My First Aquabike Event

Did I participate in the UMLY triathlon this year? No,  Did I try the new aquabike (swim + bike) event? Yes.

The swim event was run entirely different from previous years.  Instead of a wave start where about 12 people swim in the pool at one time, followed by another wave, each swimmer was started about one minute apart and you swam a zig-zag pattern across the pool.  It worked!

I was amazed that I even passed someone in the pool.  This only happens when a) the passer is a very fast swimmer or b) the passee lied about her estimated time for swimming 500 meters.  Let's dispel a) right away as I am not a fast swimmer.  The woman I passed must be really slow, but gave a really optimistic time estimate.

The bike route was longer than before and had quite a few new turns to stay on course.  I had practiced the route the week before, however I still managed to miss a turn.  On the return route there was a cop signalling to me to make a left hand turn from Sugartown onto Church Rd.  Due to a brain freeze I zipped right past him following the route from the previous year.  I quickly realized my mistake, braked hard, and circled back.  I even apologized to the cop for my mistake (did I think he was going to give me a ticket?).  Must have added 20 seconds to my overall time.

A final comment on my placement.  First the good news -- I finished first in my age bracket.  Now the bad news -- I was the only one in my age bracket and was last among the six male finishers.   I still had fun (but no photos at all).

Swim (500 m) 15:13
Transition          5:50
Bike (20 km)   55:54
Total             1:16:17

My Last Sprint Triathlon (sort of)

You might think I am really getting faster from year to year.  You would be wrong.  On the day of the race I learned that they shortened the bike route due to potholes on one of the major downhills of the course.  Makes sense -- don't want anyone crashing their bike due to a pothole.  Right before my start I overheard someone say that they changed the running route.  Okay, probably just a tweak to the route that's been used since the event was established.

Now as I completed the swim, and finished the bike ride, I started the run which is the most god-awful physical experience one can bear.  Getting off the bike my legs are crampy and I start running with tiny strides because it feels like elastic bands are attached between my legs.  I don't feel like running 5 meters let alone 5 kilometers.  Soon I discover that they completely re-routed the course.  I have no idea how far I've run or how far I still have to go.  I ask a volunteer at a water station and just get a "I don't know."

Okay, I finished but I vowed this was my last sprint triathlon.  Why? Besides hating the run at the end, I hate the training prior to the event.  A heavy training day (even a light training day) leaves me exhausted for the rest of the day.  I also have a light headache which I learned is called an "exercise headache." Only a sick man would do this to himself.

Final note: This posting was written in 2015 almost a full year after the event.  I was going to give up this event when the Y announced a couple of variations:
- sprint triathlon (500 m. swim, 10 km. bike, 5 km. run)
- duathlon (5 km. run, 500 m. swim, 5 km. run)
- aquabike (500 m. swim, 20 km. bike)

Now that aquabike event looks interesting...