This one came out of nowhere. As we rounded the first buoy, a slight nudges dislodged my goggles just enough so that a rush of water temporarily blinded my left eye. A quick adjustment provided for enough of a stall in my momentum that the pack I was so desperate to hang on to was now gone.
Feeling for a draft, I extended as much as I could through a chop of hard strokes and lifted my head to sight. I cursed my luck as I got a glimpse of the four swimmers that represented the lead pack - 25 yards ahead and quickly breaking away. Head down, a sense of aggravation coupled with a hint of loneliness washed over me.
This was not the start I hoped for, and doubts were already settling in as I struggled to find my rhythm.
Up until that point, our stay in St. Augustine had been nothing but pleasurable. The locally-owned beach hotel, La Fiesta Oceanside Inn, was beyond accommodating. The beach and the town were just as beautiful, inviting and relaxing as I remembered from my early childhood.
The race represented the perfect small-town feel that I hoped to open my season with. The field, somewhere in the vicinity of around 50 participants, felt pure and free of the hyped-up egotism that sometimes plagues the triathlon experience - and humanity in general. With Amber to provide support, I felt extremely relaxed going into the race.
We lined up on the beach, ready for a not-so-mass start. The swim would be interesting, as sighting proved difficult with the rolling 2-3 foot swells (in my swim warm up I body surfed a nice one on the way in). The course had the Olympic/Int'l field going out to the first buoy, turning left out to and rounding the next buoy, back to the first buoy, then out to the second again, and then into shore.
The beach start went on without incident. I hopped over a couple of rollers and made my way to the first buoy. Maybe it was an errant kick or elbow, but something knocked my goggles half-off just as I got to it. Probably a good thing that I put them on underneath my swim cap.
After losing my hold on the front pack, I was entirely on my own. No feet in front, and no grabbing hands on my toes. I spent the next few minutes working hard, also trying to relax and focus on form. Clarity, it seemed, was best found in solitude because I found myself gliding through the water with a smile.
The second half of the swim proved much smoother. I ironed out my timing between breathing, sighting and the swells and rounded the last buoy. I glanced behind on my way in and found a nice roller to ride all the way to the shore (a photog on the beach gave me props). I made my way up the beach toward T1 feeling good - a little bummed about missing the lead - but felt ready for the rest of the race.
Swim: 0:22:45 (1500km PB)
In T1, it became apparent that I hadn't been using a wetsuit much. I frantically stomped on the thing like it was on fire and about to burn down poor Marineland. Sometimes I feel like awards should be given just for getting out of them in a reasonable time.
T1: 0:01:10
On the bike, I immediately noticed that the winds were different than anticipated. The wind steadily blew from the south the day before. The course was a simple out-and-back going South/North with two loops. Winding up to speed, I noticed the wind was not as pronounced, but still pushing against me. After the turnaround, it was more of the same. It seemed the winds shifted to the side, enough to create a feeling that I was riding a slightly moderate headwind the entire time.
I continuously passed Sprint racers and got by one of the Oly/Int'l guys who beat me out of the water. I felt really good on the first quarter of the ride, sucked down a gel and tried to get on top of my fluid intake. At the turnaround, I whipped around the cones and mashed my way in the other direction. I normally do this because it gives me a chance to loosen up the legs a little and keep up some momentum. However, I usually do so in a lighter gear. Somehow, I managed to forget to shift down and I ended up stomping on a much higher gear while expending a lot of energy. That was stupid.
At the half-way point, I nailed the turnaround in a much more conducive fashion, but only to get BLOWN AWAY by someone in my age group. The dude was seriously hauling ass, and I couldn't pace off him for long. By the last turnaround, he was out of sight. I sucked down another gel and tried to focus on my own abilities.
Unexpectedly, I found myself challenged (maybe flustered?) by the last quarter of the bike leg as I struggled to find a solid rhythm. I kept switching in between gears, tried to maintain cadence, but couldn't find the right one. I moved around a lot in the saddle, battling with discomfort that was completely unforeseen in the early stages of the bike and on the previous day. My legs felt heavy and I started to doubt if I could execute a solid run.
Maybe it was an omen, or just one of those things, but a huge osprey flew right over me with a fish clasped in its talons. I love ospreys and I thought that was pretty damn cool. Unfortunately, it didn't make me feel any better getting to T2.
Bike: 1:06:40 (22.37mph and 40km PB)
T2: 0:0:45
Out of transition, I worked up into a quick cadence and quickly realized that despite my reservations on the bike, it felt good to be running. The heat began to demand attention, but I took enough fluids in on the bike to deal with it. Without a watch I didn't know how fast I was actually running, but I hung on to what felt like my threshold pace.
Toward the tail end of the run, my quads (particularly my right) began to ache a bit and I worried that a cramp or two could be in my near future. Looking back, I think I lightly strained both coming out of the first turnaround on the bike. Trying to balance out the pace while avoiding any apocalyptic meltdowns became priority and all I could do was hope that I wouldn't be forced into a damage-control situation. I knew I was having a good race overall, and I didn't want to back off in fear of hurting myself before Sarasota.
In the end, it worked out. The legs more than cooperated and I recaptured the spot I lost on the bike. I finished strong and was elated at my time.
Run: 0:40:55 (6:35min/mi and 10k PB)
Finishing time: 2:12:15 (4th overall, 1st age group, OLY PB)
What a start. Besides a personal best in every leg, the venue was awesome. The race crew, the other athletes, the vibe... all of it came together. To start the season out with all these things coming together completely eclipsed any mistakes, mishaps or pains.
Personally, it was great to cut loose and find out where I am from a fitness perspective. I learned an invaluable lesson on mental poise (twice) - and that can only be ingrained through experience. Plus, Amber drove me home. I know... I'm spoiled.
I feel that my training under KC @ Elite is already paying off. There is a lot of work to get done, but there is also room for immediate improvement in all aspects of my racing. We've just started to tap into my capabilities and it's hardly believable that something so strenuous can be so much fun. I am really looking forward to the challenges that await the rest of the year.
For now - a quick recovery and a short taper for the next and possibly biggest challenge to date: Sarasota.
Some great shots taken by Amber:
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