Al completed the Ironclad Triathlon this morning.(Sprint tri: The swim course was .5, the bike 13.5, the run a 5k.) Al jumped in the fucking LI Sound (55 degrees, fuck burr!) at 7:30 this AM. This was my first open water of the season. The new wetsuit was great. My trunk was fine; head, hands, feet iced over quickly and went numb, so there wasn't much pain there after the first minute or so. So all went pretty well with this leg. There were about 150-200 people in my swim wave. Things were a bit hectic at the start. I decided (since it was the first of the season) to be low key. I hung back and got in after about 1/2-3/4 were gone. This proved a bit ill-advosed. Conditions were awesome (not including the floating ice sheets), without chop or current, Al was cooking. I was up the ass of the group in front of me. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through the swim that I found clear water (after much pushing, shoving, jostling and passing) and a comfortable spot out ahead of the group I jumped in with.
T 1 was interesting. There was a STEEP hill up to the T area along sand then grass then pavement. Everyone was bitching about this because it really was a long steep haul (3/8ths of a mile, I'd guess). Al expeditiously got out of the wetsuit but had some trouble using hands and feet. This T was definitely slowed by numbness. C'est la..
Bike route was 2 loops of a rather uniform almost 7 mile course--downhill out, uphill back. I moved better on the second loop. First loop was all about getting some warmth back in the bod. (And this is not done easily when you're in a skimpy shirt and shorts and biking quickly in 60 degree temps). Only one really interesting note. Al did go down. Right before the last turn into the T area, Al was pumping hard and out ahead of a pack. The douchebag copper who was supposed to be working the intersection was yapping on his cell phone. Al came into the turn hard and found a car coming in from the other direction. Dick-head cop was supposed to stop traffic. Al assumed he would. He did not. He was too busy with, "can you hear me now?" Anyway, Al went full lock to stay clear of the motorist. I stopped with room to spare, but my shoes slid on the pave when I foot dabbed, and I went down. No harm though. I popped up and went on (with a yell over the shoulder of, "thanks asshole" to Johnny-Law). Al, after-all, is a rebel.
T2 was better for Al: the transition run up in bike shoes was short and on grass--easier than paved run up. I slapped on a cap, stamped into the kicks, and I was outta there.
The run was powerful cool. It was a trail 5k through Wellwyn preserve in Glen Cove. This is a lush foresty setting with a good deal of twisty-turny up and down. Big old or second growth trees abound, and there is plenty of shade. (Just so you know: Al is middle pack in the agua and mediocre, at best, on the bike, and marginally respectable on the run.) The tight trail run made passing interesting, but Al made it happen. I slammed through the run holding, I believe, sub 7:30s through the trails. The finish was a bit crowded, but Al pulled down a 1:38 hi and finished 13th in his age group.
Some pics:
13 comments:
Dude out in front of you's got some nice marbled loin for arms and is sporting a good cut of bacon between the bottom of his xxxl tri top and those sugoi shorts.
When riders came off the course was there an army staff sergeant there yelling "Atten-Hut!"?
Great job Al, especially with your bag up in your throat.
Bboy: Yeah, it is funny. I noticed a few porkers in those little tri suit or tri tops. Maybe the whole fat girl belly shirt revolution (and FUCK YOU VERY MUCH OPRAH FOR "EMPOWERING" THESE CHICKS!) has trickled down. Maybe it's just early season and there's still some winter flab out there.
Al, Nice work on the tri. As always, I have a few questions.
1. What the hell is up with your bike setup? Looks like you got a 5 inch rise on that stem. Not much of a tri racer myself but, I thought the bike portion was theoretical similar to a time trial. Assuming this is accurate, don't you want to be in a considerably more aerodynamic position? Sitting up tall on a bike resembling a grandma taking her grandkids to the park is no way to be "aero" if you ask me. What a douche bag you look like.
2. How do you stay so motivated? If I found myself throwing down the gauntlet, giving it my all, and then glance up and spot a lard ass in front of me, I think I would just give up. How demoralizing it must be yet you keep plugging along. What’s the secret?
Al does look a bit like a prairie dog at a bomb testing site. But in a good way, of course.
Moveitfred is guessing lard-ass was in a different age group. Looks like baby fat. No biggie. You know how everyone starts to get all mixed in together, sort of like a Roman bath.
Al was lapping that lard ass. As Al mentioned in the post, it was two times through an out and back course.
And Al does admit, that stem is silly. Bought the bike from a guy who used it 2x (a 50 year old with too much money and big ideas). I've not finished converting. But I'm also wondering if you d-bags are missing the fact that I'm standing and climbing in that shot. ? Anyway you slice it, I need a new stem.
Alpe d'Al
There is another pressing issue on my mind. It is in my opinion that if you leave the furry dog at home and not stuff him down your jersey, you will go much faster. Why carry that furball with you the entire race?
Al likes to support his cause.
Clearly you do not understand Macho, Heywood.
And... Alpe D' Fred.
I feel sorry for the lard asses. Apparently they had to get off their bikes and walk when being lapped.
Anony:
Actually, this was worse than a lap. Al was so far ahead of this guy--lard ass was just bringing his bike to the transition area. He hadn't even started racing.
It's hard carrying the mantle of greatness. But Al is doing his best.
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