SC Half Triathlon

South Carolina Half Triathlon


August 29, 2010

Greenwood State Park



1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run (70.3 miles)

For more information on the event go to

www.setupevents.com



The night before I had driven down and slept in my truck in the parking lot. On the way I stopped at Ingles in Laurens and got a bunch of food including bread and a packet of sliced turkey and a pound of macaroni salad, potato chips and more. Once I got to the park, I lubed up my chain and pumped up my tires (to about 105 psi). I rode my bike for an hour on the run course and thru the campgrounds until dusk. Real easy ride. A guy from Virginia stopped and asked me about the bike route and did I have a map of the bike route-yes. We looked at it. Apparently he had just ridden the route but missed some of it. Into bed later than I had hoped at about 9:30 PM. There were teenage campers 2 boys and 3 girls maybe out at midnight that came to the parking lot on foot and woke me up for about an hour. I looked out and the one girl was stripped down to her underwear and yelling about it. After about half an hour I finally got out to confront two remaining girls (was too tired to move before then) and they were already walking away. Back to sleep.



The alarms started going off at about 4:15 am and I slowly got up. Packet pickup began at 5am. I soon heard car traffic and talking. I tried to eat as I got stuff ready which was a challenge. I got stuff over to the transition area about 6 am and then headed to a portapoty to change into my tri shorts and apply body glide and go #2. I tried to eat as much as I could (more turkey sandwiches) There were many cars everywhere by then. At 6:30 in the TA they announced that the TA would close at 6:45 (the website said the TA closed at 6:50!) and that we needed to get weighed in. I struggled to get everything laid out and ready before the deadline. I weighed in at 146 which was showing I was very full compared to normal.



The swim was in Lake Greenwood. At 7 am we all gathered for the national anthem. At that exact moment the sun was rising over the trees at the waters edge as we looked east at the flag. When the anthem was over the sun was raised to a full orb. What a moment. The first two waves took off 4 minutes apart. Then my wave of 45+ males was next. It seemed like no one was moving down the steps, but we needed to get in the water ASAP. I kind of pushed my way down the steps and got in. I rinsed my goggles (having put anti fog stuff in them) and put them on. I went under checking for leaks. I treaded water until I heard the countdown. At the one minute till start I started my fairly new Timex Ironman stopwatch. I was off! After a while of struggling to get my bearings of where the far off turn buoy was I realized to head for the sun. I kept bumping into other swimmers along the way. Got to the turn buoy and looked at the watch and it was 15.5 minutes which was on track for a decent time. The next buoy was so far off and my near sightedness so bad I could not see it. Just follow everyone else. Intermediate buoys were along the way but they can be not in the best line for the turn buoy. I was doing a lot of breast stroke and some side stroke. I just kept finding myself zig zagging when doing freestyle. This was my second open water swim and I am still trying to learn how to do it right. There was a pink swim cap (lady from a wave that started after mine) that passed me and I tried to stay with her. She was so fast that it did not last long. Then I saw a light blue swim cap as I passed him (a wave that started before mine. He was slow! At the last turn buoy my watch showed about 30 minutes. Still not too bad. From then on I was determined to swim freestyle and make good time. I prayed for help. Then I think I got an answer in the form of another pink swim cap. I stayed with her. The water was cloudy, but clear enough that I could see her feet every once in a while or at least a pattern of bubbles from her wake. I just dug deep and drafted her for many minutes until we were nearly to the end. Thank God it was the end. I was so tired it was hard to get out of the water and run up the boat ramp. It took me about 45 minutes of swimming which was my estimate.



Into transition area and get on everything for the bike leg. No real disaster here like I had at the Greenville triathlon with changing into my jersey. My inner thigh muscles began to cramp badly. I guess all the breast stroke had overdone them. Onto the bike and out of the state park. The cramps had subsided as I was not using the inner muscles now just the top quads. Along way I began to slowly pass other riders, but I noticed my heart rate was too high yet at about 155 to 160. I would need to back off soon and settle in at 145 to 150. Still more riders I passed. At about mile 10 I began to notice rider 127 pass me. Later I would catch and slowly pass him. This continued for miles. He would pass me on the flat or downhill sections. I noticed that he had an expensive full aerodynamic bike and wheels and all. At the 15 mile mark the guy handing out waterbottles was not prepared to hand one to me but that was OK since I really did not need any. At mile 30 I wanted a Gatorade though. We turned WNW at Saluda to go up 178 and rider 127 was still there. It was not until about mile 40 that he was out of sight and I was starting to loose steam. I had gotten up my average speed to 21.4 mph at about the halfway point when I began to feel some fatigue. My stomach was feeling overfull as I forced my energy drinks down my throat. I was bloated, but wanted to get in the calories. Where did I go wrong? Before I got to Ninety six and I was isolated from other riders I tried to relieve myself to see if tit would help. No luck. I was loosing time. I went by the 45 mile aid station without getting water. Into the town of Ninety six and I was feeling a little better. I went by my boss’s house at 10:24. He was not there but he had already left for church. I told him I estimated it would be 10:15 but I had not taken into account the wave start delay of 15 minutes or so. It was onto route 702 and heading east the last 6 miles I soon passed thru a tricky spot where the police were stopping traffic and I had to zigzag around all this at high speed. Next I saw runners already into mile 3 or 5 on the run loop. I got into the state park and into transition having averaged about 21 mph. Soon I was off on the run. I was slow at first. The legs were shaky.

Before the first mile I began getting bad cramps in my quads and I walked and even stopped to massage them. A guy behind me was stopped as well and he was putting some pills or something into his mouth. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was taking some Tums for an upset stomach then he asked me what my problem was. On I went trying to jog out the cramps and tough it out. At the one mile mark or the turn onto 702 there was an aid table and they had electrolyte tables. I took 3 or 4 of them at once and some Heed (Hammergel product). The cramps did not seem so bad anymore so I ran on. Now the pain was in my stomach. It was so full and bloated that it hurt. Keep running anyway. At mile 3 or so there was a porta-potty and I tried to relieve some fluids. Then to the turnaround and back at mile 4 the same porta-potty I tried again in desperation. At about every mile or so there was an aid station and I took a little drink of this or that. At mile 5 they had coke and that was what I wanted! I was poring water down my back and into my hat. The temp was into the 80’s now and the sun was blaring down. Not extreme heat but pretty hot to me. I hit the turn around of 6 miles at 57 minutes or so. A fairly slow pace but due to my problems not a disaster. I was still feeling some bad but some better. The bloating was starting to resolve as I passed gas a few times. I sounded like a large flatulent beast as I did so (away from others I think). I would stop at every aid station and take what they had and pour water on myself. My shoes were now soaked and as I ran they would go squish-squish. At mile 9 I tried yet again to relive my self and the pain. Volunteers would spray water on me too and that felt good. At about mile 11 I hit the last stop for more coke. I ran pretty strong toward the end. Saw a few people walking and struggling. As I came toward the end about 100 feet from the line there were kids cheering us on. Then there was a guy bent over, hands on knees and puking. Medical people were coming down to “assist” him. I ran up the steep little hill at the end as they called my number and name. It was done. I made my way to the shower canopy to get fully drenched and cooled down. People were asking if I was OK. I went into the medical tent and sat down in front of a huge fan. The cooling effect was wonderful. A guy brought me a Gatorade. Later I saw them put an IV into some guy as he was walking (?) and they got him into the tent to lay down. I needed to go get my bike and stuff to put into my vehicle but my legs were so sore it was hard to walk. It was very painful to walk down the hill.



Later I would go to the free meal and sit down. I ate the meal in the shade out front and watched others coming into the last mile of the run. I went back into get some ice cream. Who else but no. 127 (Tom Keely) sat down beside me as I had my ice cream. He was also the 59 year old from Virginia that I had talked to the night before. I met his friends from Greenville. He told me about the legal drafting we were doing on the bike. He said we were working together (but I did not know it). He told me to stay 20 feet behind another rider and it will give some advantage but still be the legal minimum distance. We talked more as he ate then his name was called as he had won his age group and had to get his trophy. He is a high school wrestling coach and a roofer he said. Also he does 24 hour bike rides (380 miles is his record I think). Anyhow we both needed to leave around 3 pm (he had a 9 hour drive!) and had to be at work the next morning.



My 5:29 time was a minute better than I had hoped for in the best scenario I had put on paper prior to the event. The bike was better and the run was slower than expected and the swim was about right. I was happy with the outcome. I think I was the first place SC man in my age group. A lot of GA guys came over and showed off. Now what? I think I might like to do this event next year but maybe even another 70.3 before then. Soon my swimming pool will close and I don’t have a wetsuit so I am not sure about another triathlon this year. Some good bike centuries are coming up and I also want to do a marathon so we will see what happens.



9/3/10