun!

Texas Half - Half marathon
Lonestar 1/4 Iron triathlon - Galveston, TX
Horse Country Time Trial #1
Metroplex Sprint Triathlon
Dam Time Trial
Horse Country Time Trial #3
Texas State Time Trial Championship
Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon
US Open Triathlon
Hexter Howl 5K

This year has been more of a run focus for me, and its paid off in significantly faster run times in both triathlon and running races. The downside is that I "took advantage" of some extra time over the memorial day holiday, and injured my Iliotibial Band I think through overuse. Seems that my leg didn't like a hill workout followed by a 12 mile run the next day, followed by a 50 mile bike the next day and a 20 mile bike/4 mile run combo the following day....I'm thinking I pushed it a little too hard.

So, I spent most of the summer rehabing my IT band with stretching, weights, ice and therapy from my own personal Physical Therapist, Alesia! Fortunately, I was able to keep cycling and recovered enough to finish the year with two triathlons. I had hoped to prepare and race in the White Rock Marathon this year (did the half-marathon last year), but I wasn't able to put in the training volume early enough, so I'll sit this one out. Maybe a half in Ft Worth next year?

I was pleased that even through rehab I was able to maintain my fitness and running speed, and run a respectable 8:15/mile pace in the 10K run portion of the US Open Triathlon, as well as set a personal record of a 7:27/mile pace in the Hexter Howl 5K to finish the year. A far cry from not being able to run more than a half mile without pain back in June!

Despite some injuries, it really has been a good racing season. I was fortunate to have great weather for all of my races and there have been some real high points too!
You can click on one of the races above (or on one of the links to the right) to read a little more about each event.

2008 Texas State Time Trial Championship

2008-11-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

I raced Cat-5 in the Texas State Time Trial (Individual) on Saturday 8/2/08. If you don't know, Category 5 is entry level for US Bike Road Racing (USCF). Since I don't maintain a road racing license, Cat-5 is the only division open to me. Based on the number of Time Trial races I did this year, though, I may get a yearly license next year. This race is held in Pattison, a small town outside of Houston, which, unfortunately seems to barely tolerate the event...more on that later.

Its a 40K out-and-back course...pretty flat (couple of rises to deal with), and sometimes a good south wind making a headwind on the way back. ...it is August in Texas after all!

This is the 2nd year I've done this race and I enjoy a flat, non-technical course for a time trial, so that I can focus on running a consistent effort level, right on the edge of my ability.

Hydration is a big part of this event, since temps are 90+ and humidity levels are in the 90% range (I drove through heavy fog on the way to the race site!!).

To prepare, I started drinking extra water several days before, then had plenty of electrolyte drink hours prior to the race and during my warmup, as well as some additional electrolyte capsules.

I carried a 20 oz bottle of water on my bike frame, and drank 10 oz of water just before my start. Warm-up is on a trainer (fortunately, I scored a parking space next to registration, and had a shady spot to set up my trainer!).

Its always a challenge pinning a race number to a one-piece skinsuit. Get it wrong and you've now attached a parachute to your nice aerodynamic outfit! I used suggestions from some folks in Fit2Train on attaching the race number (crumple the number, and used a pillow inside the skinsuit to stretch it out to pin the number on)...that worked great!

I've been racing these events on perceived effort level (instead of monitoring HR, etc), and that has worked out pretty well of late. Starting, I went out hard, then backed it off a few notches and settled into a rythm that I felt I could maintain.

It felt like there was a headwind on the way out, so I was looking forward to a little boost on the way back. At one section, I went through a sampling of 'country' aromas (roadkill, then skunk, then fertilizer/livestock)....reverse order on the way back.

I reached the turnaround at around 31 minutes, a little slower than I planned and headed back....into a headwind....how was that possible?????! I settled into a gear that kept my cadence high, and worked on trying to crank out a good effort without blowing up.

At 5 miles out, I started pushing harder, and at 1K I emptied the tank.

Plenty of hydration and stretching/cooldown after the race!! My final time was 1:05:26 (22.79 mph), 23rd place in Cat-5. That's about a 5 minute improvement from my results last year, moving up 25 places.

As I said, it seems that the town is not very friendly to the race...a van was allowed to speed right past the start line, with the sheriff yelling at the cyclists rather than the driver. And, a racer was actually pulled over and ticketed during the race for apparently crossing out of the sholder and into the traffic lane.

I will probably do this race again next year, but I hope the organizers can either come to a better relationship with the town, or move it somewhere else.

Lonestar Triathlon 3/29/08

2008-11-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

This was my second year to do the Lonestar Triathlon down in Galveston, TX. Last year, I did the sprint distance, which fortunately I finished about 15 minutes before the skies opened up and a monsoon (ok....really heavy rain) hit the island....You can see in this picture how dark it was at the swim start and the clouds getting pretty ominous at the finish...

2007 Lonestar Pictures

Although a little foggy at the start, the 2008 race shaped up to be a good day to race. This year I decided to do the 1/4 Iron distance (0.6 mile swim, 28 mile bike, 6.5 mile run). My strength is on the bike (although swim and run are improving), so a longer bike course suits me.

This year Alesia and I and the boys got to stay at Moody Gardens hotel, meaning I could just roll out of bed on race morning, head downstairs and be at the race start.....well worth it! Last year, Alesia had to take a cab to the race!

Rodney and Brittney, a couple of friends from Dallas made it down to do the race as well. Rodney is an experienced endurance athlete who got me into this sport a couple of years ago, and still provides a lot of solid advice and feedback for me on training and racing.

I swam a little the day before and although the water was around 72 degrees, I was feeling overheated in my wetsuit, so I decided to race without it. I probably lost a couple of minutes advantage without it, but you gotta try different things!

Race morning was nice not to see a line of thunderstorms moving in, and the temperature was very comfortable...although, I got a little chilled waiting for the swim start. This event holds both a 1/2 Iron and 1/4 Iron distance race on the same day, with racers for the 1/2 iron starting first.

The Swim

My friends and I watched the waves of 1/2 Iron racers start, but noticed that the beach patrol was bringing in 'rescued' swimmers one after another....what's going on???? If you haven't done any racing in open water before, sometimes the experience can be overwhelming and get the best of you...wether its the chop, chilly water, getting knocked around and swum over, or just not being able to see anything. Maybe thats what was going on?

I was in one of the last waves to hit the water, we jumped off the dock and swam over to the start buoys (that's me jumping off in the picture)....a little chilly getting in, but by then, I'm just thinking about the race. The gun goes off, and we start the 'washing machine' of arms and legs heading away from shore towards the first turn buoy. As I said, conditions were foggy, so it was a little hard to see, but fortunately the turn buoys were bright orange and pretty large.

I exited the .6 mile swim after 22:47 and headed up the ramp toward the transition area to get my bike. Hopefully, not having to take off the wetsuit would regain a few seconds from my lost time.

The Bike

The bike course in this race is pan flat, but wind can be a factor since it travels along the seawall for a few miles. This year, the wind never really seemed to pick up and I was able to keep a pretty solid effort on the bike for the 28 miles.

This was my first race with a new bike (Planet-X Stealth Carbon) and it felt really good to be on a triathlon geometry that fit well. I was able to stay aero the whole way (except in this picture) and passed a lot of other racers.

After averaging about 21.4 mph, I coasted into transition grabbed my running shoes and headed out onto the run course.

The Run
About 1/4 or 1/2 mile, I realized that I had not put on my race number belt for the run. I made a split second decision to run back to transition to get the number, since I recall from at least one race the threat of disqualification if your race number was not worn on the run. Adding an extra 1/2 to 1 mile to my run was not making me happy, but I headed back to transition (getting some very curious looks from people headed the other way), got my number and started the run a second time. Looking back, this was the wrong decision, but sometimes when you're decisive, you make the wrong call but carry on anyway!

The 6.5 mile run course winds through Moody Gardens with lots of switchbacks and turn-arounds...so many that there were a few times that I wasn't sure if I was still on the right course! It also takes you by the finish line (tauntingly close), and then sends you out for another 3 miles! I crossed the line after 1:00:35....not what I wanted for a 6.5 mile course, but not bad if you consider I ran the 7.5 mile version of it!

After the finish, we hung out with friends for awhile, then back to the hotel for a quick shower and packup. The picture here is me loading my bike back onto the custom carrier I made for transporting in our minivan (no, the BMW is not mine). I like it because it allows the bike to sit sideways in the very back portion of the van, out of the way and secure.

This was a great start to the season, a great race to do again, and my first triathlon back after a cycling crash back in September of 2007. I've already got Moody Gardens booked for next year!

Final stats

-----------

0.6 mile swim - 22:47

T1 - 3:47

28 mile bike - 1:18:40 (21.4 mph)

T2 -1:30

6.5 (or 7.5) mile run - 1:00:35 (9:19 mile)

Total time - 2:47:22 - 31st place in the 40-44 age group

Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon - 9/28/2008

2008-11-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

It was a lot of fun finally being able to do the Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon in McKinney, TX this year. This was my first triathlon to attend as a spectator, so I was excited to be on the other side this time.

The race was only one week before my big race for the year (US Open), but I decided that the sprint distance would be a good warmup for the following weekend.

The sprint distance is a 750M (1/2 mile) swim, 12.5 mile bike and a 5K (3.1 mile) run.

Driving out to McKinney from my house meant leaving at about 4:30am to get to transition area right when it opens at 5:30am. I really prefer to get there earlier, especially if the bike racks are not reserved for each race number...that way, I can get a spot on the outside of the rack, making transitions a little easier.

It was a chilly morning to start (low 60's) before the sun came out, but warmed up quickly.

The swim was good....wetsuit legal, but not cold (76 degrees). Being in the 40+ wave, we were the last ones to start for the day. I got caught in traffic at the start, but eventually worked my way through. Got my goggles knocked around a few times, but with the straps under my swim cap, they stayed on.

Before my start, I watched some of the olympic-distance racers nearly tripping on their wetsuit arms coming down that hill after the swim (wetsuit down to the waist), I decided not to start stripping mine until I got to the bottom of the hill...turns out that worked pretty well. The transition area was actually in the parking lot on the other side of the tennis courts this time, requiring an extended barefoot run across the concrete parking lot and sidewalk coming out of the swim to the bike. I ended up nursing a bruised foot for a few days after the race, but fortunately, it healed prior to the US Open.

The bike course was so crowded, it felt more like a rally than a race. I actually had to sit up and coast several times until I could get by other packs of riders. No way to call drafting violations...everyone was in violation. I hit almost 32 mph at a couple of places on El Dorado Road and kept a healthy pace on the flats where I could get some room. I felt strong on the bike and was surprised at my time...didn't feel that I pushed it that hard.

I kept things in check for the run, but still passed a number of folks...and had a decent run.

Stats

10th place in the 40-44 age group
750M swim - 15:39.19
T1 - 3:48.35
12.5 mile bike - 31:42.90 (22.7 mph)
T2 - 1:19.10
5K run - 25:47.10 (8:16/mile)
Total time - 1:18:16.64

US Open Triathlon - Dallas - 10/5/2008

2008-11-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday 10/5/2008 was the 2nd annual US Open Triathlon Championship. Its fun to do a race of this type for the opportunity to see firsthand the performance of nationally ranked professional atheletes. Even had a racer from the US Olympic Triathlon team.

The day started early with a 4:00am alarm to load up and head down to the American Airlines Center. This race is logistically challenging due to the fact that the bike portion is a point-to-point course, starting at Joe Pool lake in Cedar Hill and finishing at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. Saturday was spent in mandatory race-briefings, packet pickup and bike checkin down in Cedar Hill.

I arrived at American Airlines Center a little before 5:00am and set up my running gear in the 2nd transition area (T2), then caught a shuttle bus down to Joe Pool lake at Cedar Hill state park. Once there, I had plenty of time to set up my first transition area (T1) with my gear for the swim and bike portion. Things are a little different with this race, in that you have to pack all of your gear before heading out to the bike course, since the race organizers pick up all the gear bags and transport them downtown to be picked up at the finish.

We watched the pro and elite racers start about 7:30am, with several of them turning in swim times of 18 to 20 minutes for 1500 meters!

I hit the swim at about 8:15 (with wetsuit, since the race was wetsuit legal at 76 degrees water temp). The swim start for age-group atheletes was a time-trial start with 4 racers starting every 10 seconds...didn't end up with the 'washing machine' of arms and legs that usually results from 50+ people starting at the same time. Fortunately, the water was calm sunday morning (it was pretty choppy on saturday afternoon) which made for a smooth swim. The only trouble was sun in our eyes coming back in which made it almost impossible to see the course buoys....so I just followed the splashing in front of me and hoped for the best.

I exited the 1500 meter swim at 31:51 (I'm not a fast swimmer), and headed into transition to get on the bike. T1 took more time than I'm used to, making sure everything was packed up and ready to go. Several of us got held up exiting transition as a race volunteer motioned a delivery truck to back up across the bike course, blocking us for a minute or so.

The bike course started with a couple miles ride through the state park on some hilly, winding roads. We exited the state park on 1382 for a slow uphill against the wind. We then made our way toward downtown through a fairly hilly course. On the plus side, the entire course was coned off from traffic with great traffic control by police and volunteers. The negative of this course was poor road condition (potholes, ruts, cracks), especially as we got closer to downtown.

A rider went down about halfway through the course when he apparently got forced into a crack that caught his wheel. There were no volunteers or other race personnel on the scene, so I pulled over and went to check on him. I pulled his bike out of the road (pretty mangled) and made him sit down and made sure he didn't have a head injury. Since he seemed stable and was urging me to go on, I got back on the bike and rode to the next volunteer station to let them know he would need help.

Back on course, I tried to keep the effort on the bike in check, but pushed it as hard as the road conditions allowed (had to really keep alert on the downhill sections for potholes....they come up pretty quick at 30+ mph!). The course took us through some fairly rundown areas of town, with a nice sweeping turn at the Lew Sterrett Jail. The most memorable moment was coming across the Commerce street bridge with the downtown skyline ahead....not many opportunities to get that view on a bike!

The wind picked up toward the end of the bike course, pushing me around a little with my disc wheel...overall, not too bad, though.

Finished the 40K bike in 1:15:25 and headed out onto the Katy trail for the 10K run.

Thankfully, this was a flat run course because I was fading pretty bad by about mile 4. I pushed it through and finished the run in 51:18 for a total race time of 2:44:26. 20th place out of 48 in the mens 40-44 agegroup.

In comparison, Greg Bennett (the pro winner of the race) finished in 1:46:52 for a $120,000 prize. Now all I have to do is 'shave' off an hour from my race time......

Finishing at the American Airlines center is a great venue...lots of energy, food, music...basically a big party at the completion of your race. The organizers do a great job with challenging logistics.

Speaking of finishing....Alesia, Noah and Wyatt were there to see me during the run portion, and on my way into the finish line, Wyatt decided to follow behind. I had no idea he was there until I crossed the line! All in all...a great day!