Race Coverage

"...Wired With Excitement"...

Friday, 14 November 2014 00:10

By Ryan Bailey

LTF Oceanside Race Report:
The Oceanside Triathlon was just six weeks away when I decided to sign up. The next few weeks would bring an exciting rollercoaster of training to get ready for the race.  About a month before the tri, I noticed a twinge in my Achilles, something that I have struggled with in the past. I backed off on running and worked harder in swimming and cycling.  I knew I had to keep my running sharp so I added a tempo or two per week. Running only two days a week made the pain subside and I was soon able to train at full strength. The set-back motivated me and I was feeling ready to roll.

I landed in California Friday evening. I went straight to my hosts, who graciously made me dinner and drove me somewhere I could shake out my legs after the long day of travel. I slept great Friday night and had my pre- race run done before the sun was up.  After the run and breakfast, I assembled my bike and made sure everything was working properly. My host drove me to packet pickup and T1 to drop off my bike to avoid any fuss in the morning. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and mentally preparing for the race, which made me rather nervous. I tried to get rid of the nerves by...

watching some college football before bed. I slept maybe a total of three hours because I was wired with excitement. My alarm went off at 3:45 AM. I made my usual pre- race breakfast and was on my way to Oceanside.

The Swim
I had never swam in salt water so that was an entirely new experience for me. I am glad we were able to warm up in the water so that I could get used to it. During my warm up I accidentally swallowed some salt water, which if you don’t know is quite repulsive.  My stomach was a little upset but I pushed it aside and got ready for my race.  

We tread water for about five minutes waiting for the start.  After what seemed like an eternity, the horn blew and we were off. Now, I am not the strongest swimmer, so my goal for this portion was to stay calm, focus on form, and get ready to make up time on the bike. About a quarter of the way through the swim I found myself slowly fading off the main pack of swimmers. I stayed calm and didn’t force anything. As we were out at the turn, the water went from flat and fast to some small swells. The swells didn’t mess with my stroke and I pressed on. I was neck and neck with a guy who was ahead of me in the swim. I was surprised to find I was in ninth place and had my fastest swim split by three minutes. I arrived at my bike in T1 and had a flawless transition. I exited transition in eighth, a short way ahead of the guy I came into T1 with. The gap to seventh position was fairly large so I knew I had my work cut out for me on the bike.

The Bike
On the bike course I was in pursuit of the main pack of riders. For the first three miles my legs felt off and I couldn’t get into a rhythm. I was passed by two people and found myself in tenth. My first thought was that this was going to be a long bike ride. However, I quickly got out of that mindset, relaxed, and realized I was still in this race. I stayed focused and didn’t force anything. My legs finally came to me near mile four on the bike and I used that to my advantage. I picked off one rider after the other, closing the gap to the leader. Right around mile 20 I had bridged the gap and was in position to take control at any moment. I decided to hold off and let my legs rest until the run because that is my greatest strength. I held my position without exerting too much energy and came into T2 in fourth or fifth position. I was right with the group. Fortunately, I had yet another great transition and started the run in second place with first place only ten seconds ahead of me. I could feel third place on my heels and knew it was on.

The Run
I didn’t expect to be in second place coming off the bike, but it played perfectly to my strength. I didn’t know if the leader’s strongest suit was the run, so I had to close the gap quickly. About a quarter mile in I passed the leader.  The runner was on my heels but I stayed relaxed and let my longtime running career take over. I made sure to not make any moves in the first half of the run so that if I needed to later, I could.  Right around mile two I started to pull away and increased the gap. I kept my legs rolling and stayed in control, almost as if I put on cruise control for the last kilometer. I saw the race clock for the first time as I came into the finish chute. I didn’t believe my time until I saw the official results. I had just set a new personal record by nine minutes and I had won the race with a time of 1:54:07.9.   

It was the icing on the cake of a breakthrough season. I am still in disbelief. It was just six weeks before the race that I decided to sign up, but I am glad I took the advice of those who encouraged me to race Oceanside as my last race of the season. I also can’t thank my host enough, Cathy Holl (photo top r), for all she did. I don’t know if the race would have turned out as it did without her. I am also so grateful to have the support I do from my family, friends, and coach. I can’t wait to see what next season has in store.