Race Report: Tri for Real #1, Rancho Seco, Ca
This is the 3rd time I've done this race. I did it in 2006, when it was miserably hot, and came in at 2:59. In 2008 I got my period the day before the race, and did it in 2:58.
Training this year has been a challenge since we've had the endless winter up here. It snowed 3 days in a row 2 weeks ago. I've been able to swim in the pool, but I hadn't done any OWS prior to the race. I'd only been on the bike on the road (rather than the trainer) 3 times and run outside twice. The warmest it's been up here is about 60 degrees.
We took the RV and the pooches and went down to Rancho Seco on Saturday. Saturday's high was in the upper 80's. Sunday was due to be in the low 90's.
The morning of the race started out a bit hectic. The woman who was giving me my race packet was a bit scattered. So it took about twice as long as it should have to get me my stuff. Then the clubs seem to have reserved about 2/3 of the racks. Non affiliated athletes were relegated to the back rows. The last time I did the race it wasn't this bad. It took me a while to find an open spot and to get my stuff together. Then I went back to the RV to finally have breakfast.
The lake was amazingly warm. It would have been warm in a sleeveless wetsuit, but I had my fullsuit with me. It was already in the mid 70's by the start of the race. Being a 51 year old woman, I'm in the last wave. I go 30 minutes after the first man.
The swim went well. I felt strong and smooth. I was able to sight fairly easily and felt like I was on course the whole way. Previously, I've tacked around a bit. I think I came out somewhere in the middle of my wave (35 and over women). The only problem was that I got very warm during the swim. I've never overheated in a swim before. I don't recommend it.
I had a little bit of trouble getting the top of the suit off. Otherwise T1 went fine.
The bike ride was great. It's a rolling out-and-back course. The road surface is good and the volunteers keep everything moving smoothly. I felt better than I had in the other times I've done this race. I flew up the rollers.
At T2 I missed my row and had to take a few seconds to find my spot.
The run was where it all fell apart. By the time I got to the run it was over 90 degrees, almost double what I've been around this year. The run course is mostly on dirt roads and trails around the lake, with a short bit on asphalt. There are well stocked water stops at each mile marker. The trouble is that there is NO shade. You bake on the roads. I tried. I walked the water stops and drank water as well as poured it on my head. But I just couldn't take the heat. My stomach cramped and I thought I was going to pass out. So I ran where I could and walked the rest. There were a LOT of people walking, not just me, though. I think I walked about 2 miles of the 6.
I was able to pick it up and run into the finish. But I was cooked. I had two cups of water and went and threw myself into the lake to cool down. I wasn't the only one.
I came in 205th out of 318, at *drum roll* 2:59:33. *sigh* I KNOW I was headed for a PR. &^$@$^ heat! Hopefully they'll have the splits up later today.
I wish that just once they would send the women out first. The guys who started 30 minutes before me had a completely different run than I did. It was probably 10-15 degrees cooler when they went.
