Race Report: San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island, 11 November 2007

Well, in spite of the 58,000 gallons of fuel and oil spilled in the SF Bay the race was still run. Here are the official splits with commentary:

Overall Rank: 112 (M 40-44 Rank: 17 ) // Again, I placed dead in the middle of my age group--which isn't a bad thing, but it sets the pace for next year on average. It is a good place to start, right? I could be in the rear of the bracket with a huge uphill climb to get into the top 25%.

Overall time: 1:03:44 // Just about where I predicted I would come in--on the earlier side of it. My goal for this race was to redline it until my body said, "umm... no." Then I backed off a stitch. And I suppose there were a few things I could've done differently in preparation, but there always is.

0.5K Swim (cancelled due to oil spill) // I was really bummed about this part as it's the leg I worked the hardest on over the last few weeks. Plus, it left the race feeling incomplete as it missed a full one-third of the course. You know what they say... "No use crying over spilled oil."

20K Bike Time 0:35:04 (avg speed 21.2 mph) // Tri-California replaced the swim leg with a Le Mans Start--which means we gather up in the "corral" just outside the swim finish line without shoes, gloves, or helmet. When the horn sounds, we take off running into the Transition Area to gear up for the bike leg (about 20 meters barefoot on concrete). Once geared up, we had to run with our bikes to the Mount Line (another 20 meters), hop on, clip in, and get out on what amounted to a Criterium-style cycling course. The course was still wet from the rain the night prior, and there were hazards galore--not to mention the traffic once all of the waves were on the course. But, that's the fun of it! Lots of turns and slowpokes, but I'm happy with my speed and time... for now.

Oh, and the other success on the bike was my flying start--meaning my shoes are already mounted on my pedals when I start the ride, and I slip into them while I'm out on the course. Why do this? Because running in cycling shoes is a pain in the ass--which leaves room for injury--and it makes the transition to the bike that much faster. I practiced it some the night before and it worked out on race day. Hell yeah!!

5K Run Time 0:27:05 (avg speed 0:08:44 min/mile) // Again, I started the run with my calves threatening to revolt if I didn't slow down. I tried to spin down some at the end of my ride to help with this, but I guess it wasn't enough. That slowed my opening pace a bit, but I was able to pick it up before too long. Otherwise, I kept the pace to the point where my constant side-stitch was manageable. I just couldn't get rid of it, so I figured that was my body telling me I was pushing it fast enough at the moment. Once I got with eyeshot of the finish I started to build my pace to cross the line strong--I wasn't about to leave anything on the course!

And I didn't.

Postrace Celebration // After a race, it's time to eat, right?! So, we linked up with our friends Curtis, Serafina, Josh, and his lovely wife Sarah, and headed over to a breakfast joint with the greatest name in the world--The Pork Store (http://www.yelp.com/biz/zpJ9qABt_xhA6G4-qMvUrA). How can you go wrong with that! People were lined up outside to get a table, and once we got inside we soon found out why. I'll blog more on this later, so suffice it to say it made for a perfect celebration for an adventurous season. Thanks for getting us out there, Fina!

What's next? // That ended my 2007 season, short-lived as it was. I'm planning on taking the next few weeks off, leaving my workouts unstructured and taking a mental break from training. I'll do the occasional run, ride, or swim, but otherwise my focus is cross-training and yoga. Recovery is my theme for the next month. And I plan on thoroughly enjoying the American Eating Holiday--Thanksgiving.

The other part of my off-season break is planning my 2008 racing season. And a big part of that is my participation in Athletes For A Cure. Perhaps participation is the wrong word--campaign is more appropo.

But, just like this year, I have my goals. And with the right focus and effort, I'll meet and exceed those goals!

And y'all can read about it right here.

Race Update

Your athlete Karl M Schirrmacher just completed the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island at 09:04:52. AM 11/11/07

Race Update

Karl M Schirrmacher has just completed the Bike In of the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island at 08:36:35. AM 11/11/07

58,000 gallons of Race Week

So, I've been training for the San Francisco International Triathlon at Treasure Island (and I still don't think that name fits well on a t-shirt); as I'm sure a lot of other athletes have been. Pros, Age Groupers, and Middle-of-the-packers alike, have been getting ready for the chilly and scenic race for the last few weeks. And some, like me, have been looking forward to capping our season with a big race like this.

Then, tragedy struck.

Well, a COSCO container ship struck... it happened to strike the Bay Bridge. Not that a ship hitting the bridge should have any impact on a bunch of neoprene clad nuts crawling through the water--but the 58,000 gallons of fuel and oil that spilled out of the ship does seem to be impacting us (here's the recent news: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0822954120071109 Thu Nov 8, 2007 9:05pm EST).

At this point, Tri-California is saying the following:
Despite the recent 58,000-gallon oil spill into the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday, November 7, Tri-California Events, will continue to host the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island as planned.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, city officials commented that Tri-California Events would completely cancel the event due to unsafe water conditions, resulting from the oil spill. Despite the information released in the press conference, the event will continue as planned.

Tri-California is in direct contact with the U.S Coast Guard and water safety officials. As of 1:00 pm on November 8, 2007, the US Coast Guard determined that the swimming area off Treasure Island is unsafe; however, the Coast Guard will re-evaluate water conditions daily.

Tri-California Events does not intend to make any final decisions about the swim portion of the race until late Friday, or even early Saturday morning, unless officially determined sooner. Regardless, the event will continue with at least the bike, and run portion. The Olympic distance race (Saturday) will begin with a 7:15 am start for age group athletes, and 12 noon start for the elite race as planned. The Sprint distance race (Sunday) will begin at 7:15 am for age group athletes.

Meanwhile, I'm still counting down to race day and following through with my taper. I figure if I'm given the chance I'll still swim (I work in a nuclear facility--a little motor oil can't hurt me any further). If not, it'll be a short duathlon/workout.

Ugh... what a way to end the season...

Treasure Island Tri coming up

Yes, it's my second race for my short-lived 2007 season. It's a bit shorter than the Golden State Triathlon that I did last month, but it'll be good to do one more before planning next year. The water will be colder, but my new Blue Seventy wetsuit should stave off the SF Bay temperatures while I crawl .5km.

I've been using the Training Peaks (www.trainingpeaks.com) website to help plan out my training, and it's been working out really well. Coordinated by well-known coach Joe Friel, the site uses his methodology for training and periodization. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it yet. Week to week, I'm presented new challenges every week.

This week is a bigger week--volume-wise--and I'm trying to balance it against work and family. Fortunately, I need to fill some longer Zone 1-2 bike miles this week and the Boy Scouts are helping me out with a bike hike around Angel Island on Sunday (there's nothing better than when I can combine family and training). Look for pics to be posted soon. Tonight's brick is a tougher one, combining 800m with Zone 4 5-minute bike intervals. I did this one last week for the first time and I'm looking forward to doing it again today.

40 sucks, and I'm not taking it sitting down

So, I turned 40 this year. And I just had my first prostate exam during my recent physical. Yes, I had a man's finger up my butt--and I'm glad he had slim fingers.

But it brings up a very important issue at this stage of my life. Prostate cancer affects 1 out of 6 men in this country and the more we understand this, get tested, and get educated the easier we can deal with the probability that we may be touched by this scourge.

Also, I finally ran my first triathlon. While I'm sure it was in spite of the big "four-oh," it was also in an effort to keep up on my military and law enforcement careers. I need to stay in shape for this kind of work, and endurance sports are the way I plan to do it.

So, what's the cause you ask? Well, I decided that for my 2008 triathlon season I wanted to add a little more depth to my efforts. I found Athletes For a Cure (http://www.athletesforacure.com/) and figured if I was going to take up a cause that it would be a good one. And rather appropriate given the slim fingers that got jammed up my backside the other day.

Stick with me, check out my posts, and maybe find the motivation and get out there yourself--whether it's in the pool or on the road. It makes for a great life and it keeps us from being that 1 in 6.