Lehavim Triple Super Sprint - 23 May 2009
I've put off writing this race report because this could possibly have been my worst race of all time -- or maybe second worst, the worst race being the Eilat Triathlon the year that I crashed and DNFed. I never could have imagined that this race, the one in my backyard, the one I do for all my friends and neighbors to see, the one on the course that I know like the back of my hand would be so... well, awful. It was.
Round 1: run 1.5 km, swim 200m, bike 6 km
The race started and as usual, everyone pulled ahead of me. But this time was different. Whereas I can usually catch the people who start out too fast, I wasn't able to catch anyone, apart from two girls who were running really slowly and chatting the whole way. Everyone just kept getting further and further away and all I could think about was how I wanted to close my eyes and sleep. Not a good start to the race.
The swim wasn't much better. It was slow and I believe I was the last one out.
And the bike, well... That was a total disaster. I did actually manage to pass a couple of people, but the entire time, all I could think about was that I wanted to quit after round 1. I just wasn't into the race at all and I was feeling awful.
I could barely pick up my feet to run across the finish line the first time. And once I got to the finish line, I just stopped. I couldn't move. Eventually, I did somehow make it back to the transition area, shivering, despite the heat, and feeling dizzy. That's when I announced to my teammates that I was quitting.
Round 2: bike 6 km, run 1.5 km, swim 200m
Despite my announcement, I found myself out on the starting line for round 2, right at the back of the pack, which is where I remained. I came in dead last on the bike. That has never happened to me before. It will never happen to me again.
The run was even worse. I'm not even sure I was actually running. I was moving forward (barely), but it wasn't pretty. The gap grew -- I was still dead last.
By the time I got to the pool, it was almost empty. There was one guy in the lane next to me and I noticed that I was swimming quite a bit faster than he was. That's when I realized that I wasn't feeling as awful anymore. I had taken a salt capsule between rounds and maybe it was kicking in -- I don't know. The slower guy got out of the pool (he was a lap or two ahead of me when I started swimming) and I got out of an empty pool, but I sprinted down to the finish line faster than I've ever run before, almost managing to pass one of my teammates, but not quite. I thought I was dead last, but apparently there was still someone in the outdoor pool, or so the results show. Close enough to dead last, in any case.
Round 3: swim 200m, bike 6 km, run 1.5 km
After another salt capsule, I headed up to the pool for the last round. I was feeling much better and I was ready to go. I made the mistake of letting all the men in my lane go ahead of me -- one of them was a slower swimmer than I am and with five people in the lane, it was difficult to pass him. I eventually managed to, but I spent way too much time swimming slowly behind him.
Another sprint down the hill, this time to the transition area, and I was on my bike and going. I passed a few people on the bike. It wasn't particularly fast, but it was a lot better than the previous round!
The only glitch in this round was the muscle cramp in my calf just as I got off the bike. I screamed out in pain and started hopping on one foot, but I managed to get into the transition area (slowly) and to start running. The cramp worked itself out on the run, which wasn't as hard this time, and soon I was done. At least it was a respectable finish -- after the way the race had started, things could only have gotten better!
I don't know what was wrong with me. Maybe it was those non-drowsy antihistimines I'd been taking for my allergies. Maybe it was my allergies. Maybe it was something else (I can think of one or two more things that might have left me feeling a bit under the weather). Or maybe it just wasn't my day. Whatever it was, I managed to get through it and finish, so I can at least be proud of that. Another race in the books.
Round 1: run 1.5 km, swim 200m, bike 6 km
The race started and as usual, everyone pulled ahead of me. But this time was different. Whereas I can usually catch the people who start out too fast, I wasn't able to catch anyone, apart from two girls who were running really slowly and chatting the whole way. Everyone just kept getting further and further away and all I could think about was how I wanted to close my eyes and sleep. Not a good start to the race.
The swim wasn't much better. It was slow and I believe I was the last one out.
And the bike, well... That was a total disaster. I did actually manage to pass a couple of people, but the entire time, all I could think about was that I wanted to quit after round 1. I just wasn't into the race at all and I was feeling awful.
I could barely pick up my feet to run across the finish line the first time. And once I got to the finish line, I just stopped. I couldn't move. Eventually, I did somehow make it back to the transition area, shivering, despite the heat, and feeling dizzy. That's when I announced to my teammates that I was quitting.
Round 2: bike 6 km, run 1.5 km, swim 200m
Despite my announcement, I found myself out on the starting line for round 2, right at the back of the pack, which is where I remained. I came in dead last on the bike. That has never happened to me before. It will never happen to me again.
The run was even worse. I'm not even sure I was actually running. I was moving forward (barely), but it wasn't pretty. The gap grew -- I was still dead last.
By the time I got to the pool, it was almost empty. There was one guy in the lane next to me and I noticed that I was swimming quite a bit faster than he was. That's when I realized that I wasn't feeling as awful anymore. I had taken a salt capsule between rounds and maybe it was kicking in -- I don't know. The slower guy got out of the pool (he was a lap or two ahead of me when I started swimming) and I got out of an empty pool, but I sprinted down to the finish line faster than I've ever run before, almost managing to pass one of my teammates, but not quite. I thought I was dead last, but apparently there was still someone in the outdoor pool, or so the results show. Close enough to dead last, in any case.
Round 3: swim 200m, bike 6 km, run 1.5 km
After another salt capsule, I headed up to the pool for the last round. I was feeling much better and I was ready to go. I made the mistake of letting all the men in my lane go ahead of me -- one of them was a slower swimmer than I am and with five people in the lane, it was difficult to pass him. I eventually managed to, but I spent way too much time swimming slowly behind him.
Another sprint down the hill, this time to the transition area, and I was on my bike and going. I passed a few people on the bike. It wasn't particularly fast, but it was a lot better than the previous round!
The only glitch in this round was the muscle cramp in my calf just as I got off the bike. I screamed out in pain and started hopping on one foot, but I managed to get into the transition area (slowly) and to start running. The cramp worked itself out on the run, which wasn't as hard this time, and soon I was done. At least it was a respectable finish -- after the way the race had started, things could only have gotten better!
I don't know what was wrong with me. Maybe it was those non-drowsy antihistimines I'd been taking for my allergies. Maybe it was my allergies. Maybe it was something else (I can think of one or two more things that might have left me feeling a bit under the weather). Or maybe it just wasn't my day. Whatever it was, I managed to get through it and finish, so I can at least be proud of that. Another race in the books.
posted by bari | 00:23
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