I needed a third USAT race this summer in order to receive an official ranking for the year, so I opted for this fun little race that I've done the past two years. Then Kristine25 told me she'd be there, too. Bonus!
Kristine's husband making fun of my classic PNW look - Hey, my feet were cold!
This race is always small, with well under 100 people in each race (sprint and oly). That makes it pretty fun and low-key, but it's still well-organized. There were 55 participants in the sprint race this year, all of us heading off in one wave.
I lined up front and center for the swim, knowing I was 4th out of the water last year. It was a little rough at first, with lots of folks (myself included) sprinting for good position. With just 500 meters to race, we were halfway to the turnaround point before I stopped bumping into other swimmers. I didn't know what position I was in coming out of the water, but Kristine's husband was directing traffic on the other side of T1 and told me (or at least, this is what I heard) there were four other sprint racers ahead of me. This turned out to be incorrect, though to his credit it would be difficult to tell for sure, as the fast sprinters were already catching the slow oly racers.
I saw my first bike target very quickly and settled in to a pace that would slowly reel him in. I could tell he was a long-distance guy, as his pace was very very steady. Around the 4-mile mark we hit the one good climb on the course and while my target opted to keep his power steady, I chose to dip into the well a little and pass him. At the crest of the hill I found my next target and spent the next few miles of rollers chasing and passing him. I never found the other two people ahead of me and came in to T2 unsure of their lead. For such a small crowd, I was surprised how much cheering was going on.
Just heading out on the bike, not even in aero yet. That's Iron-Dude in the front, Mr. Tall Guy in 2nd, and me in 3rd. But I fixed that!
I decided to put socks on for the run and that cost me, as the first guy I passed on the bike beat me out of transition. I caught him right away on the run and tucked in behind him, wondering whose legs would loosen up first. There was no one in sight for the 1/3 mile or so we could see, so I figured we'd be fighting for 3rd place. Around the corner and another straight stretch ahead, and still no one in sight. And still iron-dude and I kept pace with each other, although by this time I was noticing his breathing was a bit less labored than mine. That was a little worrisome. By the time we reached the last corner before the turnaround, my oxygen-deprived brain started to realize there couldn't possibly be anyone ahead of us, we'd have seen them by now. As the turnaround came into view, my suspicions were confirmed - Mr. Iron Dude and I were leading the race! A labored conversation confirmed that this was a new sensation for both of us. A quick glance behind confirmed we weren't the only ones to have figured this out, as Mr. Tall Guy was gunning hard behind us. Uh oh.
Iron-Dude beat me out of T2, but I quickly caught him and then the race was on!
From this point on, Mr. Iron and I paced off each other, holding about a 7:00 pace or thereabouts - very near my limit. Every so often I would fade just a touch and he would say "come on, keep up." I pulled ahead a tad so I could say I lead the race at some point, but would then fall back to dead even. It was neat to hear the other racers giving us the props I normally give to the race leader, though I couldn't respond more than just a weak finger-wave. Around the last corner and the finish line 1/3 mile away, I let Mr. Iron know that it was every man for himself from here, just so he wouldn't feel obligated to stick with me.
I found a flood of thoughts coursing through my mind at this point. I've often fantasized about a finish like this - me and one other racer battling it out for top honors with the finish line in sight. I usually finish 2nd in these dreams, but not always. I thought perhaps Mr. Iron deserved the win more than I. I thought perhaps not. I thought that I owed it to my friends and family who were watching to give this everything I could. I kept waiting for Mr. Iron to make his move.
With a hundred yards or so to go, he made his move. And I could not respond. I crossed the line 6 seconds after him. I'm quite certain that if I had responded, he could have taken the pace up one more notch. But reflecting on the race, I can't help but wonder - Did I truly give it my all? Could I have won? Probably not. But maybe...
At the finish line my wife took my timing chip and my daughter handed me my finisher's medal. Mr. Iron and I congratulated each other, thanked each other, and relived the race from start to finish.
I am already planning my winter training with a new goal for this race next year...
This is why I race.
Kristine's husband making fun of my classic PNW look - Hey, my feet were cold!
This race is always small, with well under 100 people in each race (sprint and oly). That makes it pretty fun and low-key, but it's still well-organized. There were 55 participants in the sprint race this year, all of us heading off in one wave.
I lined up front and center for the swim, knowing I was 4th out of the water last year. It was a little rough at first, with lots of folks (myself included) sprinting for good position. With just 500 meters to race, we were halfway to the turnaround point before I stopped bumping into other swimmers. I didn't know what position I was in coming out of the water, but Kristine's husband was directing traffic on the other side of T1 and told me (or at least, this is what I heard) there were four other sprint racers ahead of me. This turned out to be incorrect, though to his credit it would be difficult to tell for sure, as the fast sprinters were already catching the slow oly racers.
I saw my first bike target very quickly and settled in to a pace that would slowly reel him in. I could tell he was a long-distance guy, as his pace was very very steady. Around the 4-mile mark we hit the one good climb on the course and while my target opted to keep his power steady, I chose to dip into the well a little and pass him. At the crest of the hill I found my next target and spent the next few miles of rollers chasing and passing him. I never found the other two people ahead of me and came in to T2 unsure of their lead. For such a small crowd, I was surprised how much cheering was going on.
Just heading out on the bike, not even in aero yet. That's Iron-Dude in the front, Mr. Tall Guy in 2nd, and me in 3rd. But I fixed that!
I decided to put socks on for the run and that cost me, as the first guy I passed on the bike beat me out of transition. I caught him right away on the run and tucked in behind him, wondering whose legs would loosen up first. There was no one in sight for the 1/3 mile or so we could see, so I figured we'd be fighting for 3rd place. Around the corner and another straight stretch ahead, and still no one in sight. And still iron-dude and I kept pace with each other, although by this time I was noticing his breathing was a bit less labored than mine. That was a little worrisome. By the time we reached the last corner before the turnaround, my oxygen-deprived brain started to realize there couldn't possibly be anyone ahead of us, we'd have seen them by now. As the turnaround came into view, my suspicions were confirmed - Mr. Iron Dude and I were leading the race! A labored conversation confirmed that this was a new sensation for both of us. A quick glance behind confirmed we weren't the only ones to have figured this out, as Mr. Tall Guy was gunning hard behind us. Uh oh.
Iron-Dude beat me out of T2, but I quickly caught him and then the race was on!
From this point on, Mr. Iron and I paced off each other, holding about a 7:00 pace or thereabouts - very near my limit. Every so often I would fade just a touch and he would say "come on, keep up." I pulled ahead a tad so I could say I lead the race at some point, but would then fall back to dead even. It was neat to hear the other racers giving us the props I normally give to the race leader, though I couldn't respond more than just a weak finger-wave. Around the last corner and the finish line 1/3 mile away, I let Mr. Iron know that it was every man for himself from here, just so he wouldn't feel obligated to stick with me.
I found a flood of thoughts coursing through my mind at this point. I've often fantasized about a finish like this - me and one other racer battling it out for top honors with the finish line in sight. I usually finish 2nd in these dreams, but not always. I thought perhaps Mr. Iron deserved the win more than I. I thought perhaps not. I thought that I owed it to my friends and family who were watching to give this everything I could. I kept waiting for Mr. Iron to make his move.
With a hundred yards or so to go, he made his move. And I could not respond. I crossed the line 6 seconds after him. I'm quite certain that if I had responded, he could have taken the pace up one more notch. But reflecting on the race, I can't help but wonder - Did I truly give it my all? Could I have won? Probably not. But maybe...
At the finish line my wife took my timing chip and my daughter handed me my finisher's medal. Mr. Iron and I congratulated each other, thanked each other, and relived the race from start to finish.
I am already planning my winter training with a new goal for this race next year...
This is why I race.
