Summary
I raced the Annual AC International Triathlon sprint
distance this morning and ended up coming in 3rd in the Clydesdale
division. Wow. Never expected a podium finish in my life, much less on a day
where I was unprepared, hung-over and sleep deprived.
Registration
My cousin Marc and I decided to combine the sprint together
with a Boys Night Out in AC. After we registered, USAT Paratriathlon named this
race as the regional championship for the Mid-Atlantic region. A couple of
paratriathletes from the para-tri training camp I went to in the spring were
coming, so I volunteered to be a handler and ditch Marc for the race. Unsure if they would need me, I brought my gear just in case.
Pre-Race
One thing for TriDevils to keep in mind is that this race requires
bike drop-off and a mandatory race meeting the day before the race. I hate that.
It must be part of the deal they made with AC to try to encourage people to
stay in town. It didn’t matter for Marc and me since we were already planning
to hang out for the night, but it would have really bummed me out if I wanted
to drive down that morning.
Marc and I met at the course on Saturday in time for the 1:00 meeting. I
knew there was a chance that there would be plenty of volunteers, so I checked in just in case. After a very smooth packet pickup and racking our bikes,
we headed down to the boardwalk. It was a perfect afternoon and we found a
beach bar with an awesome reggae band, lots of beautiful people, sun, and great
conversation. Pre-race hydration started with more than a few beers followed
with gin & tonics (mistake #1, repeated many times). We barhopped our way
up the boardwalk ending at the Village Whiskey in the race sponsor Revel
casino. This place is wonderful. Burgers and bourbon may not be the best
pre-race nutrition, but it sure was delicious (mistake #2). A few more
bars and beers, then to bed. Think I drank more on Saturday than I did this
entire summer combined.
Wake-up call came shortly after we hit the beds (mistake #3).
Too early for the hotel’s complimentary breakfast, and AC is basically closed
at 5:30 am. Forgot to pack any food, so breakfast consisted of Rocktane energy
drink, one GU gel, and about an eighth of yesterday’s soft pretzel that wasn’t so
soft anymore (mistake #4).
Loads of folks showed up to help with the paratriathlon –
including TriDevil James Armstrong - so the race director gave me the go ahead
to race.
Swim
Watching the paratriahletes do the swim was inspiring for
all of the able bodied racers standing on land. When each of the 10 racers came
out of the water, the crowd went crazy. More than a few eyes were watery.
Swim was in the brackish water of the inlet and temp was 75
degrees. Wore my wetsuit to keep me warm on land while we waited, and for the
buoyancy. I haven’t been in the water since Jersey State Tri and wasn’t feeling
well trained (mistake #5). Jumped with Marc off the floating entry dock. Time
trial format turned out to be great. Even with 1,000 racers, there was little
bumping or kicking since everyone was well spaced out. Dropped Marc in the
first minute – possibly the first person I’ve ever dropped in a swim. Finished
in a blazing (for me) 9:36. 199/474 and 7th in the 45-49 age group. Something’s
wrong with the reporting of the Clydesdale results, but I can see my overall
and age group results.
Bike
Typical leisurely transition for me – 3:41 – then off on the
bike. Excited to be riding on loaner Profile Design Altair 80 race wheels which
made my bike look killer. My pump didn’t seem to work on these wheels so I
figured I would have the race mechanic take a look. Mistake #6 – there was no
race mechanic. Well, I hoped that the air in there was enough.
After mounting and riding about 200 yards, we had to
traverse a sand/gravel path that was slow and extremely nerve wracking. It was
well marked, covered with volunteers yelling to go slow, and everyone seemed to
make it through okay. Then flat out along the Blackhorse Pike, up the ramp, and
onto the AC Expressway. What a great place to race. The shoulder and right hand
lane were closed to traffic, and we could really fly. I was passed only once,
but must have passed 200 riders. Forgot to fix my race computer, which had been
only working intermittently (mistake #7). I could only guess my speed and
cadence, but worked hard to keep both up. Back though the sand path and into
T-2 in 26:26, averaging 23 miles per hour. 22nd overall, and first
in my age group – a full minute in front of #2. Must have been the race wheels.
Run
Another relaxed transition – finishing my energy drink and a
GU, then off to run down a few blocks of city streets to the famed AC
boardwalk. I did my usual slow pace and finished the run in 31:36. Should have
been going to Brian Shea’s Wednesday night track workouts.
Finish
Crossed the line in 1:14:27. Great crowd cheering us over the finish line, then the best
race food I’ve ever had. In addition to the usual bagels and fruit, we had
scrambled eggs, bacon, pastries, donuts, and Philly soft pretzels! Almost worth
the race entry itself.
The timing company had a tent set up with about a dozen
screens where you could search your race results almost immediately. I couldn’t
believe that I had finished 3rd in Clydesdale, so I stuck around for
the awards ceremony to take my place on the podium. What a great feeling.
Fat, drunk and stupid may be no way to go through life. But
it worked pretty well for me today.
