Vineman 70.3
Sonoma County
07/18/10
Race Morning
4:10 a.m. Wake Up Call from the Hotel
Breakfast
5:45 a.m. 12oz Shake (1 Banana, Almond Milk, Sustain Energy Powder and Ice) and 1 Energy Gel which was drunk in the car.
The Road to the Russian River Starting Line
Cheryl (Sister) and I headed on the road to the start of the race the Russian River. At 5:30 a.m. it is dark in the mountains and no street lights to help you with signage. We of course, got turned around for 10 minutes in the hills trying to get on the right track to the river. It was a good thing she had me drive because my stress level was very high trying to make it on time and my decision making had to be quick with finding the way to the river. There was a Mini Cooper that had a bike on the top so the decision was made to just follow that car. All I can say was that I hoped he was heading to the Russian River because we were so turned around that I don’t believe we would have found our way out of the hills.
We arrived to the Russian River a completely different way than the route we remembered but my time was just ticking away. I was dropped off as close as possible to the river and had to run with my bike and gear to the transition area. I had 15min before my wave started and as I was moving, I was thinking that this will have to suffice as my warm up; no pre swim, no stretches, no light jog, just get to the starting line. I also hoped that the start time was delayed, every race I have been in never started on time so I was hoping for some luck.
I got to transition and my age bracket racks were set up all the way on the other end. Once I got to it there was no space for “Kay” or my gear but, of course there was one area that a racer had taken up two spaces. This is the 1st time I actually moved another person’s items to make some space for myself. I did it nice and neat though, trying to keep her stuff like she left it…but condensed. More time was lost though and I still had to get my wetsuit on. Then I heard the gun go off and my thought was the Pro’s have just set out, I need to get to the Starting Line. I had 8 minutes left. I ran through groups of racers with their bikes and gear, ran through the port-a-potty lines. The announcer said “30 seconds to go…” and so much noise I could not hear him say what age group but I just kept heading towards the Start Line saying, “Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me…” A man said to me, “Isn’t that your age group heading out?” He saw my light blue cap in my chest. As I was answering him the gun went off…I made it to the Start line and asked the announcer, “Is that my group?” He said, “Yes, get your breathing under control, before entering the water! Wait a minute, let me zip you up, OK, you can go now.” I dived into the water and said to myself, “I made it!” I started with my swim wave, and wow the water is warm…I actually passed one lady in the water, she wasn’t swimming and it looked like she was dog paddling and my thought went back to my stroke and keeping a nice easy pace to finish this swim.
Swim 1.2 Miles
6:38 a.m. Wave time Behind the Professional’s
The 1.2 mile swim was OK, you could actually stand up in the river with no problems. The Russian River is only 4ft-6ft deep. I never wanted to stand up and look bad, so that was in my head. Cheryl asked me if I stood. I don’t think I did, but if I did, it was only for a minute to see the buoys. Allot of the men walked several feet before the buoy and around it, because your stroke or should I say your hand and arm could not even get a real stroke in or it would hit the bottom of the lake. I got a great pedicure. :o) Best River I have ever swam in. I received a tip from a fellow athlete at TriFit Club where I do my swim training at. She said “stay near the river bed going up stream to avoid the down stream current and swim straight up the middle returning, the current will help you out allot”. That tip was a beautiful one because I was not exhausted when I turned at the buoy and coming down stream I felt the water pushing me forward so less energy was used on the return. I had a big smile on my face when I felt that current. I did get off track a couple of times but that is part of the race. I was not hungry and felt really good on the swim and was not totally exhausted exiting the water. My swim time matched my training swim time. I was very pleased with my swim because this is my biggest challenge of the race and it didn’t feel like it took me an hour to swim it.
Transition to Bike
Returning to Kay there was only one other bike left on the rack. I proceeded to eat 1 Energy Gel, and put my gear on. This transition you had to bag your gear up and leave it behind for the volunteers to take it to the Finish Line. If I arrived on time to transition, I would not have had so much gear to leave behind and a decision was made to pass all my gear to Cheryl so of course this cost time. Getting on my bike I heard “You got it 113, looking good!” I of course heard Cheryl say “GO NINA!”
Bike 56 Miles
Sonoma Valley is full of rolling hills, sharp turns and some straight-a-ways. I passed 8 flat tires, 3 broken down bikes, 2 dead skunks, and one dead snake. Sorry to say I didn’t pass anyone long enough to say I actually passed them on the bike. Wait a minute… I did pass one man on a Tri Bike near the end of the bike race. :o) When you pass a fellow racer you have 20 seconds to complete the pass and the person that was just passed must drop back to give a 6ft cushion between you and them. If a race official saw that you did not complete a pass correctly you would be assessed a time penalty. The officials were all over the route on motorcycles and you didn’t know they were there until they made a move to pass you on the route. Now I realize my bike time is the same time I did on PCH doing 56 miles in 4hrs for training. I thought the time would change during the race for the better but I guess not. I guess your training time is like pre-race time for each event. Plus you must stop at the Port-A Pots to relieve yourself. :o)
Transition to Run
Coming into transition, I heard “look at her she still has a smile on her face, you go 113”. Then I heard “You can do it 113, you are almost there!” Another voice said, “I Love the Pig Tails!”, “Look she is still smiling after all those miles; you are almost there #113”. This is the 1st race I have done without GO NINA on my racing uniform and I have found people give support the best way they can when they choose someone to cheer on. It felt GREAT! I also heard Cheryl “GO NINA!” that was very special. :o)
Made it to my run shoes, sat on the green grass and put my socks, shoes and hat on. I headed out eating 1 Energy Gel and felt good. I also chose to carry a water bottle with me for this run even though the 1st thought was no water bottle but the final decision better safe having water when I need it instead of getting it from the volunteers every 2.5 miles. I forgot carrying a full 24oz bottle of water is a load when you are tired.
Run 13.1 Miles
The only thing that concerned me was my left knee because it had swollen on Saturday before the race & of course Race Day (Sunday). I did a pre-run on the race route on Friday and lost my footing but did not realize the damage until Saturday morning when it swelled up like a big balloon. Cheryl wanted to take a picture of it and was mad at me for wounding myself before the race. We were both trying to figure out when and how did it happened because she does a great job trying to protect my athlete body from harm before the race. The only thing I could think of was that missed footing on Friday’s run. Of course from Saturday until Race Day it was iced and I stayed off of the legs as much as possible. On the bike I made sure I stayed in an easy gear to save the knee for the run.
My uniform for this race was a secret weapon a Long Sleeve White Tri-Shirt that was 75% UPF. It shielded me from the beaming sun, and cooled me when a breeze came through using my own perspiration. My fellow racers were burning up hot, and cooking in the sun. Every water mist or water hose that was out by the road from home owners supplying water relief was taken by my fellow athletes. I did not need it, and glad too because that causes your socks and shoes to get wet and blisters to occur.
I felt good on the run until mile 8, but I kept the legs going. I met allot of people on the run that just wanted to Finish and get their Finisher T-Shirt. A Finisher’s T-Shirt? I’d never heard of such a thing but I’m in, and I want mine too! I had a man say to me, “You are doing it sista, I was behind you on the bike and you are looking good!” I felt like saying you go brotha but it just didn’t feel right. :o) I saw one other American Black Woman on the run course on my way in and I said to her, “I thought I was the only one out here today?” Her reply, “Well you’re not!” She still had at least 7 miles to go. On Mile 7, I passed the lady wearing the Ironman Shorts. I remembered her from the bike when she passed me, and I wanted to stay in front of her on the run, I don’t want to see those shorts again. :o) Mile 11, I was out of supplies and hungry but guess who I saw? Volunteers! Young High School Teenagers or Young Adults or just some great Youths. Now get this, I did not lose focus until mile 11, which is pretty good for me. 1st thing I heard, "Do you want Coke, Water but we have no cups." I said, "Do you have Chocolate Chip Cookies?" The response was, "We have Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pretzels, Fig Newton’s, M & M's, we have it all!" I headed for the Cookies and they tasted divine. As I ate the cookies I saw all the runners I passed run by then I thought about that Cola. I was, of course, talking and laughing with the volunteers about the race. They were some great kids gave me a lot of laughs. Then I saw the lady wearing the Iron Girl Shorts pass by and I said to the Young Adults, "I got to go, I can't let her get to far ahead." They said, "She didn't stop for cookies and coke, you will catch her in no time."
Finish
Coming into the last mile, I hear, “You are almost there #113!” “Keep those legs going 113!”; “Half mile to go 113!”; “You can do it 113!” I wish the Young Adults were right because I never caught the lady in the Ironman Shorts...that darn throbbing knee kept my run to a very slow jog. I did pass 6 people on the run and one guy coming into the finish line said, "You were playing possum!" He heard me tell the spectators, “Let’s see if I can pass those 2 men ahead of me.” He then proceeded to start running faster and then I said, “You heard me!” :o) I always try to give everything I got at the end to make a good show for the spectators. My stride was stretched out and I gave it all I got to the finish when I heard him say “you were playing possum”. I was running for too long and didn't time it right or I would have had enough fuel to get me to the finish line without stopping and loosing focus.
The Sonoma Valley is just BEAUTIFUL!!! What a GREAT RACE!!!!
Vineman Race started on time (my 1st), the volunteers were just awesome and I loved every one of them even though I did not need any food supplies until mile 11. The Spectators were GREAT! My fellow athletes on that long run journey to the finish line, the positivity in everyone to just finish that darn race they got themselves into. :o) You just got to love the SPIRIT of The RACE!
Finisher 9hrs 3min 59sec
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