Litchfield Hills Olympic 8-21-2011

I signed up yesterday after a week’s worth of weighing whether to race or not. This was my feature race for the year – the chance to redo the race after last year’s flat tires and wrong turn. Unfortunately my workouts and physical condition over the last month have been inadequate due to bronchitis that caused me to sit out Niantic. For August all I managed were bikes of 8 and 12 miles and three runs, two of 2.4 and one of 4 miles, all of which left me tired. I did not swim at all this month. Still I rested this last week and had finally stopped coughing up mucus, so I decided to go for it, knowing if I didn’t try I would be depressed, and if I raced and finished , I would be exhilarated, and if I raced and died, well at least I wouldn’t have to do the whole final sad years in a nursing home thing.

I was in pretty good shape earlier this summer, blowing away my old Lake Terramugus times and doing well for me in the Black Fly International race (1/4 mile swim, 21 mile bike, 5 mile run). My plan for the race was simple; pretend I was just going for a swim, then a pretend I was just going for a bike ride, and then a long slow run, maybe run walk if too fatigued (Also, packing a map and a second spare tube). After all, I couldn’t do much worse than last year’s 4:33.

The swim went fine. I took it real easy, sited every other to every third stroke, which really makes a difference for me if I want to swim straight. The buoys were well spaced and always visible from the waterline. I only had a couple collusions and I think I gave better than I got in them. Getting out of the water, I stripped my wet suit, put on some water shoes and walked halfway to transition to get my breath, then jogged the rest of the way.

I took my time in transition and then set off on the bike. Again, I rode very easy, taking plenty of opportunity to coast. I did find myself fatigued after 14 miles, which wasn’t great because the first 14 miles is largely downhill. I didn’t pass but one or two people on the way. I eventually made it to Brunning Hill, the scene of last’s year’s flat half way up and subsequent inflating blowout of my only spare tube. I kept praying for no flat, and the bike held in there. I did get to experience the final last uphill leg, where last year I experienced it only jogging alongside my flatted bike. It was a tough climb for me. I kept my head down and kept cranking and made it without coming to a complete stop. After reaching the dismount area, I walked the bike up to transition, put on my running shoes, took a long drink of my sports drink and headed off on the run.




I was admittedly running extremely slowly. I got faster after a mile, and felt decent for miles two and three but then I started slowing again and my back was stiffening. I decided to do some run walking which continued past the 5 mile mark, where I finally just ran it on in. I made certain to thank the volunteers who pointed left toward the park where last year with no one still manning the last turn, I had gone disastrously right.

I finished in 3:44 breaking my last year’s mark by 50 minutes saving 20 minutes on the bike and 40 minutes on the run, while losing on the swim and transition. The time savings clearly was not attributable to my present conditon as it was to averting catastrophe. Last year I ran all 10 or however many miles the run ended up for me, plus the extra bike run. Still, I was happy that I had raced and completed. Maybe next year I can hope for all out race and cut my time by some more.

After crossing the finish line I got a bottle of water, a medal hung around my neck and then walked directly down to the beach where I cooled off in the lake, diving underwater, and then floating on my back and looking up at the sky. I was pleased that when I got back, there was still cold beer left, so I had a cold ale and then headed on home where I drank a great deal more water and ate a giant porterhouse steak.

Next on the calendar for me are the Quassy Swimfest and then the Madison Tri.

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