Tammie and I decided almost a year ago to do this destination race. We had been to the Big Island for a few days ten years ago when I had a conference, and we had both wanted to come back ever since. We arrived mid-day Thursday on a direct flight from Oakland and headed straight to race HQ. The race has two transitions with the swim and T1 at Hapuna Beach (frequently listed as a top 10 beach in the world) and T2 at an oceanfront golf course resort a few miles south. We got our packets, set up our T2 (run) bags, and then headed about 20 miles south to Kona where we’re staying. Friday was spent assembling the bikes, dropping them at T1, and going for a short swim in the amazingly clear waters at Hapuna Beach.

We were up at 4:00 AM race day for the drive to park at T2 and then take a shuttle up to the swim start. The race was a beach start with a new hybrid method that used both waves and a rolling start. Each age group wave had a five-minute window to start. You self-seeded based on expected swim time and then queued up into one of four starting gates. Every 5 seconds, four swimmers were released. The system issued tones once per second that are familiar to anyone who has watched ski-racing. The fifth tone is higher pitched which is the signal to go. I have to say I love the system, as I was able start and get immediately into rhythm without any body contact at all, a rarity for sure.

I had thought that no triathlon swim would ever eclipse Lake Tahoe for underwater scenery. I was wrong. The water was crystal clear and the bottom dropped off very slowly so you could see the ocean floor for the entire swim. Once I got maybe 100 yards off shore I could see numerous coral formations, and despite being in a race, noticed lots of tropical fish swimming around. I kept a steady rhythm, and except for having to navigate around swimmers from earlier waves, had a smooth, relaxing, steady swim. My time of 32:35 for 1.2 miles is a bit slow for me normally, but about what I would expect for a non-wetsuit swim. My split ranked 12th of 162 in my age group.

After the run up the beach I paused briefly under the showers to rinse off the salt water then had a quick transition to the bike. A huge topic pre-race at the expo and the course talks was wind, which was forecast to be severe on race day. For anyone who has watched the Ironman telecast on TV, you know what the bike course looks like, as this race also heads up and down the Queen K Highway. And there is nothing taller than a lava rock to block the wind. Fortunately, the wind was off shore for the swim, so the water wasn’t all that choppy. But that meant cross-winds on the bike that started out to be troublesome, and then developed into full-fledged craziness. The course has long, rolling hills that aren’t that steep, but they do produce long sections of subtle climbing as well as fast descents. I was racing on my new deep dish wheelset (88 in the back and 60 in the front) which has proven to be very fast. Perhaps it had to do with onions, but I was able to take the descents a lot faster than most of those around me. Due to the cross winds, most riders weren’t willing to descend on their aero-bars, and many were obviously riding the brakes at times.

At the north end of the course, you turn east and begin about a 10 mile climb to the turnaround in the town of Hawi. The climb itself is only about 4%, but it was into a 25 mph plus headwind the entire time. And there was even a brief rain shower to add to the fun. Which of course led to a 10 mile tailwind descent with most of it spent spun out in my highest gear. Then the course turned south and the wind was a dangerous cross-tail of at least 30 mph the rest of the way. I did have to get off the aerobars a few times in this section and was honestly grateful to finally reach the turn into the resort with the rubber still down. My 56 mile bike split was 02:42:11 for an average speed of 20.7 mph, ranking 7th of 162 in my age group.

By the time I started the run, the heat was on full display. It was about 90 degrees, humid, and of course, windy. I felt pretty bad from the start, and ran very conservatively, hoping to avoid the “survival shuffle” later in the run. The course is two loops through the golf course community, with much of it on the course itself. Long sections running up fairways is kind of cool, but the soft grass does sink with every step and seems to suck some of your energy with every stride. There were lots of very well equipped aid stations and I made a point to get some fluid and ice at every one. I went for the coke fairly early, and also had some banana pieces that seemed to help with cramping that I would feel coming on from time to time. I actually felt a bit better as the run went on and finished the first lap in 57 minutes at about 8:50 pace. I did slow some on the second lap, but never fell apart and only walked briefly through the aid stations. While I was happy with that, I was still disappointed to not have run faster. But the conditions definitely had a lot to do with it. My 13.1 mile run split was 2:00:44 for an average pace of 9:13 per mile, ranking 12th of 162 in my age group. My total time of 5:22:41 was good for 12th of 162 in my age group and 88 of about 1500 overall.

I didn’t realize until after I finished just how overheated and dehydrated I was. Clearly ten years in California has eroded my acclimatization to humid racing conditions. I grabbed some fluid, stood under a shower, then found a spot in the shade to sit down. I started to cramp almost immediately, and actually had to sit there for quite a while until they subsided. I thought about visiting the med tent, but some Gatorade, pretzels, and time eventually had me feeling better. I watched Tammie finish, and then we shared stories of the crazy winds and other events of the day while we enjoyed some of the post race beer and food.

I convinced her to stick around for the awards ceremony, which includes allocation of 50 qualifying slots to the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as a very unusual drawing for 10 spots to the Ironman World Championships in October (the big one). We didn’t win any of those, but I was fortunate to get the 4^th slot for 70.3 Worlds in my age group on roll down. Now the vacation officially starts with another six days to enjoy the Island.

CTC President’s Report May 2017

Swim, Bike, Run & Smile

Summer Party:

The annual Summer Party is coming up. Mark your calendars for June 11th at 2pm. The party will be hosted by Jason and Marissa Berry at 705 Burnt Ranch Way. Bring your favorite side or dessert to share.

Uniforms:

The uniform orders are in. COntact Jannelle to pick up your gear.

Training:

Triathlon training season is in full swing!!

Swim at One Mile:

The swim at One Mile starts this Friday! Arrive between 6:30 and 7:00 AM to swim some laps in the Sycamore pool. This is a great intro to open water. For the first few weeks the water might be a little cold, so you may want to wear a wetsuit.

In Motion Swim:

    Heather Martinez at In Motion holds a Tri swim class on Tue. and Thurs. at 9:00 A.M. Contact In Motion for further details.

The River Road TTs:  June 1 is the next time trial date. The Time Trials are held the first Thursday of the month. First rider goes at 6:01PM. The starting line is where W. 5th Ave turns into River Road (Near the corner of Miller Ave).

Wednesday Night “50” Rides:

The ‘50’ rides have begun for the year!

Fun 50- Meet at 5:30PM- Casual group ride, no drop, good for beginners, NO SPRINTING, no Troxel loop, 15-18mph avg, can have stretches over 20mph

Friendly 50- 5:30PM- Intermediate group ride for experienced riders, 18-20 mph avg, can have stretches in upper 20s

Fit 50- 5:30PM- Strong/faster group ride, can have sprint points, 21-23mph avg, can have stretches near 27-30mph

FAST 50- 6:00PM- Weekly World Championships, fast race ride (Cat 3 level race), several sprint points, 23-26mph avg, can have stretches over 30mph at times

All rides meet at Rosedale School in the front or side parking lots. Finish is on West Sacramento Ave or 5th near the TT start.

Decide and Ride:

Sundays, 9am

The Friday Rides: The rides will resume in the Spring of 2017. This a week-by-week invite ride. Contact Shawn Hughes at amigohughes@ gmail . com if you are interested in the ride.

Runs:Tony English, is leading a LSD run on Sundays from the bathrooms at 5 mile at 8:00 AM. This is an easy pace 60 min. run.

There is also a LSD run on Saturdays meeting at the 5 mile bathrooms at 8:00 AM.

CTC Track Workout: The track workouts are looking for a home due to the closures of the high school and college tracks. The Durham track is an option. Every Thursday (except the first Thursday, see TT above) meet at 5:45 PM. Check the Facebook group for updates

Race Results:

This is a shout out to anybody who has participated in a recent race. We would love to hear from you.

Members have really been tearing up the courses this month.

Multi-sport event results for CTC members are posted on the Results page of the website. Contact webmaster@chicotriathlonclub.com with any errors or omissions. Please send any information on a race you have participated in. This could be as simple as your name and the name of the event, your results or a race report outlining your personal experience.

Athlete of the month:

The Athlete of the Month for April is Manny Mejia. Manny was nominated for his amazing race at the Oceanside 70.3. Congratulations Manny!

Please take the time to help us pick the next Athlete of the month. Just send an email to president@chicotriathlonclub.com listing your nomination.

Club Races for 2017

The Official CTC Club Races for 2017 will be:

TBF Tri for Fun    June 10th        Rancho Seco    (Sprint)

Tinman        September 3rd    Lake Siskiyou    (Sprint)  

Tinman will be eligible for the CTC race reimbursement program. The first 30 members to sign up will be reimbursed up to the $60 early bird registration price. Sign up at shastatinman.com

Other races that CTC will be supporting:

TBF Tri for REAL    July 15th        Rancho Seco    (Olympic)

Solar Duathlon    August 20th        Madras, OR        (16mi MTB, 8mi run)

TBF Granite Bay Tri, August 26th        Granite Beach    (Sprint)

TBF Golden State Tri, October 8th    Sacramento        (Sprint)

Remember: TBF is giving CTC members a 15% discount on all triathlons in the 2017 season. Contact a board member to get the discount code.

Volunteer opportunities for 2017:

A HUGE Thank You to all of those who who have volunteered, especially those who came out to the Oroville Aid Station for the Wildflower Century and the Celebration of Life 5k.  CTC has such an amazing and generous membership.

CTC has one volunteer event for 2017:

Almond Bowl-Nov 5

Sponsor spotlight:

Summer is coming, and so is the hot Chico sun. Make sure your skin is ready for it. Visit Losi Dermatology for a check-up. Make sure to tell them you are a CTC member.

Have a great time running, swimming and riding this month.
 

Thank you,

Tony English

CTC President

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