I always get nervous before races and the first race of the year normally makes the butterflies living in my stomach flutter even more violently. This year’s edition of the Pelican Fest Triathlon was no different. I had won last year’s race handily and I was hoping to repeat the result which didn’t help my nerves. I have normally used this race as a warm-up to the more competitive races later in the season because it has been able to maintain a local (and amateur only) feel which I find helps ease the anxiety of getting back into triathlon racing.
Saturday started with a some what unnatural yet welcome calm that bathed to ground with a thick fog that fogged your goggles and misted your wind shield. Despite the fog the air was a refreshing 60 degrees at race start which made for ideal race conditions. The race starts with brisk 63 degree 800 meter swim across Windsor Lake, followed by a rolling 10 mile time trial, and finishing with a 5k out and back run around the lake. A nice quick race to knock the winter cobwebs from your winter hibernation.
Before the race started I was looking forward to the swim because I have been swimming faster then years past so I was excited to see if my increase in pool speed translated into a faster swim split. In addition to swimming faster, this was my first race with my LASIK enhanced eyes that allows me to see the buoys which I thought would also help me swim faster since I would be able to swim a straighter line. Unfortunately at the word go, I had, by anyone’s measure, a slow beach start that ended in me having a dozen or so swimmers to swim over and around. After the first 200 meter buoy and the only 90 degree turn I was in 4th place and within sight of first. There was a lead group of two, and break, and then the one guy that I was behind. I immediately tried to pass, but either he swam into me or I swerved into him which farced me back behind him. I tried to pass several times only to be thwarted in the same way until just after the half way point when I was finally able to get past and into third place. Once I was clear, I started to reel in the leaders, but I ran out of water so I exited the lake in third place 15 to 20 seconds back. I had a reasonable transition and started the bike course.
On the bike I caught second at about 1.5 miles into the ride and discovered the shock of the day. A bunch of ITU races had shown up to race. Only in Colorado does a small local triathlon become an international Olympic qualifying race! The rest of the ride was uneventful until the dismount line into t2 when I caught the leader and was also passed by an Argentinian ITU points racer (gotta love the names and country written on the uniform). The original leader took the run out hard (+/- 5 min pace) and me and the Argentinian where forced to try to keep pace. I passed the Argentinian after the first half mile, but I was a good 25 seconds behind first. I was able to get some time back after the initial blazing pace so that I was with in 20 seconds behind the leading ITU racer, but once he saw me at the turn around he restarted his original relentless pace which I couldn’t match. Once I realized that overtaking him was not to be, I shut it down and cruised for the last mile.
Intellectually I know that second overall including beating 4 of 5 pros and posting a faster time then last year isn’t a bad result, but emotionally I would have liked to won. Perhaps with a better start and a stronger effort on the run I might have been able to get the W, but probably not. The one silver lining is that I am old enough to be the winner’s father.
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