Did my first tri of the season today, (my second one ever with Westpoint last season being my first). This one wasn't on my schedule but Frank F called last week asking if I was busy this weekend and would I like to do a "practice" Tri up in Kingston...
"Uhm... Okay."
I have Timberman and Westpoint coming up and figured this would be good for me. I missed a good bit of the season what with my entanglement with local wildlife up in Harriman and had been having a tough time with my runs since the crash. But I stuck to my training plan and Coach's instructions as much as I was able.
I come from a competitive swimming background and mistakenly thought that the swim at Westpoint last year would be cake. It was horrific! Open water The back end of things starts are a daunting thing and it completely took me apart. The wetsuit was a neoprene prison!
So I made sure to get in at least one OWS with wetsuit each week for the last month or so to practice sighting, breathing and getting accustomed to the wetsuit. This all brings me to today...
Frank and I did our first Tri together last year so it must have been Kismet that we did this one together as well. More about that later. We scouted the course the day before and knew we were in for a very tough day. The sprint boasted a 1/3 of a mile swim in the Hudson in full view of the Rhinecliff Bridge, an 18 mile bike that starts with a 7% climb that varies in grade for a mile and a half and ends with a 3.5 mile run up that same hill... Brutal. Wanna know how brutal? A marathon runner who was competing said it almost killed her.
We set up our transition areas while meeting and talking with friendly strangers and meeting up with old friends we hadn't seen in a while. I was using my Guru TT bike all geeked out, disc, aero helmet, the works... The clock was ticking so we slid, slithered and squeezed into our wetsuits gathering on the beach for final instruction.
Before the race I looked down at the swim and was starting to get real apprehensive but I concentrated on something Coach said, "All you need to do is swim to the first marker, then set sight and swim to the second marker etc... That's all, don't try to swim the whole course, just take it on one small piece at a time." That then was the plan...
The tide was at zero so we wouldn't have to fight the current nor would we get any help from it either. The wind however was high so there was chop. It was a running start from the beach and after scouting out the swim course I felt it best to start far right behind the sharks and slide left ways close to the bouy for the first turn. Then just keep a rythm to the next bouy getting in close to that one and finally the turn to shore.
The gun went off and so did we. I fought the urge to sprint as that's what got me into big trouble at Westpoint. I found my rythm and kept faith in my training making sure to sight every few strokes. I actually surprised myself when my plan worked and I rounded the bouy about a foot out from the big orange ball. I slid in behind two swimmers and drafted on them for the long stretch to the next bouy.
Stroke 2.3.4 Breathe 2.3.4 Sight 2.3.4... Form and rythm, rythm and form...
I was already feeling good as I headed for shore, training is everything! Halfway to shore Frank swims up alongside me and nods encouragement, twenty seconds later we're running up the sand together for T1.
I was pretty shagged out and had a bit of that drunken sailor deal going on. Despite my well set up transition I still took too long though I did blast that wetsuit off like there was a bee in there. Lady Speed Stick deoderant is a great lubricant.
Helmet, check. Shoes, check. Slap down a gel and go!
I made sure I started in a small gear, 42x21 I think so I would be in good shape for that first climb. And what a climb it was. Lucky for me I ride in Rockland County where walking out your front door puts you uphill! It was tough but I kept my cadence high and steady till we hit the main course loop which was 2x 9miles of rollers.
I slapped 'er into the 53 and kicked it. There was a brisk wind but my Guru TT bike had me so aero I didn't feel a thing. I started The back end of things an awful lot of riders, some of the road bikes taking me on the hills then getting dropped as I hammered by on the flats or downhills. Loop 1 was in the books and I felt good as I sliced through the air for the next 9 miles.
Again I past a good number of riders until finally making the turn into the downhill to T2. I knew I had a good ride but was not sure what my time in the swim was and had no idea how many had gotten out before me.
T2 also went slower than I would like but I'll get there. This Tri was more about seeing what needs work and with the swim having gone so well I was happy enough.
Hat, check. Shoe change, check. Number, check.
I hit the ground running and started up that mountain of a hill. the one saving grace was that the tree cover kept us in the shade for the most part but man that run was tortuous. I started to develop a stitch on my right side and concentrated hard on controlling my breathing and trying to maintain short strides and a high cadence. I The back end of things a few runners and got The back end of things by lots more....
Finally the turnaround point and a downhill. Bliss...
I had poured so much water over my head at the water stations it looked like I had just come out of the swim. But the cold water felt fantastic. I was now inside of a mile and and guy in a red top goes by me. Now, I thought to myself, "Self, should I go after him?"
I decided not to as I wanted to make sure I had something left for the end and besides the downhill was steep and I didn't want to lose control and face plant!
Quick note: The only markings they applied were our bib numbers on our arms. So you had no way of knowing if the person in front of you was in your AG. Yeah, that came back to bite me, but just a little.
I hit the bottom and made the turn to the chute The back end of things over the mat feeling euphoric at having done well on a tough course and sticking to everything for which my training had prepped me. I grabbed some fruit and waited for Frank to cross the line which he did soon after.
Of course we talked about the course and the swim and asked others how they felt while congratulating them with a "Good job", or "Nice way to hang tough" and the like. Frank and I decided to take our time and stay for the awards just for the helluvit and to be courteous. Besides we had made some friends that day and were busy hanging out while munching on bagles and slurping through orange wedges.
First came all the thank yous, then the overalls. Finally the Age Groupers. They get to the 45-49's and call out the name of the First place and I of course clap. Then they call out the name of the Second place finisher and I start to clap when I realize its the guy who The back end of things me with less than a mile to go. I start to slap myself mentally and realize that... "HEY I came in right after him!"
And there it was, "Third place, Eric J Goldstein."
Its been three years since I started racing and this really felt good... Really, really good.
But even better was when they called up the 50-54 AG'ers and we heard, "Third place, Frank Finochio".
Now how's that for Kismet. We met on a bike 3 years ago, rode together, led rides together, started racing together, did our first Tri together and today took our first placings together.
There are scant few words to describe how good that feels...
Some fun stuff: The TOGA kits were a huge hit. People, especially a bunch of teens who were helping out kept going into the TOGA chant from Animal House every time me and Frank The back end of things them. When Frank went up to get his award they erupted with shouts of TOGA-TOGA-TOGA all over again.
Many of the winners were from Brooklyn... Wierd.
Met a guy there who remembered talking to me on the phone a couple years ago about cycling with a club... Odd.
Frank met a ridiculous amount of people he knew and hadn't seen in a while... That's Frank.
Representin' for TMC3...
Eric J
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