That Dam Lake! (race report for DAM tri)

Well I raced the Dam today and was pleased with my results. I finished in 1:04. I crossed the line in 4th OA but because of a penalty on the overall first finisher I bumped up to 3rd. I have always said that not only do you have to race fast fast but also know where you are going. I also saw two types of PRO's today, and one of my good friends set a great example of what the word Professional really is.

Today was and odd day for the front runners. Everything was pretty normal up until the start. The water temp was registered at 82.4 degrees. I wasn't thrilled b/c that meant we could not wear wetsuits if we wanted to get $. So the only thing I wore today was my tri shorts.

Swim: 11:41

This was VERY slow for me. I thought I would get out in about 10 min. One of the volunteers in the lake said she saw me zigzagging and probably swam 3/4 of a mile with all the distance I covered. I was bummed and exhausted when I got out. Didn't realize how much I liked wearing a wetsuit. When the gun went off there were 3 guys who took off. Dave Sek, Pete Mallet and Dean Phillips. It was great to see Dean looking good w/ all of the injuries he has had. The good thing about no wetsuit is that T1 was super fast.

Bike: 31:40

I felt sluggish at the start. Took me a little longer to get moving but once I did I felt strong. The course had a few ups and downs and I covered the 12.3 in about 31 mins. The strange thing was that I did not see one other rider once I left transition. I think that if I had a rabbit to chase it may have been quicker. I finally got into T2 and had another fast transition. I headed out for the run it was hot right off the bat. In the end I think I need to look at my power file and really see what I need to do to help balance my power. I also think that because of my poor swim, I suffered on the bike to try and race where I wanted to be.

Run: 19:57

A quick turn out of transition put you on a slight down hill heading into town. My legs really were turning over quick and I was curious were I was placed at this time. What I didn't know was that one of the leaders, Pete Mallet, had gone of course on the bike I subsequently bumped up to 4th. I hit the first water table. No one was there so I took a drink on my own. I felt like I was moving pretty good and didn't feel like I was hurting to bad. I was at about the 1 mile mark when I saw a runner up ahead of me. It another elite athlete. I focused on him for a while and planned on making a move after the turnaround. While I was thinking of this Pete Mallet came blowing by us. As we got to the turn Dean Phillips was in 1st, Dave Sek in 2nd Pete Mallet 3rd and Steve Wright 4th with me in 5th. I hit the turn in about 10 mins and knew that I could run harder. I was kind of pissed at myself b/c I knew that I could have pushed it a bit harder and maybe have made a move a littler earlier or eve tried to hang with Pete for awhile. I did make a move and pass Wright at about the 2 .5 mile and felt like I was running hard now. I made that turn back to the lake with a slight up hill and felt the thighs start to burn. I knew that i was going to come in under 1:06 (last years time). I pushed hard the last bit and finished in just under 1:05.

The stories started to unfold after the race. While Dean was out on the run, in first, he was sent the wrong way as he was misdirected by 2 volunteers. He followed their direction knowing that it was the wrong way. If he didn't they could have been disqualified. After getting back on course he fought through the frustration of getting caught by 2 others that would have had a really hard time of caching him if he didn't lose 3 mins. In the end he came in 3rd.

The other issue was Pete mallet not making on of the last turns on the bike and going off course. He re-entered the course at a different location and then headed out on the run. Granted he had a super fast run caught all of us to finish first but he didn't follow the rules or the course. For what should have been a DQ he only got a 2 min penalty. After the race, one of the directors came up to me and Dave Sek. the two who after Pete and asked if there was a volunteer at the turn in question. I told him when I got there, I saw a police office with vehicle on the shoulder of the road along with 2, yes TWO signs that said RIGHT TURN!!

What frustrated me the most was that there is a 25 year old kid who after the race was cursing and swearing and trashing the people and volunteers because he missed a turn. I don't think his sponsors would have been pleased to see his rant. In Dean's defense, he followed instructions and was led the wrong way and came back on course where he went off. I am not a PRO, I have just started racing as an elite this year only because I was asked to in Cohasset. If this is what it entails then I would be happy as and AG and taking podium spots there. But I would rather follow Dean's lead and set the example. I understand the pressure knowing what it takes to be in the elite field. The wimmer was frustrated and yes he would have won, but part of the race and sport is knowing the course, following directions and covering the entire event without problem or penalty as fast as you can. To hear the complaining that this is my livelihood and I have bills pissed me off even more. I laughed to myself because I thought of Dean who even though just as upset kept it to himself and realized this is a sport and yes he is a pro with a wife 3 kids and BILLS understands that sometimes there is human error and you live and learn. Hell I have 2 kids works nights, sleep only 4-5 hours a day and bills to pay. Hell there were elites at this race who asked for free entry. I don't get. you ask to race for free, want to win to get money and when you go off course the was clearly marked complain because you aren't going to get paid?

I learned something for myself when I was in at Norwich, you have to pay the consequences for your actions weather they are good or bad. In the big picture if the payday at that Dam Tri is going to make or brake you checking account then you can have my Fit Werx gift certificate and better start working on a plan B.