Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon 2014 Race Report
- bradleyhaag
- Jul 9, 2014
- 3 min read
Background
Back in 2011 I did this race while on leave from the military and truly enjoyed the experience (see Race Results HERE), so now that I'm actually living in Central Oregon and this race just down the road, I decided early in the season I would do this race again (now 3 years later) to see how or even if I had improved. This being said as the race came closer and closer I decided it would be best to save it for next year. After my race my 70.3 Boise and given the fact I'm getting married in just a few weeks, I decided I would save this race for next year. This was until my friend David would already registered couldn't race due to a broken wrist and was able to transfer his slot to me. So less than a week before the race it was confirmed I would be racing! Even though my training was minimal my excitement was maximal.
Race (1500m Swim, 29 Mile Bike, 10k Run)
Swim
The water racing morning was indeed cold, but with my newly acquired full sleeve wetsuit (thanks Jamie!) it wasn't too bad. I warmed up (well I didn't get warm) by swimming a little bit before my wave. As everyone lined up for the start I positioned myself like I always do slightly to one side but still in the front. Once the gun went off I was able to hang with the lead swimmers till the first of four turn buoys but then slow drifted into my own slower pace. The rest of the swim was uneventful, I was mostly on my own and couldn't catch a draft off anyone. I exited the water at the end of the swim leg feeling good, although unsure if I had a good swim split or not.
Bike
Transition was smooth as always given I practice transitions more than any other triathlete I know. Once I was on the bike, I slowly build up my speed and just kept pushing the pace throughout the entire bike. This bike course featured one 1.5 mile hill at about the 10 mile mark, but once you crest the hill it's almost all downhill in T2. Having done this race before I knew exactly how to pace myself on the bike course and executed my plan well. Even with good pacing I do remember wishing I had put in some more hard training rides prior to this race. I could tell I just didn't have the power I had in previous years given my average speed and perceived exertion.
Run
After T2 I started running and felt the usual feeling of jello legs. But after about a 1.5
miles I was able to pick up the pace and hold it right at the point of pain but not at the point I would blow up at. It wasn't easy to walk this fine line, but I had prepared to really push the 10k run so was able to manage it. To help aid in the physical and mental exhaustion of holding a fast pace for nearly 5 more miles, I would simply count to 100 over and over again until I was finally closing on finish. I can proudly say I was only passed by 1 person on the run (whom I later learn was an 18 year old that ran a 35min 10k!). FinishI crossed the finish line feeling awesome! Unlike other races I didn't collapse or feel like I was doing die at the end, I actually felt pretty good and still had some energy left! This being said I knew I overall time wasn't faster than my 2011 time, so was slightly disappointed. After eating some delicious post race food, I told my family we could leave as I assumed I didn't place in my age group.
Overall Thoughts
The next day when the race results came out, I found out I finished 23rd overall out of 450 people and 3rd in age group! Seeing these results completely changed my outlook on the race. What was previously a "pretty good" race for me turned into an "awesome race". Although I placed 18th overall in 2011 (5 places higher), I did beat my previous 10k run split by over a minute. Finishing this race really sparked my motivation to give this race another try next year. I'm even thinking of setting a goal of placing top 10 overall for 2015, only time will tell if I make this goal a reality!
See official Results HERE.
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