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2004 Races & Results
A list of races where some of our club members will be training/racing in the 2004 season
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Race Reports from 2004
Here's a quick review. THE COURSE: Olympic distance w/ a .8 mile swim. Clear lake swim (think Mirror Lake only 10 degrees warmer), flat to moderate rolling ride on decent roads w/ some shade. Flat run through a residential area and passed a bog or 2 (Ocean Spray has their HQ down the street). Very good road support and plenty of water stops that were greatly appreciated in the HHH 85+ degree heat. POST RACE: BBQ, Baskin Robbins ice cream truck and live band. Nice experience all in all and for 60 bucks a relative bargain. As for my race, I had a solid swim and bike and then the 4 previous sun soaked days on the Vineyard and Cape in addition to the few too many lobster rolls, fried clams and chowders caught up to me on the run and I couldn't seem to find any leg speed. AG 2nd place off the bike went to 7th. After cheering James at the podium I went back to the cape to finish my vaca and enjoy a few more tasty treats.
Quite a wake up call today. Or should I say a "get your but off the couch and train" call which taught me that a season's worth of training and a satisfying result in my first Ironman is not enough to carry through almost a month of non-traiing (many hours at work and a little will power problem) to perform well at a TOUGH 1/2 marathon. Not sure what meteorologist Kevin was listening to but at 7am it was hot and humid and it felt like both readings increased throughout the race. Unlike DY (dude, you can hammer), I had my targets set at mere mortal levels...some where in the low 1:30's. However, after the first 5 miles I lost touch with the 7 min/mi pace and re-focused on a respectible result. In the end, I was pleased (1:36:08, 293 out of ~5500) finishing two sub-7 min miles but definitely will use this adventure as motivation to keep my butt in gear for the rest of the season.
Well I decided to get my feet wet (literaly from sweating) and ran the Westport Road Runners Summer Series 9.4 miler. On the web site it says 9.3 but they explained before the race, due to construction the finish line was being moved further. Great they had to move it further instead of closer. This was a very hilly course (Thank God for Rocky's) on a very hot humid day (93%). Anyway decided to test out my dead legs from IMUSA and it went pretty well until mile eight. Legs got really dull. Cardio felt fine and I wanted to go but the legs weren't there. I mile nine they began to hurt big time. I guess IMUSA caught up to me. Good thing I only had less then a half mile to go. Ran a very even pace (5k=21:05 10k=42:20)!Anyway finished in 1:03:15 for 6:43/mile pace! Got an ugly mint green shirt for my effort (will be used to wash the car).
Great conditions today for the bike and run. Good overall race, but again complaints when it comes back to my stickler for
"accuracy of the course". The swim had a current so that is why everyone's swim times are too fast. The bike course seemed
to be the same as always, so no changes there, just a hard bike course. The run was the problem - new course for this
year, and very inaccurate, was easily 500-700m short, I clocked mile 5 to the finish in 5:25, I was only averaging
6:35 up to that point, so obviously it was short by at least 400m, I'd guess closer to 700m. But you can't argue with
the good conditions and great day to go racing.
Ok, I know "race reports" are sooo 2003, but I'm bringing them back!
So maybe I'm destined to be a bike racer b/c those seem to be the only
races I finish these days! This was an extremely mentally and physically
challenging race. I went off w/the pro 1/2/3 women's teams, and it was rapid fire
from the get-go.
They started us off at the top of the long downhill on
Lake Welch Drive, and then just when you get your heart to calm down from
fear of crashing at 42mph, they send you up Tioroti Road, which is a
never-ending ascent (or atleast it seems that way!)
Anyways, I had a good day,
meaning I
was able to stay with the lead break of about 12 pro women, and shake
off
most of my own cat 4's. Of course being the rookie that I am, I tried
to
attack up the last hill, and just when I thought I was alone, I heard
gears
switching behind me. Turned around to find one other woman on my
wheel. I
went as fast as I could for the last 1/2 mile, but with a downhill
finish...there was not much I could do except watch her jump around me
about
10 feet before the line.
To add insult to injury she did one of those
"YES!" screams, where you throw your arms up in the air and act like
you've
just won a million dollars. I don't think I could ever do that b/c I'm
not
good at riding w/no hands. I'm also usually out of energy at the
finishline,
so an effort like that would cause me to pass out. uh oh, better go,
starting to veer towards a tangent. In the words of the great Tyler
Hamilton as he closes every article he wrties for Cyling News "thanks
for
reading".
Male winner-Spenser Smith (30) 4:02.34; Female - Ute Muckel, Germany (36) 4:36.56.
My results: S 26:23(12th overall), B 2:31.29 (22.2 mph), R 2:08.07...Overall 5:12.02. I baked on the run, drank lots at the rest stops, finished with a smile.
Copyright © 2004; Westchester Triathlon Club. All rights reserved.