Polar Bear Triathlon 2010 Race Report

I was able to finish the 2010 season with a very good race which I would like to share for anyone who may want to participate in the future. The setting was White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Dec. 4. It is a nice army facility with an indoor pool and wide open spaces to ride. As the name indicates, it can have pretty inhospitable conditions this time of year. We had a really cold spell earlier in the week but the temps on race day were not bad. I arrived at the gate at the prerequisite time of 0600 for the 0800 start due to security. It was a 45 min ride from home where the only eventuality was 2 jackrabbits crossing the road which I had to avoid so as not to run over them. The temp in car thermometer dipped down to 24F on the way but by the time I arrived at the base it was 31F. I got my transition area set up and ate a powerbar 1 hour before the start of the race. Went through registration and got body marked. In line I met some people who came all the way down from Albuquerque, some had only done 1 triathlon before.
As 0800 aproached, I lined up around the start line with some fellow El Paso Triathlon Club members. The sun had warmed the temp up to 38F with very little wind. A perfect day for racing...

The Run 7K 30:00 7:40 min/mile avg. pace

I lined up close to the front and started out as quickly as I could to gain some time. My running has improved much since the beginning of the year and I was able to stay close to the front for a while but the inevitable separation happened on a slight incline. Overall, felt good as I had tapered for 2 days and the conditions were perfect for running.

T1 1:18
I arrived in transition and was pretty deliberate without incident. Got my aero helmet and bike shoes and I was off. I had run with the cycling gloves so I saved some time that way.

The Bike 35K 1:08:22
Felt good on the bike but was cold at first. I had worn underarmers on top and bottom but as the speed and wind kicked up, I was glad that I had dressed warm. Some other folks had shorts and tri tops, I sure they were regretting their decision. The WSMR course leaves the base out into the desert where the testing grounds are. The way out has a fast downhill with some wind coming from the north. Initially the road is smooth asphalt but later it becomes rougher and with few potholes and bumps. I got passed by a few fast riders early on but largely maintained my position. There were several teams but there were no calf markings telling us that so there was no way to know. On the way back was when I had the most problem. I had a gu at the turnaround and then faced a little headwind. The nice descent turned into a 4 mile 2% grade which does not seem like much, but my speed took a hit. I started cramping in the calfs as well which had never happened before. I drank some gatorade as I approached T2 .

T2 2:03
Put the bike on the rack and proceeded to strip down to bathing suit. Surprisingly did not feel that cold. Grabbed a large towel and ran to the pool. As I ran I struggled a bit to put on swim cap and goggles.

The Swim 400 meters 10:47
The water was very warm thankfully but instantly I started to cramp. It was mostly the calfs again so I had to kick very little at first. The first laps were slower as I got the cramps to go away and got in a good rythm. I was checking behind me to make sure I was not going to get caught in the pool. Only one guy passed me going very fast, but he was rested as he was in a team doing the swim only.

Total time 1:32:52
I found out that I got 2 Nd in my 45-49 age group. That was the second medal I have gotten, the first a 3rd place finish at the Wind Triathlon at the same location. It is a good feeling to be able to still improve my time and gives me added motivation to keep training.

Next, I have plans to undertake an entirely new and different challenge. I started mountain biking this Fall and have signed up for the Puzzler. The annual event is 35 or 50 miles (I will be attempting 35) over the Franklin Mountains. It promises to be a tough course but it will serve as good training to the mountains in Nice, France. But that is not until June 2011.