Daybreak Triathlon - Sept 2009

Sept 09 Daybreak Tri - Sprint Distance

This was my second triathlon. I was pumped to do this race. I had my fast new road bike (better than a very heavy mountain bike) and there was a open water swim. I am unlike many triathletes in that I like the swim part. It is probably my best event. I had done a couple of open water swim practices and was ready to go. I even had a free wet-suit rental from PowerTri in Lehi. Then the bottom dropped out on me. On Wednesday before the race the Salt Lake County Health Dept closed the lake at Daybreak due to possible round worm contamination. I was crushed because swimming is my best event. The race directors scrambled around and came up with a plan B. Instead of the usual 800 yard open water swim, it was changed to 75 yard pool swim with a mile run. Great just what I need more running. I was disappointed but decided to have fun anyway.

Race Day

We (Tiff and I) stayed in Sandy at a hotel instead of getting up at 4:00 am to get to the race. It was cold and Tiff stayed in the car while I went to set up my spot in transition. I became a member of the crazies. The people who get up before dawn to swim, ride and run. At 5:30 am, I was freezing as I set up my bike and running gear in the dark. Now I just had to wait for the race to start 8:00 am. Since the pool was a mile from the transition area, they bussed us to the pool. We were lined up based on our swimming speed and they were starting people about every 15 to 30 seconds. I was near the front of the line. In 3 lengths of a pool, I passed 4 people. I am fast in the water but slow on the land. I finished my swim, got out and put on some shoes and ran the mile to the transition area. Tiff joined me for a short stretch of the run.

I hoped on my bike and headed out. The bike course is 12.5 miles long. The first 4 miles were a false flat, looked flat but was up hill, the next 2 miles were straight up a steep hill. I was in my lowest gear for the final climb. Bikers one after another zoomed past or creeped past but I was getting passed by everyone (or at least it felt like it). Then came the turn around and I would have my revenge. I turned the corner and headed down that infernal hill. Bikers that flew past me earlier were no match for me and my new best friend gravity. I was passing riders who were peddling there hearts out with out having to peddle, at one point I hit 40 mph. I knew I had made it, the bike was down hill the rest of the way, and the run well, if worse comes to worse, I could just walk. I was going to finish my second tri. I dropped my bike, changed shoes and headed out for the run.
My brother met me at the start of the run. He helped pace me the entire run, Thanks Brandon. You are a great brother. The run was uneventful, but I am not that fast so it felt like an eternity. Then one or two more corners, I could hear the announcer say the finishers names, I sprinted(or more likely just ran faster than I was) to the end. I did it, I did it. I was not just a one hit wonder I finished my second tri. I was a triathlete.

Swim 75 yard pool with a mile run 16:15

Bike 12.5 miles 45:55

Run 5K or 3.1 miles 38:51

Total 1 hour 45 Minutes

Finished 273 out of 327

http://www.ustrisports.com

"Austin's gone pro"...post copied from our family blog

After competing in his first triathlon last May, Austin decided to go "pro" and continue the sport, which meant the mountain bike wasn't going to suffice. He was going to need a road bike. After months of research, saving, and a special, belated Father's Day gift (you know who you are...thank you!), Austin finally decided on a bike and was able to order it online a few weeks ago.

Because it was such an expensive purchase and we would have to sign for it at delivery, the tracking was very detailed and Austin followed the travels of his precious cargo from Texas to Utah. Friday, August 7th, was the scheduled day of it's arrival. Austin, the kids and I were just hanging out when the doorbell rang. You would have though Santa had just come down the chimney...Aus and Tate ran to the door in udder excitement. Even the UPS guy was super pumped about the delivery and wanted to know all about his bike.

Tate could feel the excitement and was so into helping his Daddy unpack and assemble the bike. He kept saying, "Wow! Wow! Wow!"

Now Austin can really fly when he does his next triathlons in September and in October. Congratulations, Austin! You've earned this bike in every sense of the word!

Finished!!!!

I DID IT!!!
Something I thought I would never be able to say, "I finished a triathlon". Did not come in first. Did not come in last.
I finished.

My training for the sprint distance triathlon began 6 months ago in December 2008. I would wake up at 4:30am to be in the pool at 5:00 am and then would run or bike afterward. Thanks to BeginnerTriathlete.com for the training program.

Saturday, May 23rd came and I was nervous. Tiff came along to help me set up. I have never seen a triathlon in person, only on tv, and usually only what is shown on ESPN. We got there about 7:30 am and the race did not start until 10am. I just watched what other people were doing, set up like they did, donned my wetsuit and waited.

After the last wave of Olympic distance racers left the starting area, I "jumped in" the lake (waded into the muddy water) and took a couple practice strokes. As I popped my head up, a guy next to me was laughing because there was a piece of moss stuck on my goggles. The race began with a deep water start which means everyone has to go out the starting buoys and tread water till the yell go. That is when I experienced full-contact swimming. About every third or fourth stroke I would run into another swimmer or get kicked. After about 13 minutes and over 700 yards of swimming, I rounded the last buoy and made for shore. I thought my swim was poor, but it turned out to be about 10 minutes faster than expected.

***Post-edit by Tiffany...out of over 170 swimmers, he came in 31st!!! Go turbo***

After coming out of the water, I had to make it up the muddy bank without falling down. There were a hundred or so people watching as the swimmers came out of the water. Having such a large audience made me a bit nervous! I had to negotiate running/walking on wet concrete, all-the-while doing my best to remove the wetsuit, which is hard enough to do standing still!

The transition area was about 200 yds from the end of the swim. After a couple of minutes I finally got my wetsuit off and had the joyous task of being wet and putting on socks and shoes while standing up. Just call me "Grace" ;) Next time I will bring a bucket to sit on during the transition. After finishing this delicate dance, I hopped on my bike for a 13.4 mile ride.

The ride was pretty flat and I spent most of the time getting passed by the Olympic distance racers on their second lap ride or by other sprint racers. Before the race begins, they take a black permanent marker and write the racer's number on their upper arm, their distance (sprint or Olympic) on one calf and their age on the other calf. So all I had to do was watch the calves of those passing me to know my "competition". I thought I was riding really fast until a 65 year old lady passed me like I was standing still. My brother Brandon and cousin Travis rode along-side me for much of the ride on Travis's motorcycle. They were great at telling jokes and giving me a ton of encouragement.

After riding for about 50 minutes I parked my bike and began the 3.1 mile run (5K). I thought I would fall over. Running after riding that far was a very strange sensation.


The run was harder than I thought it would be, but gratefully my brother, Brandon, helped pace and encourage me for the last 1.5 miles. He was running in his Brazilian Racing Flip Flops. I finished without dying (though I knew deep down I wouldn't).

I did it. I finished!

For anyone who wants to join me, I am racing again Sept. 19th at Daybreak in Utah, http://www.ustrisports.com/daybreak.htm. I so grateful to my wife for her support and encouragement, and to my brother who helped me the last 1.5 miles. Thank you to all the family that were there to cheer me on and for your help with the twins!

Triathlon Slideshow...plays in a new window, FYI

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Wow! What a ride!

5 Months since surgery

It has been a wild ride. I am now down 84 pounds to the lowest weight I've been in 9 years. I am wearing clothes that I would have worn in college. Last week I tried on (and bought) jeans that were 38" waist. They fit! A bit on the tight side, but I got them on. Before my surgery I was wearing a size 46 pants. People who have not seen me in a few months are shocked to see me now. I am overwhelmed to see pictures of me before the surgery. I am so glad and thankful for this change in my life.

I have added a count-down timer to by blog to track the days until I compete in my first triathlon, May 23 in Stansbury Park, UT. I never thought I could considering doing something like this. Swimming 750 yards, 13 mile bike, 3.1 run. It will be difficult, but I am really excited to do it. I have been training since December. Here is the link, www.ustrisports.com/stansbury, if any one wants to race along side me.