The race takes place at the Elephant Butte lake in Truth or Consequences, NM which is about 110 miles north of West El Paso. It consists of a 1 mile Swim followed by a 26.5 mile Bike, and a 6 mile Run. More info can be obtained at http://www.elephantmantriathlon.com/ It is a very challenging course but seems to have gotten better every year in terms of organization and the level of competition is very high. Here, I will describe the race as I experienced it with the hope of passing on some insights to those who may consider doing it in the future.
I left El Paso on Sat. around noon with the idea of setting up a campsite next to the lake. I have gone camping with the kids every year I have done the race and it adds to the fun for them and me. Also, this is the second year they had a kids triathlon and so I needed to get them registered for that event on Sat. afternoon. I will not go into the kids event on this blog, suffice it to say that it was well organized and all my 3 children had a blast.
Had a fitful night in the tent as usual and got up at 0500 to eat breakfast and head over to transition. I arrived at 0600 and the crowds were gathering for the anticipated 0700 start of the Long Distance (1.2mile Swim, 56 mile Bike and 13.1 mile run) event which is the first time they have ever done it here. Had my helmet inspected as I went into the transition area. I set up transition close to the exit and went to get my timing chip and body marking. We received word that the water temperature was 74 and so it would be Wet Suit legal (anything under 78 by USAT rule). Met some friends in transition and then went back to the beach to put my wet suit on for a little warm up and watched the long distance course take off. We had swim caps of different colors and these designated the wave that we would be in. I was in the second wave (0815) with the over 40 men, the Clydesdales, and the relay team swimmers.
The Swim 1 mile 41:01
I started in the middle of the pack and got hit a couple of times as expected along the starting point. The lake level has been very low due to the drought and the course was a big rectangle this year. In previous years it was a big triangle which made for easier sight lines. We headed straight out and then made a right towards buoy on the far right side of the lake and then several left turns to complete the rectangle before coming back on what they called the chute. I had trouble sighting along the long part of the rectangle and towards the end got a cramp in my calf which caused me to slow down. I passed a few people in the earlier wave with different colored caps. I reached the beach but was disappointed by me time in the water, I had hoped to swim a little faster. My first time here in 2008 I had swam the distance in 55:31(202 out of 204 swimmers) and in 2009 42:12.
T1 3:41
For those of you who have not been to the lake of late, the water level is supper low. This meant we had to run up a hill with rocks, barefoot to get to the bikes. Shortly out were some wet suit strippers which was a nice addition to the event. I had to walk part way up as my heart rate was around 150 out of the water and I could not run. The rest was smooth to the bike mount line.
The Bike 26.5 miles 1:25:21 Avg. Speed 17.5 mph
As I have done this race before, I knew to expect a difficult bike course. Once out of transition there is a steep hill to get out of the State Park. I put my bike in the easiest gears and tried to go up steady. After you leave the park the roads are flat for a few miles then there are some fast downhills where I reached a peak speed of 37 mph. Then followed some canyons where there are 2 tough hills. At mile 10 got some water and filled by aero bottle and at mile 11 started the biggest hill which has a 10% grade and then it flattens out followed by a longer 4-5% grade until mile 17. From that point forward it is pretty close to all down hill with a bit of tail wind. At mile 20, we passed the turnoff for the long course and by the time I was there, I was passed by the lead group of guys that had started the swim at 0700, on their way back after nearly completing their 56 miles, very humbling. I got my second water bottle at mile 20 and had some energy beans for nutrition. The last few yards are straight downhill, but you have to slow down because the dismount line is at the very bottom of the hill.
T2 1:00
I was in a good spot next to the run and bike exit so I was helped to speed my transition. Got my shoes on and cap on and took a bottle of Gatorade with me on the start of the run.
The Run 6.2 miles 54:12 8:45 min/mile
The course takes off along a dirt road towards the spill way of the lake. There is an initial downhill and then flattens with some rolling hills. After the half mile mark there was this killer hill that was 15% grade and I just had to walk it as did most people around me. Then we reached the spill way and we run towards the dam, again through rolling hills and then cross the dam which is a really cool view on both sides. The turnaround point is at the end of a short climb where I had a gu and some water. I tried to keep a steady pace but the hills and the increasing heat took their toll. The last mile was again through the dirt trail which seemed to give less traction on the return. I arrived to the finish and the kids ran with me for the last eighth of a mile, which is uphill.
Overall, my time was 3:05:15 which represents a big improvement for me at this distance. My first time in 2008 was 3:44:00 and in 2009, I had improved to 3:24:17. My place in my age group was 12/17 which is a reflection of the level of the competition with the winner in the age group finishing in 2:18:11.
I highly recommend this race to anyone looking to move to the next level from the sprint distances and events in the swimming pool. The volunteers were terrific and the race director, Cory, does a very good job.
No comments:
Post a Comment