I’ve been trying to work on my 2015 Triathlon schedule. Below is a “draft” of the races I’m considering. I’m planning to race locally the entire year. Please feel free to share with me your schedule.
Thanks,
Ron P.
Oh My Goddard Olympic – Warwick RI – June 21st
Cranberry Olympic – Lakeville, MA – August 23rd
Firmman 70.3 – Narragansett, RI – September 13th
Duxbury Sprint – Duxbury, MA – September 26th
I will probably look to add another race in July or early August. And if my training goes well, possibly Pilgriman in Plymouth, MA on Sept 21st.
Come join us Monday, Feb 16 at 7pm at the RMHP for a triathlon information session. This session is open to all members of RMHP, regardless of your level of triathlon. From novices to experienced athletes, come join us to talk tri! At this meeting we will give an overview of triathlon, describe beginner gear needed for your first tri, give tips and tricks, describe local races, and answer any and all questions you have about triathlon. We hope that some of the other seasoned tri club members will come join to help weigh in on questions and answers.
If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact Laura Kloepperlaura_kloepper@brown.edu.
“Yeah, that’s real fine expensive gear you brought out here, Mr. Hooper. ‘Course I don’t know what that bastard shark’s gonna do with it, might eat it I suppose.” – Captain Quint
It was my last triathlon of 2014 and it was another beautiful day for racing. I’ve been so lucky this entire season and the Duxbury Sprint was a great choice to end it. I picked this race because of the point to point swim and the quaintness of the town. Little did I know when I signed up, that Duxbury Beach would make national news with Great White shark sightings and an attack on a kayaker just a few weeks earlier. For me, I must admit, this was on my mind….
The Swim:
The swim was a point to point going West to East along the South side of the Powder Point Bridge. They call it a half mile swim but it’s more like .4. There was a Southwesterly breeze and the tide was coming in which created a current going North by Northeast, hitting us from the right. It was beneficial being in the 3rd wave as we were able to see how the first swimmers were getting pushed North into the bridge. As my wave hit the water I was able to navigate on the South side of the pack and keep a relatively straight line. As I was getting close to shore the thought of the Great White entered my head, and so did the voice of Captain Quint, “And three hours later a big fat PBY comes down and start to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened? Waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never put on a lifejacket again.”
Swim time: 11:37
T1:
The transition area was long and we all had to run completely along the fence from South to North to enter to where the bikes where located. My Garmin had me at almost a quarter mile to get through T1.
T1 time: 2:44
The Bike:
The bike course was a lot of fun! Over the Powder Point Bridge and then a straight shot for about 6 miles with some nice rolling hills. There were a few sharp turns for the next mile or so as we went around a small circle and then back the way we came with a small variation for the last mile or so before the Powder Point Bridge which brought us right along the water. It was a beautiful ride. On a side note: the field had about 450 racers and some were wearing their ITU speed suits with their names on their butts. Now, as far as I’m concerned anyone can race and wear whatever makes them happy. However, if you wearing something advertising your name on your ass, you shouldn’t be allowing some like me to pass you. I’m just saying…
Bike time: 33:21
T2:
A little better. A straight shot through the transition area South to North and then out!
T2 time: 1:20
The Run:
The run course was great. Again over the Powder Point Bridge, and then a 2 mile loop and then back over the bridge to the finish. The air was cool with nice wind blowing and I hit a sustainable pace and kept it for the first 2 miles and then picked it up a bit for last one. My goal was to run 6:45’s or better and I was very happy to come in just under that.
Run time: 21:12
Overall:
This race was incredibly fun! The drive was reasonable, the area was beautiful, the organization was fantastic and the field was competitive. I really felt like I raced well and I only came in 6th in my age group and 25th overall. With that said, I think I will come back and do this one again! (-:
Looking ahead to next weekend, the weather appears to be great! With that said, we have at least 4 or 5 of us doing the Duxbury Beach Sprint Triathlon. If you haven’t signed up yet and are interested, details can be found here:
Because Duxbury is on Saturday, I’ve also signed up for the Newport Sharkfest swim on Sunday. This is the second year for this event and looks like a lot of fun.
Below if my race report from the FirmMan 70.3 that took place in Narragansett on Sunday, Sept 7th.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Ron P.
FirmMan 9/7/2014 – Race Report
“Pain Now, Beer Later” – some t-shirt I saw….
Once again, I signed up for the FirmMan 70.3 the day before the race. I procrastinated, again, waiting to see if it was going to rain. Come Saturday, the forecast called for a 10% chance of rain and a high of 80 degrees. Ok, well, um…..I guess I’m in.
The Swim –
It was a beautiful morning. About 65 degrees with a small North wind. The swim starts about mile north of T1. At the start, you go out about 100 yards off shore, take a right and swim South for about a mile and then turn back to shore to T1. Whether it was the tide or a surface current from the small North wind, I felt like I was moving well without much effort. Sighting was little difficult, because the buoys were yellow and so were the swim the caps, but navigation was fine and, although there’s still room for improvement, I was happy with my time.
Swim Time – 32:23
The Bike –
The bike course was relatively flat. It’s an odd shaped out and back on Rte 1 with a lollipop detour on the way out at the 16 mile mark with some hills. I felt good on the bike. Conditions were good, although there was a lot of little rocks and glass on the road. This race is known for causing flat tires, but I made it through unscathed. My target was to bike a sub 2:40 and I felt really good about it until the last 5 miles when the North wind began to pick up and was blowing right in my face. Miles 54 and 55 were particularly frustrating, but as the course turned East to head back to the beach for the last mile, the wind was no longer a factor and I was happy to make my target.
Bike Time – 2:38:14
The Run –
The run was also a relatively flat course. It’s an oddly shaped course through some residential neighborhoods with a couple of connecting out and back sections. As I ran out of T2 I just wanted to make sure that I ran the whole course. I was feeling good, and just tried to relax and click off the miles. Occasionally, I would look at my watch and realize I was running to fast. So, again, I would just relax and breathe and keep the pace very easy. Unfortunately, this is when the sun came out and it got much warmer than the forecast predicted. I started losing fluids fast. I drank at every aid station, but I couldn’t keep up. When I ran up the small hill at the 11 mile mark my heart rate went up and didn’t recover when I reached the top. I knew, with just 2 miles to go, I could push it to the end, but it was hard and the sun felt hot. When I hit the last mile, I was just in survival mode. I kept saying, “don’t think, just move. You’re almost there.” The last quarter mile-ish is on the soft sand of Narragansett Town Beach. I was just happy I could run this section without falling flat on my face. And, as I crossed the finish line, I had nothing left. About 15 feet across the finish line I sat down the pavement and then laid down for about 5 minutes or so. People were talking to me and I could only respond by nodding. Turns out, I was down 13LBS from when I started that day!
Run Time – 1:49:01
Overall Time: 5:03:50
Overall
I really did have a great day! In a smaller field this year, I got 2nd in my age group and 13th overall. This was my 4th podium finish out of 5 triathlons this year. (-: But I didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony. It was the first full day of the NFL and there football to watch and beer to drink! (-:
