benbiggles
04-06-2009, 04:27 PM
Hi everyone,
I am posting Kathy's race report on her behalf as she is still out of town and I offered to simply post her RR which she emailed to me. I also wanted to say what a fantastic job she did out there under challenging conditions so early in the season. Here it is enjoy:
Survived and peeled a full hour off my bike time from my last half IM.
*
Swim was OK, hard to steer as we had a very wide, curving lane and there was nothing on the horizon to sight. Had to go on faith and feet. As we were walking from transition out to the Swim Start, we saw an alligator in the water near the Swim Out. I whistled at a kayaker and they shooed it away.
*
Strong winds made the bike a challenge, my time was 3:04 (my bike computer), I kept an eye on my watts (avg. 128) and my clock and ate/drank every 20. Skipped the last Gu pack as my stomach*said it had enough. Last bike station had no water or Gatorade but I had accounted for that possibility and had*enough on the bike.* I passed people steadily the entire bike course, from start to dismount.* The closed roads were nice, and the police were smiling and waving. One*cyclist kept jack-rabbiting past me, then fading. He did it over and over. Each time he saw me coming up beside him he'd step on the gas and try to stay ahead.* I passed him just before transition and never saw him again. Testosterone can be an ugly thing!* I saw only two course marshalls so drafting was rampant. Really shameful.
*
The run was a suffer-fest, it was hot and humid with some bad pavement and I wrestled with the nausea issues I had in Penticton.*Ran for a bit with a guy from Tacoma.*The finish was a blast.* We ended in Jackson Square which is smack in the middle of the French Quarter so the last half mile was thru little streets packed with cheering people. Many were intoxicated which added to the general merriment.* There is no end of opportunity for debauchery in this place. I highly recommend it.*
*
I felt completely horrid at the finish, but a lie-down in the shade, 2 Gatorades, 2 bananas and a piece of pizza later felt almost human. The med tent had a LOT of people in IV's and there seemed to be more than the usual number of walking wounded hobbling and being aided/carried from the finish line.* I think a lot of that had to do with the heat/humidity, the number of racers from cold climates (lots of northerners) and the*proportion of*entrants who were doing this as*their first*triathlon and were not well prepared.* I was passing 25 year-old guys who should have been showered and eating lunch by the time I got off the bike.
*
The race definitely had some growing pains.* The lack of*liquid at the last bike station, woefully insufficient bathroom facilities (really, really bad. I mean dreadful), erratically placed water stations on the run course, the course marshall issue, and as a point-to-point they didn't get people to and from very easily.* The AM bus from hotels to*transition sat for 25 minutes which compressed our time at set-up.* Fortunately I was organized and had left early so I was able to get everything set up and have a leisurely stroll to the swim start.* Out of the finishers chute it's difficult to know where to go for food/water and, very few volunteers could answer basic questions like, "Where are the buses back to transition?"* The buses were 8 blocks away and we had quite a wait in the hot sun between busses.* One woman passed out briefly just before getting on, we tried to get her to go to the med tent but she wouldn't. Fortunately one of the racers was a physician (still is, I imagine) and we put her under the AC vents on the bus with feet up and got her some calories and liquid.* Back at transition the doc and I walked her towards her bike. She went down again and was sick. I got a volunteer and discovered that NO ONE at transition had a radio, there was no aid and they told us*we had to*find someone with a cell phone and call 911.* Glad I made it all under my own power.
*
Got my gear and a taxi and went back to the hotel for a shower and clean clothes. Minimal screaming in shower from abrasions on my back from my bra strap.* You men are soooo lucky.* Little restaurant nearby serves local beer, makes their own chips and salsa and does a deeelicious ahi steak over rice...for $9.95.* I took full advantage.* Up at 5:30 today feeling pretty darned good, minor soreness in quads, a little sunburn on the shoulders where I missed with the sunscreen. Had breakfast in hotel and packed bike for shipping.* We're switching to a B&B today and there's a municipal pool nearby to I'll be able to do some paddling around.* Several walking tours planned so I'll be moving and won't stiffen up.* I'm certain that a steady administration of malted beverages will be of help.*
*
Overall this race was an improvement over earlier efforts. I was more organized and deliberate in my actions.* I was smiling on the bike most of the time and never fell into despair - which I have in the past.* The difficult run just makes me want to work to improve it.* It was a good day.
K
I am posting Kathy's race report on her behalf as she is still out of town and I offered to simply post her RR which she emailed to me. I also wanted to say what a fantastic job she did out there under challenging conditions so early in the season. Here it is enjoy:
Survived and peeled a full hour off my bike time from my last half IM.
*
Swim was OK, hard to steer as we had a very wide, curving lane and there was nothing on the horizon to sight. Had to go on faith and feet. As we were walking from transition out to the Swim Start, we saw an alligator in the water near the Swim Out. I whistled at a kayaker and they shooed it away.
*
Strong winds made the bike a challenge, my time was 3:04 (my bike computer), I kept an eye on my watts (avg. 128) and my clock and ate/drank every 20. Skipped the last Gu pack as my stomach*said it had enough. Last bike station had no water or Gatorade but I had accounted for that possibility and had*enough on the bike.* I passed people steadily the entire bike course, from start to dismount.* The closed roads were nice, and the police were smiling and waving. One*cyclist kept jack-rabbiting past me, then fading. He did it over and over. Each time he saw me coming up beside him he'd step on the gas and try to stay ahead.* I passed him just before transition and never saw him again. Testosterone can be an ugly thing!* I saw only two course marshalls so drafting was rampant. Really shameful.
*
The run was a suffer-fest, it was hot and humid with some bad pavement and I wrestled with the nausea issues I had in Penticton.*Ran for a bit with a guy from Tacoma.*The finish was a blast.* We ended in Jackson Square which is smack in the middle of the French Quarter so the last half mile was thru little streets packed with cheering people. Many were intoxicated which added to the general merriment.* There is no end of opportunity for debauchery in this place. I highly recommend it.*
*
I felt completely horrid at the finish, but a lie-down in the shade, 2 Gatorades, 2 bananas and a piece of pizza later felt almost human. The med tent had a LOT of people in IV's and there seemed to be more than the usual number of walking wounded hobbling and being aided/carried from the finish line.* I think a lot of that had to do with the heat/humidity, the number of racers from cold climates (lots of northerners) and the*proportion of*entrants who were doing this as*their first*triathlon and were not well prepared.* I was passing 25 year-old guys who should have been showered and eating lunch by the time I got off the bike.
*
The race definitely had some growing pains.* The lack of*liquid at the last bike station, woefully insufficient bathroom facilities (really, really bad. I mean dreadful), erratically placed water stations on the run course, the course marshall issue, and as a point-to-point they didn't get people to and from very easily.* The AM bus from hotels to*transition sat for 25 minutes which compressed our time at set-up.* Fortunately I was organized and had left early so I was able to get everything set up and have a leisurely stroll to the swim start.* Out of the finishers chute it's difficult to know where to go for food/water and, very few volunteers could answer basic questions like, "Where are the buses back to transition?"* The buses were 8 blocks away and we had quite a wait in the hot sun between busses.* One woman passed out briefly just before getting on, we tried to get her to go to the med tent but she wouldn't. Fortunately one of the racers was a physician (still is, I imagine) and we put her under the AC vents on the bus with feet up and got her some calories and liquid.* Back at transition the doc and I walked her towards her bike. She went down again and was sick. I got a volunteer and discovered that NO ONE at transition had a radio, there was no aid and they told us*we had to*find someone with a cell phone and call 911.* Glad I made it all under my own power.
*
Got my gear and a taxi and went back to the hotel for a shower and clean clothes. Minimal screaming in shower from abrasions on my back from my bra strap.* You men are soooo lucky.* Little restaurant nearby serves local beer, makes their own chips and salsa and does a deeelicious ahi steak over rice...for $9.95.* I took full advantage.* Up at 5:30 today feeling pretty darned good, minor soreness in quads, a little sunburn on the shoulders where I missed with the sunscreen. Had breakfast in hotel and packed bike for shipping.* We're switching to a B&B today and there's a municipal pool nearby to I'll be able to do some paddling around.* Several walking tours planned so I'll be moving and won't stiffen up.* I'm certain that a steady administration of malted beverages will be of help.*
*
Overall this race was an improvement over earlier efforts. I was more organized and deliberate in my actions.* I was smiling on the bike most of the time and never fell into despair - which I have in the past.* The difficult run just makes me want to work to improve it.* It was a good day.
K