Solana Beach Race Report

Considering this race was a sprint and took exactly 10 hours less than my last Ironman I should keep this blog short. How about summing it up text message style:

OMG. OOB!

FUN!

Oh my gosh! I'm Out of Breath!

Sunday was such a fun day. I honestly had no expectations. In the three days that lead up to the race my training plan consisted of 3 X 12.5 (actually 13 hour) work shifts with a 40 minute run. I had one goal to go as hard as I could and that I did. When the gun went off I charged into the water. It seemed like everyone gave in when we got into the surf break. I smugly thought they forgot we were supposed to go hard in a sprint. I kept running. Soon I ran out of breath. I started to dolphin dive (or really dolphin die) . It worked I moved to the front of the group. The waves weren't big like last year but the trade off was there was no rip to pull me out to the first buoy. When the first sizable wave came, like a good little triathlete I dove to the bottom. I could not hold my breath long enough to stay under until the wave passed. I felt dizzy because I was OUT OF BREATH. I guess I started out too hard or something. I came to the surface and the wave pushed me back. A long way back. Kind of like in a board game where you are sent back to the beginning. I scrambled through the white water breathing every stroke thinking OMG, OOB over and over. I realized I wasn't going to catch my breath or a break today. I figured I'd roll with it. I have asthma, but this wasn't it. At the swim's end I realized despite my "suffering" I was not too far back. I whipped off my wetsuit and prepared to chase them up the hill to transition. My run up the hill would have to wait. I managed to get both ankles stuck in my wetsuit. The harder I pulled it the more it stretched. The wrestling with the wetsuit while your competition run away did not help my heart rate come down. I started to panic a bit as I wasn't convince it would ever come off. Finally I was free of the ever stretching wetsuit and running up the hill.

Transition was quick. I was thankful to have aero bars to collapse onto, I mean be aero dynamic in.   Not much to say about the bike course other than it was 9 miles with for 180 degree turns and then it was over. Over too soon for my liking. It takes me 10 miles to warm up. Then it was on to the run. I realized despite not being able to catch my breath my legs felt light and fantastic. I tried to run fast and get it over with. I could catch my breath at the finish. I didn't know what place I was in but I tried to close in instead of give in to a comfortable pace. At mile 2, I was disappointed as I was unable to conjure up music in my head. Turns out I can't sing song to myself when I am panting. "Darn it !" I thought until I saw my watch  and realized I was running fast for me. At that point I changed my tune to "Who cares. Race now. Sing later." I finished in 4th. I don't have any excuses. I just need to do everthing a bit faster or swim a LOT faster.

 After the race eneded I skipped the post race pizza and donuts and headed out for a cool down run. It was awesome. So easy compared to racing, like a luxurious spa treatment. Then it was off to run errands. I was home with all my gear cleaned by the time Tim got done with morning rounds.

I wanted to share some fun with Tim so we went moutain biking. I was a little worried I would struggle and fuss since I already expended myself. The opposite happened and somehow all of the twists and turns just came to me super easily and it was FFFFUUNNNN. FUN, FUN, FUN.

 I tend to favor the longer distances because I think I am better at them. I used to think short races aren't worth the time effort and hoopla. Truth is the short races I race for an hour and then I have the rest of the day to feel high. Can't really argue with that.