Okay as I sit typing this post my eyes a bleary form being in a sleep deprived state...(actually I lie I took a 5hour nap when I got back from New Hartford) but two days with 4:30am wake up calls take their tolls. Here are the Race Reports for the Nutmeg State Sprint and Litchfield Hills Olympic Tris .
Nutmeg State Sprint:
This was it! This was the put up or shut-up! This was the race I wanted to Win or die trying. ( Well I lie here too everyrace I do I want to win or die trying. But this one is different in that I would actually put my life in peril because I know the bike route.) I had suffered in the Swim at Niantic the week before and had a moderatley slow swim at the Waramaug Sprint in June...This race was my payback.
The Swim:
During the decided to take my usual strategy of start wide and cut in. It worked. Before I even reached the first Bouy I was on the inside track with the top 2 swimmers. As we Rounded the fsecond bouy the leader and I drafted slightly away from the 3rd person ( by drafting I got on the leader's ass and refused to move until he started sighting off course.). As we made the turn and approached the beach I saw the leader ( some high school punk with no wet suit...speaking of which No Wet suit girl was here as was angry runner)and saw the final bouy on approach. I made a bee-line for the bouy and for about 100 yards I was leading overall. As we approached the beach the former leader(high school swim punk) managed to get around me and darted up to transition as I started to pull off my "weetzoot" on the way to T1. Total swim time:11:04 2nd fastest overall.
T1: Use more freaking body glide.
Since parking was about 1 mile away by the time my sisters and I made it to transitionwith all my crap I just had enough time to set up. Get body marked, pee and throw on the wet suit. I didn't really lube up and could feel the chafe marks on my neck as I stuggled to get the neoprene beast off my feet. I threw on my helmet and bike shoes and tore out of t1 in 3rd overall.
Total T1: 2:26
The Bike: Angry Cyclist...I mean Runner triumphs once more but only just.
Yes it is true Angry Runner has once more ruled me on wheels alla Normann Stadler. Granted on this day he only beat me by about 10 sec. on his split.
As I started the ride everything felt good. I was in the big ring I was aero. I had only been passed by eventual winner and Waramaug sprint Champ John Hirsch, on his pimped out Specialized. As we approached the Golf Course Hill I came to the stunning realization that I had left my bike in too high of a gear.As I struggled grinding up the hill two old guys on their Cannondales shot passed. After what seemed like a small eternity of Climbing we descende and took the sharp right on to beaten and pitted Beardsley Rd. At this point I started hearing tire rub....Had my brakes been rubbing the whole time? I thought to my self. I didn't have enough time to check before I was in an age group battle with Mike from Georgetown. Now I had raced this guy before at the Griskus Olympic and quite frankly he can flat out bike faster than me. I gave him a good fight on the flat and magaed to repass him.( choke one up for CenTri) but as we turned on to a mini-pyreanean climb he kicked it into low gear and shot around me. I struggled up the climb shifting lower and lower as the bike creeped around the corner. Then is was a nice little descent I could still hear rubbing as I got passed by another cannondale. I started fiddling with the rear brakes. The rubbing didn't stop ( I would only be after the race that I found out my quick release was loose and one of the potholes on Beardsley had nuggled the wheel out of alignment and is was rubbing the frame...robbing me of precious Bitch Stomping Speed.) As I tried to play mechanic while riding Ken Davidson and some kid on a Giant got around me. The three of us stayed pretty close together as we rode into T2. Total Bike Split : 29:07 good enough for 26th Angry's split was 10 sec. faster good enough for 25th.
T2: I was putting on my race belt damn it!
as I threw on my running flats, grabbed a swig of HEED andput on my Visor I grabbed my race belt and decided I would clip it on the run ( accounting for my sister's "picking a wedge" comment as she snapped a picture as I left T2) All in all I was out in 56 sec.
Run: Macca Time
As we ( Ken, Giant guy, and dude from Cycle Center) stared up the first of several hills on the run course the guy from cycle Center picked it up and shot ahead. I quickly followed suit leaving the man of steel and the 15 year old kid to duke it out. As we climbed my legs were strating to fill with latic acid and I could feel myself starting to bonk ( due in part to losing the top to my water bottle on the bike and as a result not hydrating properly.) I saw Ken from Heat maning the water station at the 1.3 mile mark and grapped a dixie cup of much needed h20, as I continued to shadow the guy from cycle center. As we approached the turn around John Hirsch gave us a thumbs up and "looking good guys" as he crused down hill toward certain victory. I began to count runners a they went by 1 was Hirsch then some dude in a Cannondale Shirt, Swim Punk, Mike From Georgetown , some other dudes I'd never seen before. I was in ninth. As we made the turn the dude from cycle center began to sprint and pulled away from me. I saw HEAT Ken pacing Ken Davidson up the hill he shouted over at me "Damn it Rob catch that guy. He's in sight. " I kicked it up a notch but the dude from cycle center was gone..I saw Angry making the Climb I think I shouted to him "get angry" or something like that and he replied " I hate life." I grabbed another cup of water at the aid station and proceed after the dude from cycle center who was at the edge of my sight. My hamstrings felt the vibration of each step as I pounded down the hill toward the finish. Once again I crossed with my Hands in the air pose. Overall it wasn't too bad of a day.
1:05.35 total time 9th overall 2nd in age group.
Angry Runner was 28th overall and 3rd in the Age Group
and Claire (No Wet Suit Girl) snagged 50th overall and 3rd in her age group. Not a bad day for Team Blog. Also as a side note I did bump into Anthony from CenTri. His comments after a pretty decent race..."I think I like offroad better." So hey maybe CenTri will be sending a guy to xterra.
After the race it was off to Pizzanos in Waterbury, for breakfast with Angry and Claire. We shared tri and trainning stories, how Angry is actually as grumpy as his blog suggests and how weird it is that these blogs seem to reflect our personalities. Also the fact that my smallest sister ( Julia who came to this race with Chrissy the middle sister/child), seemed not to care at the flaggrant use of obsenites we seem to use. I did try to control my language ( stomp ho's instead of bitches, in which I was then told to say it right damn it. If Julie starts cussing like a trucker don't blame me.)
The Litchfield Hills Olympic Tri
As my alarm went off at 4:30 this morning I didn't feel as grogy as I did the day before...prehaps it's because I was out cold by 11pm or perhaps it is that my body is starting to get used to the torture I put it through. 2 tris in 2 days....why did I Ken talk me into this.....because he mind tricked you Rob that's why.....Because it's team Championships and HEAT needs to stomp bitches....because you live to do insane shit like this because it makes for interesting reading material. Melissa and Chrissy accompanined me up to New Hartford, as I arrived well before the volunteers. Ken showed up about 5 min. Later spare HEAT Jersey in tow. I was greatful...If fact I made the remark that now Raphael and I don't need to go out and get the HEAT logo tattooed to our chests and run shirtless. Ken suggested we do that anyway. After about 10 min. the rest of the field started to filter in along with the volunteers. After a quick inflation of the tires. I was off to packet pick up and body markings. ( unfortately I didn't have the luck of being the same number as yeterday so now I have some pretty funky body art on my arms and calves.)
As I set up for transition I realized I had left my sunglasses in the car. I looked for my sisters ( whom had my keys ) as I did my warm up jog but they were no where to be found. I hit the portolet and then went back to transition lubed up and slid on the wetzoot. As we made our way down the rocky path to the water I realized that this was not going to be a short little jog. I ran back to transition and grabbed my bike shoes ( for those of you who have never seen my tri gear..I ride in mountain bike shoes because when I bought the bike I had never gone clipless before and decided I wanted something I could walk in and unclip easily). I ran down in my bike shoes and set them up past the swim course timing mat. Hey if I was going to have to jog (or as angry calls it yog.) to T1 I might as well get as much done by the water as possible. I found my sisters and told them of the plight of my sunglasses, I told them not to worry about it and got psyched up for the swim.
The Swim: a nice Sunday morning plunge in the Cleanest Lake in CT.
Ok the race brochure didn't lie you could actually drink the water...if you wanted too. I did an easy little warm up and noticed I could see the bottom in most of the shallow sections. I swam back to shore and lined up on the far end, with Raphael, Dean, and some of the other HEATsters after a quick pre race briefing and a round of goodlucks to and from all the guys in my vincinity, the familar commands of swimmers ready, set, and the bullhorn blast to start us off rang out over West Hill Lake. As I jockeyed for postion ( cut in across the lake to draft the leaders) I could see that HMF had redeemed itself after the dismal swim last week in Niantic ( in which the bouys were not explained. Today they had white bouys to sight and orange bouys for the turns, and it was explained to all competitiors at the pre-race and pre swim briefings.) By the first orange bouy I was in the lead group of 4 swimmers ( 1 dude no wet suit, Max from HEAT ( who is going to Kona) Ken and myself. ) At the turn around to the beach, ( 3rd Bouy 2nd orange) the guy with out a wetsuit had dusted the 3 of us as Ken and I followed Max into toward the beach. ( Ken sorry for all the foot rub but I was quite literally swimming blind.) We barely managed to get a sight on the last white Bouy (due to sunglare) but managed to approach the beach nonetheless. We got out of Water in formation Max in 2nd, Ken 3rd, me 4th.
Swim Time: 22:56 ( Hot Fire Bitches Hot Fire!)
T1: Escape from New Hartford.
Now the Escape from Alcatraz swim has the infamous mile run to transition, here it was only a quarter mile but it still requires useage of footwear. As I crossed the timing mat I was pulling off my wetsuit. I decided to take it off before the transition area to cut on T1. The wetsuit came off the bike shoes went on as I ran up the path Lake Placid Style ,Wet suit over my shoulders, I dumped the swim gear at my spot put on the helmet and grapped the bike. I was leaving T1 in 4th overall but that would change quickly. As Al Tratwig stated in his Ironman coverage I was "a symbol of soon to get caught."
The Bike: I always ride like a granny when I don't know the course.
The first half mile wasn't bad I rode and descended some gentle hills in aero. Nothing too tough...then came the oh shit hill into Torrington. As I statered the descent I unclipped and slowed down over the rough pavement at the top. As I saw too guys fly past, and looked at the climb beyond I clipped back in and let go of the brakes...If I was going to crash and break something I'd rather have a story of going 50mph than 25, that and that little climb would be a bitch if I had to out of the saddle it, and quite frankly my legs were a little too tired for that. After grinding up the little climb and turning onto Torringford Rd. It was all down hill for the next ten miles. I kept my hands switching between brake hoods and aero bars ( using the hoods on some of the nastier descents because like I said I didn't know the course and I didn't want to go into some sharp hairpin at 45mph and go flying over a guardrail to my bloody and gory demise, plus there was a nasty little cross wind on 44 in Winsted and 202 in Canton.) There were some little climbs between mile 10 annd fifteen but it would be in the last ten miles that I would pay for the early Hammerfest. When we turned on to Route 202 in Canton we were greeted with this slow gradual mile long climb. I kicked into my climbing gears down shifitng as I approached the summit. I watched as Vin from HEAT rode by. ( by this point I had been passed by at least 15 people.) I got to the top of that little bitch of a hill as we rode down 202 a little more and then turned to the back roads. Now the REAL climbs began. For the next 6 miles the road undulated. A steep little climb, suicudal downhill, long gradual down hill ,and then the wall.My legs ached as I powered up the last climb 5 more guys got aroung me including Raphael and one guy for Shoreline Sharks. When we got to the top the volunteers instructed us that it was all down hill from here. I never welcomed a descent so much in my life. I rode in aerobars, switching to brake hoods as I prepared to slow for the turn in. My hear went out to the guy from Shore line as he pulled to the side of the road screaming "fuck!" I saw a shoe on the road. " need tools"I shouted as I slowed up trying to offer some help. "No I'll be alright." " Just lost the shoe?" I asked " Whole damn pedal." he replied back. As I got closer to Transition I realized the volunteers had lied. I kicked into the climbing gear as I climbed one final hill then turned into T2.
Bike Split 1:16.22
The Run: Go until the Latic Acid fills your eye balls.
As I darted out of T2. Chrissie handed my my sunglasses as I ran by an now I was ready to go As Melissa and Critiano were shouting encouragement. ( the glasses are part of my poker face, that and in the post race photos I don't want to see how bad I was suffering.) I could see Raphael in front of me I paced him as we ran out of Brodie Park. I wished him luck as I passed him on the service road out. I passed another HEATster on the road. the Andre, clad in blue Rudy project gear. Andre and I paced each other for the first three miles as we tried to reel in a guy infront of us. but as we ground up a hill a the 3 mile mark it was apparent both of us were shot from the bike split. We looked back no one was remotely close to us , so we ran at my half marathon pace for the next 2 miles. We talked a little bit, about clubs, races, getting sponsors, life in general, as much as 8 min. mile pace would allow. At mile 5 he told me to go on a head. I started to pick it up a little. I made the dart down hill then onto the service road. Crossing the finish line in 2:32.50 with a run split of 48.16 Andre finished 30 sec. behind after a quick high five and sportsman like embrace, I made my way over toward my sisters who were a little ticked off "You know we get up at the ass crack of dawn, we give you your sunglasses, we cheer you on. And the first thing you do is go back to the finish line to high five some guy you don't really know, and discuss crap with your teammates." I gave them a hug. then they started griping "ewww you're all sweaty." I told them I was going to get a masage as I watched Jim and Raphael cross the line. After about 5 min. of waiting for a massage, Jim and I were like fuck this, and went to go do our indivivdual strech routines. after about ten min. the results were posted. I had finished 20th overall and won my age group (WORD UP BITCHES!) it was about freaking time. I celebrated at the HEAT Tent with a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat brew, before awards. ( thanks for the beer Raphael.).
All in all it was a profitable weekend in Litchfield County here are the stats:
Miles Swum: 1.5
Miles Biked: 36.00
Miles Run: 9.2
Total time: 3:38.25
Bottles of HEED consumed: 2
Dunkin Donuts Medium Coffees (light/no sugar ):2
Age Group Wins: 1
Age group Podiums: 2
Team Titles shared in : 1 (Go HEAT!)
Unofficial Team titles shared in: 2 (Team Blog! Angry Team!)
Waking up @ 4am 2 days in a row, going through untold physical fatigue, and liking it that way: PRICELESS!
I picked up on the second, the skunk started to move toward the near end of the back strech, I did my third lap strating to push a little harder, the skunk was approaching the turn. I kicked out my fourth lap and had to run wide as the skunk was now in the inside lane at the far end of the near turn. As I finshed my third repeat in 7:41 I decided to call it a night. at the rate the skunk was moving he'd be on the front straight at any minute and I would be covered in a substance most foul. So all in all 3 miles wasn't a bad track work out, and the fact that I didn't get covered in skunk spray kept the evening going well. 
Ain't bike pjorn sweet.
So yes now I am Specialized like Peter Reid, Ken Schulz, John Hirsch and Chris McCormack before me. Now I'm going to try to get sponsorship from these guys because I am spending way too much of my hard earned money on this freaking sport. Who knows Kona 2011, Bobby D vs. Macca and Stadler for the overall?
