I'll take a mulligan!

Okay, first triathlon of the season.  Here's the short report:  A. Freaking. Disaster.

Here's the longer version:  A month ago, I was kind of psyched to do this race.  Hell, even a week ago.  But, given the forecast of cold weather and wind, that changed.  I woke up before my alarm went off on Sunday morning and could just hear the wind howling.  All I wanted to do was go back to sleep and not do this race.  But, I paid the money and decided to do the race.  Man, when I stepped outside, I realized just how cold (and windy) it was.  Like I said, I wasn't real motivated to race...and my pre-game pretty much showed that.  I didn't do all of the normal things that I do before a race....like warm up for a sprint swim!  I figured, what the heck...why makes things worse!  So, the gun goes off...and so do 10 guys off the front.  I'm thinking....holy crap!  I'm feeling pretty good swimming these days...and I'm getting my doors blown off.  I don't typically get worried about super fast swimmers (unless they can also bike and run).  But, these guys looked like guys just out of college...who could probably bike and run.  Anyway, I came out of the water and made it to T1.  I couldn't feel my feet at all.  I also couldn't get my wetsuit off.  After a couple of failed attempts.....and dropped to my butt, and pull it over my numb feet (dropping to my butt in transition is a common theme here).  I grabbed my bike and screamed through transition (w/my shoes already on the bike....I was able to run quickly).  I hopped on the bike and hammered up the hill to get my speed going.  I tried putting my foot in the shoe.  If you've never tried this before....it's not super easy....and almost impossible when you can't feel your feet.  My feet kept slidding through the velcro.  I tried and tried and tried....same result....feet under the velcro.  At one point, I thought of just velcroing my feet to the top of my shoes (shoot...I couldn't feel them anyway).  But, common sense got the best of me and I pulled over to put my shoes on.  Next time I try starting w/the shoes on the bike...it will be a warm weather race (it's actually a big time saver if you can get your feet in!).   Not exaggerating....I lost at least a minute with this catastrophe.  Okay, regroup and start hammering.  The road out of the state park was awful.  Bump after bump after bump.  I was about a mile in and something didn't feel right.  I look down and realize that my aerobars are pointing at the road.  One of the bumps rattled them loose.  Second stop on the bike.  I pulled over and yanked them up....although this was a concern for the remainder of the ride.  After that, I actually rode pretty well....although my bike split doesn't show it.  I made it to T2 and tried slipping my racing flats on.  No luck.  Tried again.  No luck.  My toes kept going to the outside of the shoes.  This happens when you can't feel your feet.  I equate it to drinking water after getting novacaine at the dentist.  Okay....back on my butt to get my shoes on.  I finally got them on and screamed out of transition.  I felt very solid on the run...until about 2 miles.  When I was on the bike, I could tell that I hadn't eaten enough for breakfast.  I ate very light....since it was a sprint.  But, what I hadn't considered was the cold.  The body uses quite a bit of energy to keep warm.  I was really feeling it now on the run.  Who the hell bonks in an hour race?  Me, I guess:)  Not really....but I was running out of gas.  I caught the guy who finished directly in front of me (4th)....but let him off the hook by not passing him.  Normally, even w/all my issues at this race, I would have finished 3rd (3rd and 4th were only 2-3 seconds in front of me).  But, I just didn't have the motivation to push it.   I know it sounds like a cop out...and maybe it is.  But, it was just one of those days.  I knew that if I pushed to pass....I'd probably have to sprint to the finish...which I wasn't interested in doing.   I really just didn't care....which is not my typical M/O.  So, I finished 5th.  Afterwards...I just wanted to get the heck out of dodge.  I had originally packed stuff so that I could ride long after the race.  But, I was so damn cold, that I just wanted to go home.  And, that's what I did.  I did get my second ride in....around 2pm.  A little warmer...but just as windy.   Anyway, this is one of those throw away races.  Forget it even happened.  The only redeaming factor to having a bad race today is that it's not an important race.  Those come in June and July!

BTW....having an open water triathlon in New England in early May is absolutely retarded.  The only thing worse are the idiots that pay to do it!