Todder
Apr 19, 07 8:50
Post #35 of 56 (2153 views)
It has been a couple of years since I did it, so my memory may be a little fuzzy/altered, but here goes...
Swim is probably relatively weather dependent. We swam during one of the practice sessions on Thursday or Friday where you can swim in the harbor and conditions were very pleasant - some currents but not major and little to no chop. On race day there were two foot swells that you really had to work through on the way out. You could sorta 'ride' the swells coming back in but it did not make up for having to fight them going out. The last stretch of the triangle was going across the swells and the water is clear/shallow enough that you can see how much you are getting shifted laterally. I think the conditions were worse than average on race day, so hopefully it will be a little smoother this year. An odd note - they have different color caps for each age group. The 30-34 age group (mine) in 2005 had bright orange caps that matched the course bouys. Between the chop and the 75 orange heads bobbing around it was pretty tricky to tell if you were on course, especially on the way out.
We have discussed the bike ad nauseum. First 15 miles it was still cool and not very windy - a good time to get the legs moving, eat something, and get the false impression that you are going to enjoy the day. The crappy pavement does not bother me much because we have plenty of that here in New Mexico. The Beast was not a big deal - I like steep hills, had a 39-27 low gear, and had done a lot of good prep for it. Descent off the backside of the Beast is fast and fun. Back half of the course is hard - much harder than any of us suspected it would be because it is the one section we did not drive before the race (we were running late and had to meet somebody for dinner.) Knowing what to expect (heat, wind, hills) may have made it easier.
I melted down pretty bad on the second half of the run, so I may be pretty biased. The two loop run is shaped a little like a lolly-pop: out on the main road, a loop around the golf course, back on the same main road. The road is not too bad - a little rolling but nothing to crush the legs. There are some very pretty stretches on the golf course loop. There are also a few very steep sections on the golf course. The decision becomes: "Do I walk or jog slowly so I don't spike my effort level, or do I run up it to maintain momentum since if I start walking now, I may never run again?" The run course seemed to be oddly sheltered from the wind - there were only a few places where you could get a cooling breeze and only one spot where the wind was strong enough to actually impact your speed but I welcomed that brief strong wind because it came off the ocean and felt really nice. I was starting to hurt at the end of the first lap and it took a pretty big effort to start the second lap. My second lap was ugly. I caught a friend of mine who was on her first lap and was walking. I tried to walk with her, but if I walked I couldn't keep up. I would pass her jogging, then try and walk with her again and drop back again. She grew up in New York, so she can walk fast. I finished the run by running the last mile, but one of my big thoughts was "To do an Ironman I would have to go through this twice? No way! NEVER!"
One nice thing is that Medical is right by the finish line. Like 25 feet away. They are good at assessing who needs what level of care - only gave IV fluids if you couldn't hold down what they gave you to eat and drink. But they were good about bringing in people who were hot and dehydrated (i.e. me, who stopped sweating about 15 minutes before I finished) and putting laying them down, covering them in wet/cold towels, and bringing food and drinks. Best service EVER. I did have a friend who strolled in after the finish and requested an IV in a very perky manner ("Hey guys! What's up? Could I get an IV? That would be great!") They just told her to get out. Best plan is to stumble in looking like hell, tell them you are really hot and have not sweated for 20 minutes, have not peed since 5 AM. They will make you feel better and give you an IV if the Doctor thinks it is necessary. Post race snack selection was not amazing, but when you are on a lounge chair covered in iced towels and they are hand delivering you basic juice, fruit, and cookies, the food does not have to be fancy.
I think it was a well organized event, people on the island were all really nice, and remember when driving and riding: Left Side, Left Side, Left Side. Gotta love the remnants of British Colonial ownership.
Todd Pilger
Albuquerque, NM
