kmkurdone

Hey guys! Sorry it has taken me so long to let you in on how my race in Lake Arrowhead went. School just started and things have been hectic. Anyways, here it goes. The race was the 4th Annual Lake Arrowhead Triathlon in Lake Arrowhead, CA. (elevation roughly 5k) I have to tell you, I hadn't swam for over a year and hadn't run more then 2 times all summer due to an IT band injury. I just figured I could handle it because I had been biking a decent amount through the summer and am a strong swimmer and runner.

The course was a 600 yrd swim (which was short and I would say more like 400 meters), 10 mile TECHNICAL bike course (over 900 feet of climbing), and a 5k run. So I show up race day and I am a little nervous about the fact that I am undertrained and that this is my 2nd tri ever. The last one I did was when I was 17, four years ago. I am one of a few people not in a wetsuit for the beach start. Like I said, I am a strong swimmer, but hadn't been swimming for a long time so I positioned myself near the front, but not all the way at the front. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!! I got thrashed in the water by slower swimmers who sprinted out to the first bouy. I was literally doing breaststroke for the majority of the swim. I couldn't get into a rhythm and was not pleased with my swim AT ALL. I came out of the water at 6:08. The run to the transition was over 400 meters and had a very large hill that would prove to be hard for many people. I was able to pass a fair amount of people on the transition alone.

I got onto the bike after I had some trouble getting my shoes on and took off. I decided to ride my Quintana Roo Seduza (recently bought) even though many people told me the course was extremely technical. I'm glad I did. I was able to pass a lot of people on the bike, but also got passed by a lot of people on the downhill portions of the bike. My lack of experience on the bike showed and people were much more comfortable flying down the hills then I. I would catch and pass those people on the uphills (except for a few that got away), but it made me realize how much time I actualy was losing on the downhill portions. I guess I need a lot of work. My time was 33:36. I was pleased because the course was so technical.

I had some issues getting my shoes on in T2 and was worried my knee would bother me on the run. It ended up hurting, but not too bad. I was able to pass about 7 people on the run and move myself into 5th overall. My run split was 17:44 which I was not pleased with, but accepted since I hadn't ran all summer long. (I run D1 cross country, so It should be faster for me). I finished the course in a time of 57:26. Like I said, 5th place overall, 2nd in my age group. I was pretty happy with how the race went.

I realized that my passion for triathlons is greater then I thought it was. I'm beyond excited for my next one whenever it is. I also had 4 friends with me and they are all in love with the sport now too (including my g/f). I need to actually train my swim and run and also work on my transitions a lot. My downhill riding could use a lot of work too. Any tips would be appreciate in the transitions and bike. The run and swim I have down, just need to train. I know some other people did the race, so let us know how you did. Take care guys! Thanks for your time!

not2fast

Could you please explain why you keep referring to the bike course as "Extremely technical?" WHat does that mean? 900' climbing over 10 miles is really not worth mentioning.

What does TECHNICAL mean?

kmkurdone

Technical would mean that there are TONS of very difficult turns, hills, decents, etc. compared to other Tri courses that are relatively flat. I'm just telling you what I have been told by other racers, directors, as well as some of the sponsored guys that were in the race. (i figured they would have more to compare it to) They said it is the most technical course they ride in a tri. I have nothing to compare it to, so I was just stating what I was told and experienced. Hope that helps. If not, sorry.

Jaybird

To be honest with you, any race information is worth mentioning considering how few race stories are posted on this forum. Your comments are a little harsh. Could you please explain why you keep referring to the bike course as "Extremely technical?" would have been sufficient to find out the info you were looking for.

Good race story kmkurdone...cool pics, too.

strukljv

It looks like you had a lot of fun, glad to see people still have fun amidst all the serious training.

not2fast

Jaybird,

I certainly didnt mean to be harsh. Just wondered what Technical meant, as I hadnt really heard it before. It seemed as though Technical was synonomous with Climbing, and I didnt think 900 feet was much.

Yes, all race reports are fun to read, and I hope to have another to add after next week. Unfortunately, mine take longer to read, because I am a slow runner!!

Jaybird

not2fast,
I understand what you were getting at...I was just offering a suggestion to you on how you could have worded your post...especially when the guy posted a good story w/pics. Thanks for the reply.
Jay

H2OChick

Whoo hooo for the no-wetsuit-crew! Good on ya! Congrats on your race. Sounds like it was fun, all in all!