TROY'S RACE
It’s beautiful here in Pacific Grove.
Robin booked us at Borg’s Hotel by the water and the transition area.
I get up at 6am, set up my transition site, happily bump into Team Jas
(Jami & Sherwick) and go for a 5mi bike.
I’m wondering how much to wear during the
race. The water will be cold but then when the fog burns off it will
be warm. At Alcatraz, I was comfortable riding with a rash guard,
jacket, gloves, beanie and socks. I shouldn’t be as cold after the
swim here. But looking at my jacket sleeves as I ride I see droplets
of fog water building up. The air is heavy with cold moisture. I’m
definitely wearing the jacket. But I’ll go without the rash guard,
gloves, beanie and socks.
I return to my rack and, sure enough, find
that someone took my spot. I thought the clearly marked numbers for
each person and my bag would preserve my spot. But it happens often.
If you take your bike for a ride when the transition is filling up, it
doesn’t matter how much stuff you have, someone else’s bike will be
racked on top of it. He says something about his preference.. and
what works well.. I just say, “no problem, I’ll just go use your
spot”. So I move everything to the other side and show him how easy
it is. It’s all good.
Before our race, our team, FCA Endurance,
leads a pre-race prayer on the beach. At the same time the race
director asks me to do the morning’s “invocation”. This is a prayer,
over the loud-speaker, asking the Lord for help and support for the
race. Tri-California is very concerned about the overall success and
safety of their events and has found great benefits from always
praying before-hand. I’m honored to pray on everyone’s behalf,
especially on the anniversary of “9/11”. But my only desire is that
everyone’s focus goes to God for a moment.
I run about a ½ mile, study where I am in
transition, and put my wetsuit, booties and squid-lid on. It’s cool
to have Teammates, Matt, Clyde, and Dave with me at the start. Cory &
Christy are here but in different waves. I jump in for a warm-up and
am shocked how cold it is! Face, hands.. this is not like the
Alcatraz swim.. it feels much colder.
It’s a beach start. It’s hard to run in
booties. I take a position farther back… and pray. Go! I swing to
left. I’m away from the crowd, but into more kelp. It’s been years
since I’ve done this race but I remembered having less trouble
swimming through this seaweed. It’s tough and sapping my energy. The
group seems to leave me behind. From shore it was easier to see the
open-water paths between the kelp but now I’m confused and find myself
just going straight through it. I find it’s better to pull-and-glide
over it rather than struggling to take strokes in it and getting
tangled. The kelp leaves are also a little rough. They scratch my
lips. Half way around the first loop, I’m not feeling comfortable or
powerful. I’m dreading the next loop.
Lap 1: 14:15. I remember past exciting
sprints onto the beach, around the rock, and diving back in and
pulling ahead of my friend Chad Hawker (before he turned pro). But
this time I kind of stumble out.. my feet slipping around in the
neoprene.. and then carefully walk back into the water, trying not to
loose my booties.
The next wave of athletes has just started
behind me. I see the school of green caps thrashing towards me. I
don’t want to be run over by the group. I swim faster hoping to stay
ahead until they spread out. It works. They catch me at the first
buoy, with the leaders in single file. After the next turn buoy, I’m
really getting cold. I feel cold water going down my back. I stop a
couple times but find my wetsuit is zipped properly. I can’t wait to
get that jacket on in transition.
Lap
2: 14:52. I climb out, run through the foot-cleaning water spray, and
find my bike. I follow the plan and quickly head out. I don’t like
wearing socks because they require wearing my bike shoes during the
long transition runs and bike shoes are dangerous to run in.
T1:
4:38. On the bike I immediately notice that I’m getting colder. A
couple miles down the road, that borders the beautiful Monterey
coastline, I’m shivering and my jaw is hurting from the muscle spasms.
Oh no. Like the Auburn Triathlon race, my
core has gotten too cold and now I’m in trouble. I need to stop, or
get more clothes. I want to quit. I imagine that it wouldn’t be a
big deal, the rest of the weekend would still be good. But I’m
wearing “Team Endurance”, I can find a way to endure. I make it to
the turn and start back to finish lap 1. I feel miserable. I can’t
talk. I see people I know, racing hard, going fast, and I can’t
cheer. I’m freezing. All I can think of is the last place I was
really warm.. in bed this morning.
Lap
1 (almost) 15mph. Coming in from lap 1, I find my way through the
perplexed spectators and shiver my way to our hotel room. I walk
around the building to the manager’s office, “Can I have a key to my
room 111?” Fortunately he quickly met my request. In the room I
crank up the furnace and crawl into bed. Shivering under the covers I
finally realize this won’t work because my body isn't generating
heat. Standing next to the blazing furnace also doesn’t get the
desired affect. Now, in the shower, I’ve got the water steaming.
I’ve never thought about cut-off times before but I do some
calculations and know I can still finish this race. I put on socks,
gloves, and 2 jackets and make my way back through the spectators..
picking up where I left off.
Hotel Break: 33:12. I see Denise Floyd
cheering happily, then do a double-take when she sees me. David &
Victoria Blackmon also look with concern. I’m still too cold to
respond quickly.
Lap 1: 58:00. As I make the turn-around
and begin lap 2 I give them all a smile and get to work.
The wind has picked up now and I’m just as
cold as before. I want to go back to the room but to keep from being
disqualified, I first have to complete lap 2. Oh boy, this is hard, I
put the
brakes
on and keep pedaling. Finally I start riding standing up. After 2
miles I finally feel the heat generating inside me. I make the turn
and now am more aware.. I can talk.. I start cheering for my Teammates
and others I see.
Lap
2: 18mph. I finish lap 2 and start #3. I’m slow but feeling much
better. I pass fellow Teammate, David Kurtz, in the 50-54 division.
At the end of lap 3 I hear, “Hey Troy” and it’s David behind and
gaining on me. He’s such a great sport. When you announce to someone
ahead of you, you give them a chance to sprint to keep ahead. I do
this sometimes but have rarely heard someone else do it. As I push to
stay ahead I smile thinking what a great competitor he is. He
finished the bike while I turn for 1 more lap.
Lap 3: 18.5mph. All I have to do is get
to the turn-around, then it’s a tail-wind back to transition. On the
way back I see a female athlete wearing a jacket and gloves. “I’m
glad I’m not the only one wearing all this”. She says, “I just get so
cold”. I think, “Believe me, I hear ya” Before I finish my
ridiculously slow bike leg I get the inspiration to make the run my
fastest of the year.
Lap 4: 18.5mph (2:00:28) In transition I
strip back down to my race suit, turn off my stopwatch and re-start it
as I leave for the run. This is where my race begins. And there’s
Chad and Ally Hawker cheering me on. That’s such a boost. I’ve raced
Chad here a couple times and then he turned pro and I cheered for him
on his way to setting multiple records. Now here’s here to cheer for
me.
T2: 3:00. Unlike the Auburn Triathlon
where my running legs were weakened by my shivering on the bike, I now
feel good and am pulling all the stops. Maybe I can even catch some
guys in my age group. My lofty goal is to break 40min.
Mile 1: 6:35. Coming back on lap 1 of 3,
I’m almost on pace to do it. There’s a little climb which I actually
feel great on and maintain pace.
Mile
2: 6:27. I turn at the finish area for lap 2 and hear Nick Tuttle the
announcer say, “I can see the beautiful stride of Troy Soares..”
That’s encouraging and I pick it up. Hammer Gel and water keeps me
going. I see Teammates, Dave & Clyde. They have big smiles. I say
“God is Good” and inside I’m having such a great time. This is the
fastest I’ve run in years. It’s invigorating. I see Teammate, Matt,
heading back and joke, “Don’t let me catch you”. Little did I know
that he was about to finish 15 min ahead of me.
Mile 3: 6:20.
Mile 4: 6:28. Lap 2 is even better and I’m
down to
an average 6:24 pace. I need a 6:23 to break 40min. On the final
lap. Go, go, go!
Mile 5: 6:22. It’s getting tough but I
know it’s now or never. It was a big goal but it’s doable, I’m so
close. Going up the small hill I’m still at 6:24. I sprint down it
and head for the finish with everything I’ve got. If Anna is there
waiting for me, I’ll run with her.. that’s more important than a few
seconds. But I’ll give it my all to that point.
Mile 6: 6:24. Coming down the chute I
don’t see
Anna
and I sprint all the way.
Run: 39:12 Yay! I did it. My Garmin says
the run is .1 short. And my pace finished up at 6:25. But to break
40min I actually only needed a 6:26 pace! Wow, that was so exciting.
The miserable bike turned into the “remarkable run”. Robin later
researched our results and told me it was my fastest run since 2004!
I’m really thankful to the Lord who always has good things in store
for us when we pray… even when things look like
a disaster at first. Robin and I will try some new racing apparel for
me to keep the chill off, but one thing we will try never to change,
is remembering that “you never know what might happen” and that God
"…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and
a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
