Race Coverage

Cutting Them Some Slack...

Tuesday, 03 February 2015 00:10

By Jessica Rossing

La Habana Triathlon race report.

It’s late Friday night, the night before the race, and I am lying in bed happy and full from a great gourmet meal that only cost $25. (Most things are very inexpensive in Cuba) My race bag is packed and I am visualizing each part of the race as I fall asleep. I wake up around 8a to an overcast and very humid morning. It’s been predicted to rain all day, but I’m optimistic and have a good feeling the rain is going to hold off and it’s going to be a perfect day to race. My house host (Matilde) lets us know that breakfast is ready so three other American athletes and myself sit down to eat. We are served lots of fruit, a smoothie, veggies, and an omelette. Once we finish eating we get our things together, get our bikes and start our ride to the race site.

The race site is about 12K from Casa Matilde’s and we have to ride through the city and lots of traffic to get to the venue. Within 10 minutes of our ride I am sweating, the air is so thick, you can feel the storm coming. It feels like at any moment the humidity is going to break and the storm is going to unleash. But, I am still optimistic that it’ll hold out untill we are done racing....

En route to the race site we get turned around for a moment. Some of the roads do not allow cyclists, and a police officer points us in the “correct” direction. We have zero internet connection and no Siri to help with directions. Thankfully John (fellow American) is still able to get directions on a map via his phone since he saved it. So we figure out where we are and where we need to go. We arrive to a road that doesn’t allow cyclists; but wait… some Mexican triathletes just rode by! We decide what the heck lets just take this road, and we make it to the race site within a few minutes.

The men’s elite race is happening when we arrive and they have just started their first loop on the bike. As we are watching the guys race it happens - the lightening flashes and the thunder rolls. The humidity gets a little heavier, and the lightning continues. Now it starts to run through my head that this race may be canceled as I count the minutes of delay with each sound of thunder. “When will they make the call?” “Will they re-schedule for tomorrow? Later today? Or cancel it all together?”

We get close to transition when the dark, scary clouds start rolling in fast, the wind picks up immensely, and then rain lets loose. Thankfully there were a few trees bunched together that offered shelter. We duck under the trees and found Rebecca Wassner (American female pro). Got her race update as the rain fell harder, the winds blew more fiercely, and the men’s elite race continued.

Within 20 minutes the rain started to let up, the winds died down and we made our way to transition. This is where the whole experience gets interesting. There were a few tents set up that were full of people still avoiding the rain, three porta potties, and a few bike racks. I didn’t see any bib numbers on the racks so I find a place for my bike and head to get my chip.

 It’s now 11:45 and the race is suppose to start at 12p. The race officials start to move things around, setting up the bike racks, and adding bib numbers for the bikes. 144 is my bib number, I find it and rack my bike and start to set up my transition. Within a few minutes of the bike racks being set up, they collapse creating a domino effect with all of our bikes. No problem, right? Things happen, the storm threw us a curve ball so we pick up our bikes while the officials attempt to fix the rack. The officials have used, wet duck tape, and flimsy zip ties, which they soon figure out will not do the job so they tell us to place our bikes on the ground which has now become our transition. Still no problem right? Ya sure, “Just stay relaxed and go with it. This is the first time this race has been put on cut them some slack.” is what I am thinking. Once everyone has their bike set up in the grass, transition gear in the gear box, they tell us to head to the water.

The men are suppose to go off first, followed by the women. As I am walking up to the pier I hear a debate from the officials as to how to start the race. Should they have us dive? Jump? Or do a water start? They decide to have us do a water start and tell to start jumping in. I jump in the water swim out a bit, make sure my goggles are right, cap is good. Then the officials ask us to come to the wall, so we start lining up on the wall, and with no count down or loud gun to initiate the start of the race, people start swimming. I think to myself and laugh “ I guess we’re starting!”

Half way through the swim the rain starts again. At this point I am just happy to be racing, and am not going to let anything get in my way. T1 is smooth and proves to work out ok. Bikes in the grass isn’t as bad as I thought. I’m on the bike, it’s raining, so the game plan is to just stay in control and mind the roads. With the old leaded cars and the rain the roads are a bit more slick then I’d like them to be. I quickly pass one girl, two then three, and I am now in first and on lap two of four on the bike. I did wipe out once on the bike, but because of the rain I hydroplaned across the road with no pain and quickly got back up on my bike. I come in off the bike and T2 proves to be just as smooth, I’m off on the run. The rain starts to fall harder, and harder. Finally in the 2nd and last lap of the run the rains stops, and the wind eases. I cross the finish line, break the tape, feel thankful to be done, and to have kicked off the season with a bang!

One last glitch of the race was the awards ceremony. There were a few different stories about when and where the AG sprint awards were to be held. After watching the elite awards and waiting for a while after for the AG awards to start, someone told us they weren’t happening at all. Then Monday en route home there was an ITU official on my flight that said the awards were that morning at Hemingway Marina. It would’ve been fun to make them, I read online that the awards were made from local artists. I would have loved that. O-well.  

But with all of the glitches of the race my hat goes off to the race directors for pulling it off, for problem solving quickly, and remaining positive. The volunteers were fabulous and the crowds on the bike course cheered loud and still hung out even though it was pouring. I felt good, felt strong, and felt honored to be apart of history. This race was also a reminder to “Let it Go” (can anyone say that without singing it now?). To let go of what I do not have control of, and to remain focused and clam even though everything around me may not be going the way I thought. It’s experiences like these that make us stronger, more adaptable, and able to handle any situation that comes our way.

Overall it was an amazing experience and I got to share it with some amazing people. Myself and fellow Americans on the trip have vowed to come back next year.

Havana, Cuba is an amazing place full of culture, history, and kind people. I look forward to next year. RESULTS

ED. We asked Jess to provide her tentative 2015 racing schedule. Here it is:

2015 race schedule

Jan 11th Disney Half marathon
Jan 25th ITU La Habana sprint tri
Feb 15th ATX half marathon
April 19th Lifetime Miami Tri *international
May 25th Lifetime Cap Tex Tri *international
June 7th Lifetime Trinona Tri *international
June 20th Grandma’s Half marathon
July 11th Lifetime MPLS triathlon *international
July 19th Lifetime NYC triathlon *international
August 1st Brewhouse Triathlon *sprint
August 8th USAT AG National Championship
August 30th Superior Man *Short course
Sept 19th ITU World Championship in Chicago *international
* I may squeeze in one or two more