NYC Triathlon - Race Report

Training:
You've read the details. I haven't been training anywhere near competitive standards, but I have been training more than ever in my life. I peaked at 9 hours of training per week (3 running, 4 biking, 1.5 swimming, 0.5 core/strength). I'm already planning on increasing this for next year (although, I'll be pretty busy next summer, what with the wedding and all...).

Pre-Race:
The NYC Tri is a logistical masterpiece on the end of a city of 9,000,000 hosting a race for 3,500, but that means some challenges with parking, bike drop-off, and otherwise. On Friday, I attended a mandatory orientation, which was 30 minutes of some guy reading all of the details in the athlete guide, which I had already read. If anything, it made me more anxious about the non-racing stuff, like missing bike drop-off, showing up too late for transition, and getting a flat tire.

I showed up on Saturday afternoon to drop off my bike, and ended up having to walk 1/2 mile + in either direction, because parking was scarce (nonexistent) in the area. I put down my bike, and headed to the hotel for relaxation. My parents took Tim and me out for a delicious 5PM pasta dinner. Immediately after dinner, I regretted my lunchtime carbo-load impulsive decision of General Tso's Chicken, and hightailed back to the hotel to urgently clear my entire lower digestive tract. Fearful of problems at the race, I popped an Immodium and climbed into bed by 8. After getting woken up a few times by city noises, and a few more times due to my overenthusiastic pre-race hydrating, it was time to get up.

I got out of bed at 3:45 AM, about 15 minutes before my alarm(s) were set. I put on my tri-suit and flip flops, and grabbed my gear bag. There was a shuttle from the few hotels in the area to transition, and I sat on a coach bus for a few minutes, and watched some still-drunks stumbling around in the dark. I got to transition by 4.

I set up transition as usual, and started the 1-mile (which, given the location of the women's transition area, was closer to 1.5 miles) trek in flip flops, wetsuit in hand. I sat for a while and watched the crowds, and then dropped my flip flops into the clothing bag. By 5:30, with nearly an hour until the start of the race, I popped a gel and took a cup of water. One of the unspoken joys of triathlon is that the nervous pees aren't a problem in a wetsuit. You're covered in a full body suit of neoprene, about to jump into a river known for uber-grossness. Nobody has to know.

I waited in line with my swim wave. I was nervous about missing my swim start, because they warned us the start would be fast, but I ended up standing around for a while. My friend was racing in my wave, but she was hanging out with her boyfriend. My fiance and father were still asleep, and mom was on her way to her volunteer spot at the finish line hospitality tent.

The Race
We were brought to the start line around 6:15. I was pumped up. We were directed to stand at the edge of the dock, and jump in when the buzzer went off. Once we stepped off the dock, the timer started. A few folks had figured that if you sit on the edge of the dock with your timing-chipped ankle behind you, the timer won't start, but you can still scoot instead of jump.

The buzzer went off, and I scooted into the Hudson. The temperature was perfect, and the current was strong. I couldn't really get into a good rhythm. Wake of passing boats kept choking me with water, and the water was so murky I couldn't see my hand through the water. The course was very fast, but I was uncomfortable. Every 100 yards or so, I paddled for a couple of moments to catch my breath. I kept worrying about losing my timing chip or goggles or swim cap. About halfway through the swim, I finally was able to catch my breath and get into a rhythm. The rest of the swim went smoothly, and I finished the 1.5 km swim at 23:17, well within my A-goal range.

T1 is a schlep. There is about a 1/2-mile barefoot jog on asphalt, with a few hoses set up for rinsing off. The first photographer was shouting at athletes to wipe the Hudson River crud off their faces for the photos. Last time I did this race, I was so worried about completing the distance that I walked the entirety of T1 for an embarrassing 17 minutes. This time, I took it at an easy jog, and was out of transition in 9:35 ready for the bike.

I was not ready for the bike. I was still worried about losing my timing chip, and stopped early on to tighten my shoes and chip strap. I also noticed that my computer wasn't working, so I tried to fix that as well. I couldn't. The bike was much harder than I remembered and I was not well-prepared.

I kept at a steady pace, trying not to blow out my quads too early. I enjoyed the first half or so, but was passed by a lot of people. Soon, I stopped being passed by athletes in my age group and wave, and started being passed by other people. It was a little disheartening, and I asked a passing racer for the distance. I did a rough calculation of speed, and I was not doing well. I had hoped for 14+ mph (last time was 13.1), but was cruising along at only about 12. I tried to kick up the pace.

The ride was lonely and hot. I tried to get down water and gel, but it was tough, because there were very few parts of the course that weren't tough uphills or fast downhills.

In every race, there's a moment where I seriously question my decision to be a triathlete. It hurt. It hurt and I was tired, and it felt like hundreds of people passed me. Fortunately, about 20 miles in, I heard my fiance and father shouting my name from the side. It put a smile on my face all over again, almost as much as seeing the cruise ship a few miles later, that I would be getting on that afternoon for a 7-day jaunt to Bermuda. When I passed fiance and father later on, I was passed the soul-searching and starting to feel pride. I finished the 40 km ride in an embarrassing 1:58:35, having averaged 12.6 mpg. Ouch.

I took my time in T2 to relax and reset my expectations. My A-goal of 3:30 was out now, but if I ran close to my best 10K, I could make 3:45.

The run was fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it, which is a huge change from last time, when I was terrified that I'd break down and have to walk the rest. In fact, my biggest complaint about the run was that the mile-markers were sponsored by Fox Business News, and so by the end of the race, I was almost enamored by Fox News. Ugh.

I took the run steady, even though the pretty impressive hills of Central Park. The crowd support was fantastic, and it's always hard to give up while watching the paratriathletes, blind or amputee, completing the same race. I choked down a gel around the halfway point. I took a sip of water at each aid station and poured the rest over my head. It was very hot (mid-to-upper eighties), and I was wary of the crowd shouting inaccurate mile-markers. Last time, I was told "only half-mile!" over the span of an entire mile. This time, I was prepared, and the finish was just when I needed it. I finished in my fastest official 10K time of 1:09:57, which is 7 minutes faster than last time, but about a minute slower than my fastest unofficial 10K run.

Post-Race
I was much more functional after this race than last time, which is an accomplishment on its own. I grabbed water and a chocolate protein shake, and made a beeline for the massage tent. I ended up having two women rub my legs and feet for about 15 minutes. Best-worst feeling ever.

I had finished strong at 3:44:14, an improvement of 20 minutes from last time. Not what I had hoped, but I had a blast. I'm already planning the next one.