Race Report--Philadelphia Women's Triathlon

[divingbiker]

MDHillSlug and I did this triathlon (which became a duathlon) yesterday. I'm sure she'll be here with a more positive report.

There was heavy rain overnight, so the swim was cancelled because the current was too strong, and I'd assume the water quality was poor also. There was a lot of crap in the river. A lot of people were very disappointed that the swim was cancelled.

After getting there around 6:30am, I spent a lot of time waiting around for the start, because for some inexplicable reason they put the 50+ women in the last wave. I much prefer an earlier wave, so there's less time to fret.

The swim became a 1.9 mile run, and I did it at an 11:21 pace, which is pretty fast for me.

The first 8.5 mile bike loop went fine. A couple miles into the second loop, I hit a big hole in the road and shortly after that my rear tire went flat. I started changing it and this macho guy stopped and took over. I was glad for the help because I was getting a bit stressed, even though normally I like to do it myself.

A few miles later, it went flat again. I had to bum a tube from another rider, and then a race support car came by and another nice guy changed the tire this time.

Then when I was about a half mile from the finish, it went flat again. I just rode it in even though it was flat. My actual moving bike time was just over an hour, about a 16 mph average which is good for me (and I was averaging about 16.4 for most of the race only to slow due to stopping so much for the flat fixes). With the flats my bike time was 20 minutes longer, and my average was 12.7 mph.

I started stressing about how was I going to get to the hotel (I had ridden to the race, about 2.8 miles) in time for a noon checkout since I had to fix another flat. My heart rate was up in the 170s and wouldn't come down. So the second run was slow, and I had to stop to walk every now and then. My second run pace was 13:09.

I called the hotel and got a 1pm checkout, and found someone I could buy a tube from for $10 (all I had with me) and changed the tire again. (I was surprised at how many people said they didn't have a spare tube with them. Maybe they just didn't want to sell it to me.) Then about 1.5 miles down the road, it went flat again and I walked the rest of the way to the hotel, very frustrated and annoyed.

But...this afternoon I spent 4.5 hours ordering my new custom bike! So that kind of made the day worthwhile. The builder found a tiny piece of glass in the tire (had to fix it so he could see me ride the bike) but it didn't seem to be sticking through to the inside. We'll see if it holds up. I'm due for new tires anyway.

By the time I headed home I was so tired I missed all the turns for I-95 and ended up in New Jersey and Delaware, I think. Somehow made it back home. I stopped at a gas station/mini mart for dinner, and really wanted a package of oreos or potato chips, but I was relatively good and got pretzel chips and orange juice.

Got home exhausted after a very long day. Here's hoping the Irongirl will be a more positive experience next month.

[tulip]

Wow, divingbiker, that's quite a report. So sorry you had so many flats, and that you weren't able to swim. You should be proud that you did it, though.

[7rider]

Ouch. Bummer.
Well, at least you're safely home and put this behind you.
Iron Girl WILL be better!

[Kalidurga]

Congratulations for surviving all of that! And for ordering your new bike, as well. I can't remember, what did you go with?

[Possegal]

OH NO! That sounds awful. I'm sorry I hadn't headed to my sisters for the weekend, we'd have likely been down there and could have lent a hand (well, not so much help with changing the flat, but a tube and a way back to the hotel faster.) Sorry you had such a rough weekend. And sorry you missed your turn. I hate when I do that 'in another zone' thing and realize I've missed my exit. UGH.

I'd of had to go for a Reese cup and a Dew after a day like that, good for you, you are stronger woman than I!

[HillSlugger]

Janice,

I'm so sorry you had such a bad time on your ride! Glad you were able to put it behind you and enjoy your bike buying experience.

[HillSlugger]

Like Janice, I don't have lots positive to say about the race, but for totally different reasons.

My down experience with the race started the day before with the god awful directions to get to packet pickup. They said to go to the intersection of two roads but the gps didn't know one of the roads because it had been recently renamed and they were using the new name. It was my understanding that packet pickup ended at 5pm and by now it was 4:30 and I was totally stressing out. I don't remember how we figured things out but we finally got to where they were specifying to discover that you had to park and then hoof it about a 1/4 mile down a closed road. Got there just before 5. They were starting to pack up the expo but not yet the packets and I got mine. I knew that Michele would have a tough time with the hike in because of her knee so I asked about handicap accommodations and was told how to get to a near parking lot on race day. Come race morning we get there to find the entrance blocked by a cop who would not let us through because we didn't have the needed pass. I was never told about a pass. So, we went back to where we were on Saturday and I walked my bike and stuff down the hill while Michele was deciding if she'd make the trip down, too.

OK, I get to the race site and immediately hear that the swim is canceled because the river was high and fast from the overnight race storms (dirty, too). While setting up transition and trying to make the mental switch over to doing a duathlon I realize that I don't have the right water bottles with me for two runs. I realize that I'm going to have to use the water I had for washing my feet after the swim for my run 1 water. About this time I decided that I've lost my mental mojo and all I care about now is maximizing my biking experience.

Everyone is b!tching and moaning about what's going on; beyond canceling the swim they've changed all the wave start times so nobody knows when they are supposed to start. Potty lines were long and I know a few women around me were still in line when their waves were called.

I was in wave 11 (Janice was in wave 12 so we hung out together). I took the first run pretty easy, saving up everything for the bike. I took T1 at a relaxed pace to make sure I was ready to bike, but as soon as I crossed the timing mat I was off! My goal was to average 20mph on the rather flat course. I was passing everything in site and nobody was passing me! Finally, about 12 miles in I was passed by 3 women; unfortunately, 2 were in my age group. I tried to stick with them but couldn't keep up. I finished the second loop, dismounted, and ran my bike across the timing mat knowing I was right around my goal. With the bike over I again took T2 in a relaxed way and got ready to run.

As soon as I started to run I knew that I had nothing; I had used up my legs on the bike. The 3.1 miles were a real suffer fest. I never walked, but it ranks as probably the worst run I've done in like 2 years and I was so glad when it was over.

The run finish was another logistical nightmare. The organizers were doing next to nothing about crowd control. As soon as I crossed the line I had to come to an immediate stop due to the throngs of people crowded there. There was even a young girl sitting on the ground in the middle of all this and I nearly step on her. It was insane! As soon as I stopped moving every muscle in my legs and feet started cramping so I was hobbling around trying mostly unsuccessfully to get them to loosen up, cursing and muttering. I had no idea if Michele had made it down and I didn't see her anywhere. I hobbled off for some food and then hobbled over to the transition area to start packing up and to call and find out where Michele was. She had made it down but with the changed times she was out of sync with where I was on the course and pretty much missed me everywhere.

The walk back out to the car was long and painful.

I won't be repeating this race.

Oh, by the way, I missed my 20mph pace by 13 seconds. Probably lost it on the dismount and run to the timing mat.

[Veronica]

What a bummer, but congrats for sticking it.

I don't know why they let people mill around at the finish line. See Jane Tri was like that last year. All I wanted to do was sit down, out of the way and there was this one guy who just would not get out of the way. I swear he kept stepping in front of me, every time I tried to go around him. And of course you've just finished racing, so you have no breath to tell him to MOVE.

But then they're all, "If you're not a competitor, you can't go into the transition area." When I want Thom to help me lug all my stuff away.

Barb's Race was great. They actually had catchers at the finish line who handed you a bottle of cold water and walked you out of the way and to the outdoor showers they had set up. Somewhere in there they took off the timing chip too.

Veronica

[7rider]

Wow.
Nicole...remind me....why did I ever consider duathlons????
Thank goodness I can't run.
I'm really sorry you both had such a snotty time. I was thinking about you both on Sunday, wondering how things were going for you.

[HillSlugger]

The bike was SO much fun! The rest, not so much

I love my tri bike!

[HillSlugger]

Wow.
Nicole...remind me....why did I ever consider duathlons????
Thank goodness I can't run.
I'm really sorry you both had such a snotty time. I was thinking about you both on Sunday, wondering how things were going for you.

Don't blame it on being a duathlon. I did a dedicated duathlon last fall, did dedicated duathlon training for it, and had a great time.

I did another tri by this same group last summer and had a good experience so they are fully capable of running a good race.

[Tri Girl]

Sounds like it was a bummer of a day. When you have your mind wrapped around a tri and it turns to a du- that can mess you up mentally and make for a rotten day (and flats, bad crowd control, messy organization, etc makes it just awful).
I'm really proud that both of you actually did it, tho, despite the tough time you had.
Congrats on your finishes. Now, on to the next one...

[colby]

Wow, I think you gals deserve an extra medal for just hanging in there.

[HillSlugger]

My overall finish was 334 but my biking was 88 (top 9%)! w00t! If I could really run I'd be dangerous

There were 1500 women registered but it seems that only 998 actually started the race. That's an extremely high no show rate.

[divingbiker]

I can't remember, what did you go with?

I'm getting a steel mixte set up like a road bike from Bilenky.