Seaside Heights Triathlon

Tom Manzi twisted my arm on this one.  One week after my first 70.3, I wasn't so sure... but when he mentioned they were raffling off a free wetsuit (which I was planning to purchase anyway), I couldn't resist. Plus, Darren Freeman is a huge fan of DQ events. And considering I wasn't sore or injured from Princeton, and I had no other solid plans, I ran out of excuses.

Can I say I am so glad that happened?

"Hello, there, podium!"

Being a sprint, I wasn't so concerned about pre-race prep. I gathered my supplies according to my packing list and went to bed. Greg Kasko picked me up at 5:30. So glad I didn't have to drive and we could register race morning! Breakfast was an apple with peanut butter and water.

The Swim:
Beautiful, 60 degree morning, not a cloud in the sky.

Ocean swim. I got a short warm up swim in. The water seemed calm and relatively warm (high 60s?) but it was still the kind of cold that knocks the wind out of you and takes your breath away (aka your nipples hit the diamond cutting phase). I refused to leave my warm up swim until the initial shock wore off. This was a very good plan and seemed to work well for me. The place we entered the water had a deep drop-off followed by a huge, waist-deep sandbar, so we fought the waves to get in, and then fought the waves a second time getting in. I am not experienced with ocean swims and it was rough having to continually dive under the waves. Every time I did, my goggles got knocked around and filled with water. For a bit, as I struggled to get through the waves, I took them off but then decided I didn't want to lose them and soldiered through. A lifeguard asked if I was ok. I questioned if I really was. This was a rough start to a race and I felt like I fought those waves for an hour. But I refused to give up. "I can do this!" So I assured him I was ok and he, in turn, assured me I was almost through the tough part.

He was right. Once I made it past the break, I started passing everyone. The swim was easy and gentle. Even getting out was a piece of cake with a little patience and body surfing. Jogged up the beach and felt strong. 13:24, 3:10, 153/167

T1:
I forgot a bucket!!  I didn't have baby powder either. This meant the rest of the race would be completed while receiving a sand-blasting pedicure since I had no way of removing said sand and the towel I had wasn't gonna cut it. Better run fast before my skin wears off. 3:29

The Bike:
This is where I gained some ground. The course was three loops, straight down a road with a u-turn at either end. Not my ideal, but I managed not to crash. And I was passing people. Into the wind, I appeared to be averaging around 16.5 mph, with it, I was averaging 17.7. Fun to feel like I got a super speed burst. Looking forward to the day when that's my normal riding speed.  Suspect that course distance was not accurately reported due to discussion overheard when looking at results. Stayed in aero for the majority. Drank on bike. Did not fuel due to the distance. 49:45, 16.6 mph avg, 114/167

T2:
Started to feel hungry. Drank water and took three Stinger Chews (pink lemonade). 2:06

The Run:
Run was great. Flat. On the boards. Started feeling a right sided shin splint kicking in at mile 1 so slowed

"Mike, you just got chicked!"

down a bit. First mile was about 8:53. Turnaround was poorly marked and a number of people passed it. Thankfully, I caught them as they were getting back on course so I did not add mileage. Started keeping pace with Mike from Freehold. Mike and I encouraged each other and helped pass the time for the last 1.5 miles. I chicked Mike. Sorry, Mike. 30:50, pace 9:57, 123/167

Post Race Highlights:
A bit of GI distress. But I placed third in my age group and finally met the podium firsthand. Also won a wetsuit! Woot! Felt something dripping on me while checking race results and looked up to find a fellow athlete's sweat raining down. Gross. Met Rob from PA who had run Princeton as well. He placed default second in the Clydesdale division while Greg placed default first due to a skinny guy masquerading as a Clydesdale taking first. Finish: 1:39:33

My pint glass trophy