Place 4th age group
55th overall/890 competitors
Last year was my first time doing this event, but I found it to be the most fun I've had on a Tri Course in a long time. The course is also spectator friendly, so this year my wife and son to come down and watch.
Swim is a 2 lap affair - 750 meters each lap with a short run across the beach in between laps. Water temp. this year was a cool 56 degrees with some big rollers coming in every 2 minutes. With all the open water swims I have done this year, the water temp. and rollers didn't bother me, but a lot of people were freaking out. I got in to warm up - and instant head freeze when I put my fade in the water. Read just the thermal cap to cover my forehead right down to my eye balls. AHHHHH much better.
The race started right on time with about 200 men ALL 45 and older in my wave. I sprinted out with 2 other swimmers and we soon separated ourselves from the main pack. The swim at Pacific Grove is at Lover's Point and has the nickname of the Kelp Crawl. Today the kelp seemed especially thick and at 300 meters from the shore, I got stopped dead in my tracks by getting entangled in some kelp. I had to back up about a foot and pulled if off and then start swimming again. the other 2 swimmers I was with had gapped me about 10 yards. I continued on and made it back to the beach for the first lap with no other kelp problems. One swimmer was way out in front but the next guy was less than 20 seconds ahead. My plan was to mark him and try and catch. Heading out on the second lap I started to encounter slower swimmers from my wave and the one that had left 15 minutes before ours. I lost sight of my marked man but continued on my way. Exiting the water after the second lap I was still in 3rd but only 10 seconds behind the guy in front of me. I looked behind me to see where the next swimmers were and they still had about 200 meters left before the shore.
Exiting the water you are a little disoriented because of the effort but also the cold. I couldn't feel my feet, they felt like blocks of ice. You have to run 250 yards from the beach up a ramp to the transition area trying to strip off the wetsuit, looking for your bike. I had a relatively fast transition and out on the bike for a 4 lap bike ride. The ride goes right along the coast for 3 miles with the Pacific ocean on one side and some beach homes, mansions and a golf course on the other. No hills, some rollers, so it was big chain ring and tuck positon the entire time. First lap my wife and son are at the turn around and my first lap was 18 minutes, not too bad. I passed a lot of people, but was only passed by 4 or 5 guys from my group. Age groups are separated in 5 year increments and the age of each competitor is written on the rear calf so I could keep track of my competition or so I thought. By lap 3 I had only seen one guy in my age group go by and I had stuck with him as long as I could before he just pedaled away. On lap 4 another guy in my group came by me but I didn't let him go. There is no drafting allowed in this triathlon and the course Marshall's were out in force, so I kept my distance figuring that I could run this guy down during the 10k. I figured that I was in 3rd place at worst and felt good going into the run. So maybe 2nd or first was going to happen.
We ended up in transition together and headed out on the run together. He headed out on the run at a good clip but I didn't let him get to far ahead. Better to be lurking a few yards behind to see how he fared on the little hills on the run. The run is about 2 miles out and back 3 times with a small hill thrown in about a quarter mile from the turnaround and finish. After the first mile, my marked man started to slow alittle so I passed him with emphasis to see if he was truly fading. I didn't look back and continued on until the turnaround when I could see where he was, split time 15:00 flat for the first 2 miles. At the turn he was 50 yards behind but looking ok, I ran the second lap at 14:56 and this other guy had made up 25 yards. What to do, push now or keep on pace and wait until the final .25 miles to make my move. I decided to wait when we got to the hill he was 5 yards behind me and I figured he was going to stick and I was going to have to sprint, so I looked over my shoulder a few times as we made our way down the last hill, hard left turn around the barricades and now I could see the finish line 250 meters away, I hear footsteps, I don't look, but I put everything I have into a sprint and charge through the finish line 7 seconds ahead of this other guy.
Tri-California announced my name several times regarding my 50 races in 50 weeks with this being race 44.
Lots of fun, but for some reason 2 days later I am still tired? Go figure! I think the fatigue is finally settling in.