Having never been to Augusta, Georgia I wasn’t sure what to expect we when arrived Friday night before the race. Augusta is roughly a 2-hour drive from Greenville so; our plan was to head out as soon as Ashley was able to get off work to check into our hotel. According to the race website, packet pickup was to end at 6:00 on Friday, which meant that we would have to wait until Saturday morning to attach my race numbers and bibs. That was not really something I was looking forward to but, something that was out of my control. Fortunately, we were able to make great time Friday afternoon and were able to pick up my race numbers and attend a short “pre-race” meeting by 6:00. This gave me the opportunity to scope out the course, transition area, and parking without any other racers or distractions. I was definitely glad I was able to that, as there were a number of speed bumps heading into the park which would have sent me flying off of my bike.
Our hotel was located in the heart of Augusta’s commercial
district, right off the exit ramp from I-20, about 25 minutes from the race
site. Don’t get me wrong our little hotel/motel was a gem, especially for the
price and cleanliness but, the traffic getting in and out of the parking lot
was a nightmare. Again, not something I could control so, not something to
worry about.
Race morning was probably the most relaxed, easy, & smooth
pre-race experience that I’ve ever had. All of my marathons combined didn’t
come close to the ease of the Tall Pines pre-race experience. The race was very
small, only 92 participants total in fact, making the “hectic-ness” of a race
almost non-existent. Small, local races, whether it’s a marathon, triathlon, or
5k, are the best races to run in my mind. My wife, Ashley, doesn’t share my
feelings towards small races, as she says “there’s nothing to do!” but, I on
the other hand love local races. I was able to set up transition, use the
restroom multiple times without a wait, and mentally prepare all with plenty of
time to spare.
At roughly 15 minutes prior to the start of the race, the MC
for the event announced that racers could start warming up in the water before
the mass swim start. He described the swim course one last time to all the
participants and instructed everyone to head towards the starting line. Moments
later, the horn blew and we were off.
As I chopped through the water towards
the buoys, I focused on my breathing and swim technique and tried not to expend
too much energy too early. Every couple of strokes I would lift my head to “sight”
the buoy to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I noticed a few
other swimmers beside me doing the same thing but, instead of sighting as they
swam, they would simply stop swimming altogether, look around, and start
swimming again. Inefficient, yes I know but, whatever.
After 33 minutes I finally made it back to the beach and
into transition. Not a fast 1,500 meters by any means but, almost exactly the
swim split I expected. I quickly tried to shed my wetsuit and head towards my
bike to begin the 40K ride. Let me just say, attempting to take off my wetsuit
quickly while tired and confused, I was not very graceful by any means. But, I
was able transition onto my bike without a hitch.
The bike portion of the race went really well. The roads
were smooth and rolling almost the entire ride. I was able to pass a number of other
racers, as my bike splits were much faster than I expected. In comparison to my first triathlon last
summer, I enjoyed the bike portion much much more at Tall Pines. I attribute that
to the fact that there wasn’t 2,000 feet of elevation gain over 13 miles!
My transition into the 10K run was not as smooth I would
have hoped. As I began running, my heart rate shot up to numbers I knew I could
not sustain for merely a mile, let alone all 6.2. So in order to keep my heart
rate and breathing down to a level I could tolerate, I began alternating
between walking and running. That wasn’t something I particularly want to do
but, it was something I could control… finally! This proved to be a very smart
move for my race strategy and overall run split for the 10K.
As I rounded the
last turnaround for the run, with only 1.5 miles to go, my body finally got the
hint. My heart rate slowed, my legs relaxed, and my running stride opened up. I
was running with such efficiency and energy that the last mile of the race I
ran a 7:42 split! Needless to say I was feeling great!
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As I crossed the finish line after 2 hours and 49 minutes I
felt great. I accomplished all that I had hoped to for an Olympic triathlon. I
was able to practice my race strategy, pacing, nutrition, and transitions all
in preparation for Ironman Louisville in August. Tall Pines was a great
learning experience, practice race and good time and I hope to be able to
return next year.
