Schiff Scout Triathlon

Hey everyone...

Not sure who is interested, but I really enjoy reading other peoples race reports so I figured I would try to write my own. I did the Schiff Scout Triathlon, part of the XTerra point series races. For those that dont know, the XTerra races are off road, they involve swim, mountain biking, and trail running. I had done some mountain biking racing, this year and the Cedarfest Duathlon in July, but this was my first triathlon even. Hot damn it was fun....I feel the tingle of addiction...

To cut to the chase, the race was individual or relay. It was sprint distance, .5 mile swim, 10 mile mountain bike, 3 mile trail run. The race was in Wading River, Long Island on Sunday 8/25. I was supposed to run it with my brother-in-law, but he backed out at the last minute...LOOOOONG story.

They did not do splits (much to my dismay) but here are the vital statistics.
1:36:5235th of 135 overall3rd of 18 in my age group (25-29)

After a cold front and thunderstorms rolled through on Friday night, the weekend was spectacular. Race day was moderate temperatures, and NO HUMITIDITY, I could not believe it and was very happy, as the day seemed too perfect to be true.

The Swim (~18 minutes)

The swim was in a lake, 2 triangular counter-clockwise loops, between loops you have to get out of the water andrun for about 30 feet on the beach before getting back in. Water was 77 degrees, The previous day at registration the temp was 79 and they were not going to allow wetsuits of the temp was over 78...thank god it dropped into the high 50s/low 60s that night, so we made it. I am in serious need of a wetsuit because I am not a swimmer, in fact I just started swimming in April, not even able to finish 25M without thinking I was going to drown. The race was ~800M so I felt intimidated, I had swam 800M in a pool once but I was confident the race day adrenaline would kick in. My pool 800 was in 23 minutes so that was my goal.

Going down to the water form the transition area (about 100 yards of rocks and pavement) I saw a small group of people setting up their towels and shoes/sandals only down by the water. So instead of running all the way up in bare feet, you put your shoes on down there and run up the hill, no worries about cuts, stubbing toes, etc. I decided that is what I need to do too...great decision.

So I wade into the water to get a few strokes in before the send off, and I stillg et amazed at how much better of a swimmer I am with a wetsuit...(now if only I could learn balance like this without it ;-)) SO after a group photo they send us off. Not wanting to get trampled I started out on the outside. Keeping my head down focusing on good form and not wanting to tire myself out becuase aolot of race remains...then i remember that I have to actually get to a buoy, so I look up only to see tha I am WAAAAYYYYY of course...ok, so I switch my stroke up to look for the buoy every 5 strokes or so...note to everyone..practice this before race day as I am sure it will make you life much easier.

Somehow I get the buoy and around and back with not much trouble expect that I am way behind everyone else. Everyone now and then someones swims over me or hits me, but all in all pretty smooth (I am sure it was because everyone else was in front of me) At one point I decided to follow the guy in front of me...he MUST know where he is going...after about 50M I realize that he is way of course too...it was a comedy of erros buyt what can I expect for my first competitive swim ever...

Finally after much telling myself I won't drown, I'll be fine, Stay Striaght, the water tastes fine...I finally get out of the water and I look at theclock...18 minutes..I am so pumped... way head of my goal time...only problem is out of nearly 150 I am probably 90-100th or so out of the water...much ground to make up, thank god the bike is my strong suit.

SO I get out of the water and I proceed to take off wetsuit, dry off, clean feet and such. I filled a gatorade bottle with lake water to wash my feet off. Everything is smooth, the guy next to me is struggling to get the sand off his feet and sees me with water cleaning them off , so I lean over and say, "You want some water?" He proceeds to take the gatorade bottle and drinks 1/2 of it......it was hysterical (for me) I felt a bit bad for him, but life goes on....I will remember that forever...I did nto tell him it was lake water...what could be done at that point..

Thanks to my family for gathering my stuff while I ran off to get on the bike....and for yelling for me everytime i was even in the vicinity of them...please dont underestimate the effect anyone being there in support of you and screaming for you will do you to your motivation, energy, etc...it was wonderful

The Bike (~50 minutes)

The course was two 5 miles loops, mostly flat (it IS Long Island after all).I had a great bike ride...pushing big chainrings most of the way. I dont know about anyone else but I am a yapper. I talk to people when I am near them, I try to motivate, encourage, inform, etc....sometimes I just scream because I am so excited...racing really gets me going. IF people out there hate someone like be because they want to race in peace and quiet I am truly sorry...I have absoutely no control over myself..and I love it....but I digress...

The bike was great, I had a GU before the bike and drank nearly a full camelbak of water on the trail. I felt strong all the way, motivated by all the people out of the water in front of me, and I was trying to catch anyone I could....I feel like I passed all of them (obviously not all) but I passed a good amount of people (maybe 40 or so) and was pleased that no one passed me...there weren't that many behind me to begin with anyway though..;-) Everything went well, no flats, no drivetrain problems, no falls, no doubt...

Heading into T2 I still felt good...or at least as good as a bowl of Jello could feel.

The Run (~28 minutes)

The run was a single 3 mile loop around the lake that included a section called the "roller coaster"...I'll get to that in a minute. By the time I got off the bike I guess I had raced myself into the middle of the pack because there were alot of people around..which was good for me because it allowed me to keep talking and trying to push everyone instead of listening to my breathign thinking about how tired my legs were or that distant stomach cramp that felt like it wanted to come for a visit.

It was a typical trail run, some ups some downs...and then comes the roller coaster...the cruel, cruel joke. It was a section of 5 hills (up and down) each had a pitch somewhere greater than 45 degrees and were around 100-200 feet long each. At times I was runnign up them so slow I though I was going backwards...but the sounds of the feet behind me kept me going...dont think...your legs dont hurt...dont fall....focus on the finish line...only 2 more miles...THank you to Justin Martinich, he was a conversation buddy for a while on the roller coaster and kept my mind off of how on fire my body felt...

After another mile was a series of logs that had to be jumped, hopped, climbed over..depending on how your legs felt..there were a few casualties, but luckily I was not one of them. Then I came upon the a fella that basically defines the determination it takes to be a triathlete...here he was in the woods, alone...vomiting repeatedly, and everytime the convulsions stopped he would try to walk/run, trying to get to the finish line...willing himself to finish (and he did!!!!!) Not taking no for an answer even from his body...partially disgusting, partially inspiring...

I turn the corner toward the finish line and there are 100 people or so cheering for the finishers...I can't believe I am actually finishing this race....you sign up for your first tri and you think you just want to finish, you are not sure how, and certainly unsure how it will feel....you want t oprove somethign to yourself...maybe you want to prove something to others (not me, but who knows)..well crossing that finish line was close to the best feeling I have ever had in my life. I am not married, I have not had any children, so I am sure those can be pretty moving experiences...but, for me, this was the realization of a dream I that had be brewing in my mind for 9 months tangibly and brewing for years prior...

I was thrilled with my placement, my finish time, how I felt, everything, but it was simply the fact that i finished the was the single best feeling in this flood of a thousand emotions...

Great, just what I need...another addiction....