"We DID have fun, da**it!"
The Danskin is so huge that there is no on-site or near-site parking. They ask participants to go to Safeco Field (the Mariners’ baseball stadium) and take school buses to the race site, a 15-minute drive. Remembering the problems with the Seafair Triathlon some weeks ago, when they didn’t plan too well and about 400 runners were left behind because they didn’t have enough buses, we got up at 4 am, left at 4:30 (partly because the lights were flickering constantly due to the passing thunderstorm and I thought it would be nice to leave before we got cast into pitch-blackness), and were in line for the first bus at 5 am, which left promptly at 5:15. Here's how it looked around 5:30 am:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/transition.jpg
So I had about an hour to set up for transition, go down and look again at the swim course (which we’d seen the day before), find Teigyr and Dex, etc.
Salsa and Teigyr @ 6:00 am:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/salsa_teigyr.jpg
It didn’t seem like too much time at all! We all had wave start times around 7 am, so went down to the swim start around 6:30. The time passed fast and my wave went at 6:58; Teigyr, a few minutes later; Dex, around 7:15, I think. My wave was the one with yellow caps.
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/swimwave.jpg
My sole priority was to stay at the back/side. I really didn’t want to get kicked in the face in my first tri, and anyway had already experienced that pleasure in an OWS clinic a month ago. Once the wave went, there was plenty of room along the course and I never felt too crowded. It was choppy and sloppy and seaweedy, but since we’d all been swimming in the lake for the last month, none of these things surprised me, and none of them were that hard to cope with. Since I just kind of relearned the freestyle starting in June, after having last had lessons around 1967, I am looking forward to a year of training so I can keep improving my efficiency and form. It won’t be any hardship since I’ve been swimming all my life and just plain like doing it.
Coming out of the water:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/salsa_swim_800.jpg
Because it’s such a big tri, it’s a long way from the swim start to the transition area, and back again to the same place for the bike start. The bike course goes down a relatively flat street for about two miles, and then left onto an access road for the I-90 express lane. The Day St. access road is a fairly steep, sort of elongated S-shaped hill. Riders make a 90 degree left turn from the street onto Day St.; several yards later, a similar right turn through some posts onto the hill; several yards later, a similar left turn onto the body of the hill; about a 70 degree right turn at the top, and then a sharp right turn onto I-90. Chris and I had gone to see it on a tandem ride, and Friday Dex and Teigyr and I went there and walked the hill. That’s a real advantage, and a lot of participants never have the chance to do that, so don’t know exactly what it will be like. The access road is one lane and is divided into two lanes by tape because returning riders also descend part of it.
I made it about ¾ of the way up before someone stopped right in front of me. Glad those Quattros unclip easily so I could get my feet down instead of falling over! Then ran my bike up the rest of the way and got back on. The 4+ miles out the I-90 express lanes are great, because the lanes are wide enough so there’s plenty of passing room. There are a couple of inclines that require work but obviously the subsequent downhills are pretty fun. I felt strong on the bike and had a blast the whole way. I am happy with my time and rank there. For this year.
On the bike home stretch grinning like a fiend:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/salsa_bike_800.jpg
As for the run part---because of the stress fracture in my right foot, of course I walked it. Most of it is flat, along the lake, but there is one quite steep hill not far from the end. A bunch of guys bring their drums every year, and sit at the bottom of the hill and do this great percussion stuff, so you could samba all the way up that hill if you had the juice (no one did, but it makes the hill a lot more fun than it would be otherwise). And then you go downhill right to the finish line. Right at that point, a young runner held her hand out to me and said, “Come with me and finish like a marathoner!” I thanked her but knew I couldn’t because I want the foot to heal as soon as possible so I can start running myself. But it was a lovely thing for her to do, and that is very much the spirit of the Danskin.
Walking along knowing I was through the swim and bike and could hardly NOT finish:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/salsa_run_800.jpg
The Danskin is a real pageant, sort of like the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. There are gazillions of volunteers along the way, lots of kids and family members and local people cheering everyone on. You see some amazing racers—cancer survivors, women in their 70s, the deaf-blind athlete I keep mentioning.
It’s very cool.
Finished!
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/finish.jpg
Overall Rank 3099/3710
Class Rank 242/290
Swim 24:49, rank 2585
T1 8:06
Bike 41:28, mph 17.3, rank 1713
T2 3:42
Run 55:42, rank 3548
Final 2:13:48
Given Saturday’s weather—90 degrees—and today’s morning weather—wind and rain—I would say we lucked out yesterday.
Today I went to my favorite spa and had a long “healing waters” treatment and massage. Plug for Ummelina’s Day Spa in downtown Seattle, a very quiet, aromatherapy sort of place with really great staff.
As for “Speedo John”---I figure yesterday was my answer to him. Living well is the best revenge, buddy.
Wahine---I second the thanks, in the most heartfelt way! You and TE were both at our pre-race dinner in spirit:
http://home.comcast.net/~cheg01/dinner2.jpg
And also many thanks to my various local advisor/training/race/dinner buddies—Teigyr, Dex, Jesvetmed, KnottedYet, Quillfred, Jocelynlf. Laughing your way to a tri and remembering that having fun with it is what it’s for---worked for me! And to Chris for being such a good first-tri spouse.
See you all at the next one. And glad everyone else had good races as well!
