09/20/2012:
So got up and did my thing and eventually woke up the family too. Had a lot of my crew doing this. So far it was me, Jeremy, Jim, Adele and her sister Heidi and her husband Jeff and Gail. Interesting stuff...Jeremy immediatly jumped on. So did Adele and she convinced her guys. I was suprised at Gail joining but she was getting "bored" with just the usual racing and wanted to try something different. Jim finally agreed too. He decided that a week after Toughman would be enough recovery and decided to blame me when he spoke to his wife. I wanted Pepe to come too but he was taking his girls to a concert that weekend so he was out. Still, that's a pretty large crew right?
Well, on Wednesday I got a text from Jim. Just got a mole removed from his forehead. He's all swollen, stitched up and in major pain. MD scrunched nose up about race. Leter he told me by order of future divorce that he isn't allowed to race per wife. OK...Sucks. I know he would enjoy it but such is life. The original plan was to hang out after the race. They still want to come so the plan still stands. Also, the original plan was for Jim to pick Jeremy and me up and for Lee to pick up his family up but Lee doesn't want to be late this time so we were going by ourselves and they would go by themselves.
Gail suprised me by agreeing to this. Apparently she has been swimming at the pool at her houseing complex and her biggest issue was the fact that she has glasses but not prescriptions goggles. I told her about Jeremy's prescription goggles and she went to buy them. World of difference and she signed up.
Race Course Preview...
The swim is in the ocean and therefore green (very) salty water but it's in a bay and therefore no waves. Also some of the area is not deep at all so you can actually stand up and sight. Transition is a run up the beach to the parking lot. The run is in the parking lot. Straight past the restaurant to a out and back section and from there back to transition. Pass transition and into this nature preserve section which includes a off road section. Come back out and head into the finish. Adele, Kelly (coach of the Baracuddas) and I swam long while the rest of the clinic took more time but swam less. It really was for beginners which is cool. We(I) then convinced the guy to show us the whole run and it was all good until we got to the nature preserve. First it was 1 bug bite, then another then they really started. It was full of biting huge flies and other biting big bugs. I wanted to run to the end but then decided I couldn't and got the hell out of there. I left there with over 30 bites on my legs and a lesson very well learned. Bug spray! See, knowledge is power!
During our vacation, we decided 1 day to come back here. We wanted to have a beach day but also for Jeremy to "try" out the course and to be able to mentally see it. Elizabeth started talking about doing this race as well. Well, we had a lot of fun but she hated the green salty water and it was back to Jeremy and me.
Back to Race Day...
My legs felt fine but maybe a little tight. I wasn't sure what shape I would be in so I opted to bring a wetsuit. I figured every little thing helps. Got in and picked up our stuff and set up. Jeremy and I had primo spots at transition. Right there as you come in from the swim. NICE! Gail was a little off but it was a small field so still ok. Made sure her transition area was good. Transition was a closed off area with chalk used to make numbered boxes on the ground. Well, they forgot Heidi so the 3 of them moved to another section. Oi.
We had an interesting week leading to this weekend and I really should mention it. The previous Sunday, Jessie went to bed and immediatly threw up in bed. Nice. Even though she was fine the next day, she milked the situation and stayed home. Jeremy the next day, Tuesday, came home with a small fever and diarrhea. Gave him tylenol, small batches of white rice and water and as he felt better got him doing his HW. He had just started 9th grade in a brand new school and unless he was dying, he really couldn't miss school. He was fine the next morning and went to school like a trooper tho the whole week his stomach was a little weird. Saturday, he had an hour and a half of intensive tennis followed a little later by an hour of swim where they swam 2,500 yards. This is the day before the race...So, when we got there he wanted to go stand in line for the porta-potties. I reminded him of indoor plumbing and he went there and felt much better for it.
Mandatory meeting and basically there are 3 waves.
- Wave 1: Me and other males my age from 20-50 I think.
- Wave 2: Males over 50, kids until 19 and all relays.
- Wave 3: All females.
I got some ribbing from friends about the wetsuit but again I wanted to preserve some of my legs. I wasn't the only one there with a wetsuit anyway so Humph!
The water was colder than I thought and I felt bad for Jeremy, Gail and the others. It was interesting that at the shallow it was a little colder than further out. I also knew that once Jeremy started he would be ok. I was worried about his sighting and Gail's sighting but I kept stressing to them about sighting even if they needed to stop.
We're off and lots of running. Why swim when you can run? And run? And run? Finally started swimming. People still doing dolphin kicks. I get up and run a little more. I was gonna run to the buoy if I could do it but eventually had to start running. The course was basically keep all buoys (Orange and White) on your left and make left turns at the white ones.
I was sure that the course would be short but it doesn't seem like it. Made my first left, settled in. Onto the next left and an Orange buoy seems off. I swim to it and it seems like it is floating away from me. Very Annoying. I get a little tangled in the ropes but made it around it and onto home. Later, Jim told me that 1/2 the field should have been DQed. They didn't go around it. Turns out it was floating away and the kayakers were telling people to skip it! Hrumph!
After the second white buoy (last left), we hit a channel of cold water. I felt it throught the wetsuit. Br....I can only imagine what the non-wetsuit people felt.
I stand up and start stipping my wetsuit. In T1 and I do my thing making sure to spray myself with bug spray. For good measure I even spray inside my mouth. OK...That was a screw up and it was horrible...
I start the run and mile 1 seems very far away. Out and back then make a left to a u-turn and eventually mile 1. Seemed like I ran a lot but my time was awesome so whatever...
I am close by transition and I see Lee. We decided Jessie would stay with the Balsans when they showed up. Jim later told me they got there just as wave 1 went off. Lee would give Jeremy his glasses when he got out of the water and then wait for him at Run out to spray him. She was there waiting for him which means he survived the swim. Yay! That's my guy. I think I see him and I yell to him as I run.
I'm in the nature preserve and I am worried but nothing. It was a little cold when we got there in the morning and maybe the bugs are gone. Got bit once while I was in there and glad for it. Chase and being chased. After Mile 2, he turn around is not far ahead. When you come out, you have a 1/2 mile to go. I am running well although I am tired and eventually I see the building that the water station is in front off. I know the finish line is right there so I pass 2 guys and almost at the finish one of them comes back and out sprints me. Ouch!
I talk to Jessie and the Balsans and then I see Adele hitting the nature preserve so I go after her. I catch her and run her to the preserve. Jeff is right in front of her and Heidi passes her. Heidi had a brain fart in the water and actually made circles around the buoy. Jeff was a little worried and I think he started, got hit and waited around a little. Still they all survived. Adele tells me she saw Gail as well and then Gail passes us. Nice. Another one made it.
I wait at the nature preserve and then Jeremy and Lee get there and I run with Jeremy. Initially, when he came out of the water he couldn't run. Jessie already told me he swam a 21:18 and I am floored. I expected a 30 minute from him. He was cold and maybe that was a good motivator. He walked to transition and initially walked until he was able to run/walk.
We continued until the turn-around. He was so close to Adele physically but never made it to her. Eventually we were out and he was tired. He was gonna walk at the water station until I got through to him that the water station is it. So he sprinted and listened to me when I told him to raise his hands when he finished and the photographers got a great shot of him. I ran him and peeled off at the finish.
Results:
- Jeremy dominated his age group (that's what the announcer said...). He got 1st for age.
- I got 3rd for age with a great run of 22:43. I would like to break 21 once but I am currently running 5K's at 22:20 - 22:30 so this is a great run considering the swim and the marathon.
- Gail got 1st for age and her first multi-sport.
- Kelly got 1st for age.
- Karen got 2nd for age.
- Adele got passed by Heidi who took 8th so she was stuck with 9th.
- Not sure about Jeff.
- Debbie Pantano (AP Strider) finished as well her first multi-sport.
We then hung out at the beach. Lee fell asleep on the sand and in the car. Jim fell asleep on the sand. I fell asleep on the sand. The kids played while the adults had an amazing lunch. Jeremy let the girls bury him all the way to his chin. We then played in the playground there and eventually went home.
What a great weekend!
