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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    1,460

    Black Diamond HIM or 1/2 iron at 1/2 a century

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    I signed up for a HIM length race because doing a half iron length race when you're half a century sounded cool. Well...

    I did the Black Diamond Tri in Enumclaw, Washington. Enumclaw is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, about 40 miles east of Seattle. The race starts and finishes in a small state park just outside of town.

    We took our brand new RV up there on it's maiden voyage: me, my SO and the 2 pooches. We got there on Friday to sign in, leave the bike, and get body marked. I'm glad I did that because Saturday, race day, was pretty frantic for the folks who had to do it all that morning.

    The transition area was very nicely set up. The rows were marked with your race number, so there was no fighting for the best spots. There was also plenty of room to set up your bike and all of the transition stuff, with room to sit down, too.

    The swim was set up in a diamond shape in a small lake. It was a 2 loop swim. There were only 2 waves: the men and the women, with the teams going with the women. So the start was a bit of a washing machine. I felt pretty good, so I just kept powering along. After a while I noticed that I was passing a few men, not to mention a few women, too. That's pretty unusual for me. I guess living and training at 6500 feet and racing at sea level makes a big difference in the swim. I came out of the water at 37 minutes and a few second. That's over 4 minutes faster than any training swim I'd done.

    The transition took about 5 minutes. But part of that was the long run with the bike to get out of transition and to the bike mount area. The set up of the transitions and bike/run starts could have been very confusing. But there were a TON of very helpful, cheery volunteers that made it easy.

    The bike course is a figure 8 where you do the top loop twice. There aren't any really long or tough hills, but there are lots of rollers. I had 3 1/2 hours worth of sports drink calories on my bike (1 aerobottle and 2 regular bottles) but I ended up drinking it all in about 2 1/2 hours. On the course they had water and electrolyte water but no calories. So I pretty much bonked at about mile 45. I ended up gutting it out to the end and came in at a fair 3:10.

    My bike to run transition went pretty quickly. My stomach doesn't tolerate a lot of stuff, so I carry my sports drink with me. I have a 4 bottle Amphipod belt that I wear. I look like I'm wearing the Bat Belt, but it works for me. I had 2 hours worth of calories with me for the run.

    The run is an out-and-back course on the road for 12 miles and then a very nice 1+ mile loop around the park on well packed trails. There were water and electrolyte water stations about every mile. Once again, they didn't have anything with calories. The weather was a perfect mid 70's temp with occasional puffy clouds. So I never got too hot. Surprisingly, as bad as I felt at the end of the bike, I felt good on the run... for the first 8 miles. I was going right along at my pace, being passed by some people and passing others. I ran up and down the hills. But at mile 8 I hit the wall. I walked a bit and sucked down some sports drink and grabbed some water. But it only helped a little. So the last 5 miles I shuffled and walked and managed to do some running. I did run most of the trail run at the end and put a small burst on in the finish shoot. But I felt pretty gone when it was done. My run time: 2:11

    My SO met me at the end, with the dogs, and walked me around a bit. Then she went to check on the official times. When she got back to me she had a funny look on her face. Now, my goal had been first to finish and then to try to make it under 7 hours. But as she came up to me she told me that we should stay for the medal results.

    Not only had I done it in under 7, I had come in at 6:05 and was FIRST in my age group (7 women). OMG!! I still can't believe it. Overall, I was #150/226.

    Now my plans are to nurse my tweaked right quad and to not run, bike or swim for a few weeks. Maybe next year though... if I trained a bit harder maybe I could break 6...
    Last edited by roadie gal; 09-29-2009 at 07:43 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    9,324
    Wow! That's awesome!

    Veronica
    Discipline is remembering what you want.


    TandemHearts.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    244
    Congratulations! Fantastic race!!
    2004 Colnago Chic - WTB Deva
    2008 Blue RC7 - WTB Deva
    2009 Colnago Master X-lite - WTB Deva

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    St. Pete, FL
    Posts
    1,101
    Beyond AWESOME! Congrats! WOW!
    katluvr

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Olney, MD
    Posts
    3,063
    Great race! Awesome!!!
    I'd rather be swimming...biking...running...and eating cheesecake...
    --===--

    2008 Cervelo P2C Tri bike
    2011 Trek Madone 5.5/Cobb V-Flow Max
    2007 Jamis Coda/Terry Liberator
    2011 Trek Mamba 29er

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Bogota
    Posts
    294
    six hours and five minutes, that is downright quasi professional!
    Congratulations!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga
    Posts
    863
    What an amazing race report! I loved it! Did you get a first place medal!??!!? Awesome!!!
    Slow and steady (like a train!)

    http://kacietri-ing.blogspot.com/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    1,460
    Quote Originally Posted by kacie tri-ing View Post
    What an amazing race report! I loved it! Did you get a first place medal!??!!? Awesome!!!
    I got a medal with a big red and blue ribbon. It doesn't say "first place" on it, though.

    I would recommend this race to anyone around the PNW or folks who like to drive. It was very well organized. They really went out of their way to make sure you didn't get lost. As one of the organizers said to me, "We want people who are tired and can't think anymore to be able to find their way." The last mile of the run, through the park is very pretty. And it's fairly inexpensive compared to lots of races. They have the long course tri and du on Saturday and an olympic and sprint on Sunday.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Columbia River Gorge
    Posts
    3,565
    Thanks for the RR. I will think about doing this race.

    And... WOW, Congratulations.
    Living life like there's no tomorrow.

    http://gorgebikefitter.com/


    2007 Look Dura Ace
    2010 Custom Tonic cross with discs, SRAM
    2012 Moots YBB 2 x 10 Shimano XTR
    2014 Soma B-Side SS

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Newport, OR
    Posts
    323
    Congrat! You Did Wonderful!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    2,208
    Great report! Only missing the pictures I hadn't considered this race, but maybe next year I'll change up the end of my season. Have to think about that.

    You did awesome! 1/2 IM at 1/2 century and ONE FIRST PLACE MEDAL! WOOT!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Mississauga -a "burb" outside Toronto
    Posts
    648
    Incredible race. Even more so considering your issues with nutrition. Good for you for gutting it out. Congrats!!


    "You can't get what you want till you know what you want." Joe Jackson

    2006 Cannondale Feminine/Ultegra/Jett

    2012 Trek Speed Concept 9.5/Ultegra/saddle TBD

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    1,460
    Got a few race pics...


    Just before the end of the bike. I was just trying to make it in.


    About 2 miles from the end of the run.


    Coming down the chute at the finish.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga
    Posts
    863
    Awesome pictures! I love the last one!
    Slow and steady (like a train!)

    http://kacietri-ing.blogspot.com/

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Bogota
    Posts
    294
    Nice Purple Trisuit!

 

 

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