Oceanside Race Report and More

And More Comes First:

- Goals: If you set meaningful goals weekly, monthly or yearly and work really hard to attain them the rest of your life can be lifted if you let it.
- Triathlon is a selfish sport. I've learned over the years that it's not that important and because of this I'm having more fun and racing faster.
- Volunteer for a race. Set your season goal of races and then instead of racing one of them volunteer at one.
- Each month try to introduce triathlon to someone new. The sport needs more people in it.
- Thank the volunteers and race directors and then thank them again.
- Most of all thank your wife or husband and your kids the most.

Oceanside Race Report
Swim
I'm not saying that I would swim fast but just once in Oceanside I'd like to swim in clean water. By the first marker and the rest of the swim it was zig zag through the slower swimmers. The Zoot Prophet is the best wetsuit I've ever raced in. I was there when the concept brief was written. The wetsuit delivers on the brief #1 get the swimmer out of the water feeling fresh. 33:18
Long T1: 3:13
Bike
Note to self - Check and double check your wheels and your repair kit.
Up the first climb in the harbor and the rear wheel starts creaking. I sit down at the top and the creaking is gone. Through the gate where there are a few bumps and off goes my repair kit (tube, co2 and tire levers). The first part of the bike is flat and fast. All hills managed seated and in the big chain ring. Moving through nicely with a couple guys to pace from. We turn inland and then the memory of the course hits me hard San Mateo hill is next. It's a good sized steep climb. I hit it with the plan to stay strong on the climb and not rush them. I pass my friend Diana and things are going fine. I stand up to stretch my legs and the creaking comes back only this time it gets worse with each pedal stroke. There is lots of climbing to go and finally it dawns on me that the creaking is coming from the rear wheel grinding on the frame. Darn it Zipp and your new wide wheels. So I stop in the middle of that hill and adjust. No good, I stop again. No good, I stop again. I have no idea how much actual time I spent trying to get that wheel straight. All I know is that I stayed calm and decided not to try to make up the lost time. That I would simply get back on and go. It took me 10 miles to catch Diana again. So based on that, I figure I lost 10 minutes in time. Maybe not 10 minutes fixing it but because I lost the group I was riding with I lost more than the time fixing. Anyway I stayed calm and road as strong as I could. I concentrated on drinking and fueling. Total Time: 2:40:44 20.9 MPH
T2: 2:14 - I went to the wrong isle. oops.
The Run
In the morning before the race I talked to coach Gordo. He said to run the 2nd 5K hard and that it's a good place to make up time. So I set out on the run. The first 5K I ran conservative and concentrated on drinking water at every station. I ran a comfortable pace of 7:22/mile. The second section I listened to Gordo and just hit the pace hard. Towards the end that section I made the decision that I would use the third section to hydrate and collect myself. I managed to pass a large number of people in my age group. Pace on the second section was 6:35/mile. On the third section a stayed calm and steady. Pace 7:22/mile. Finally on the fourth and final section I waited until the 10 mile mark to give it all I had. Once there I just let loose and ran. I passed through every aid station with maybe a sip of water or coke and a sponge. I ended up picking up some guys who paced off me. I sucked it up on the final little hill and made the charge for the finish line. Pace: 6:10/mile

Total Time 4:52:26 -
-Fastest Time on the Oceanside Course
- Best feeling run of any 70.3
- Best executed effort
- Stupid mistakes cost me my fastest time ever at the distance and a top 10 placing in a really tough age group.


It's a good life....
Dave