2010 Parris Island Race Recap

Fun race. Decent splits. Great weather. Can’t complain….we’ll maybe just a little.

I had a pretty decent swim time, despite having to deal with the log jams caused by slower swimmers not submitting the proper 100 yard swim times. With swimmers going off every 10 seconds and swimming down-and-back in each lane (based on submitted time), it can get very crowded quickly, especially if you are way off in your projection. Oh well, while it did slow me down some, it was nice to get a breather. I knew I wasn’t vying for a podium spot, so it wasn’t as frustrating as it could have been.

The other issue I ran into was a mechanical problem with my brakes. After a couple miles my rear brake began rubbing my rim. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my brakes becoming offset after hitting a pot hole, or the cable sticking. I tried to fix it on the fly and couldn’t. I opened the brakes to decrease the rub, but it was still there. Why I just didn’t stop and fix the problem is beyond me. I did manage to average 19.5, but undoubtedly lost a couple minutes.

At least my run was solid. I’ve been doing very little speed work, and I’m racing about 5lbs heavier than last year. Running a 20:53 5k is fine for an early season race. I’ll take it.

One other random note. There was a dude who raced in a long sleeve shirt and jeans. He was an older guy, probably in his 50s, and he looked like a spectator upon first glance. I’m not sure what he swam in, but I’m assuming it wasn’t jeans, so he must of changed in the locker room after the swim. He obviously wasn’t too concerned with his T1 split. I saw him again on the run and I had to do a double take when I saw his race number. I’ve never seen someone do a triathlon in jeans. I admire his ability to ‘keep it real,’ but maybe go ahead and go with some shorts next time. Less chaffing.

Downtown Columbia Tri
This weekend I’ll be racing the downtown Columbia tri. This is a second year event, and one that I’ve never done. I’m looking forward to a new course. It’s been a while since I’ve raced a sprint on unfamiliar territory.

The swim is in a 50 mtr pool, so we won’t have to deal with the down and back scenario – should be plenty of room to pass if necessary. The bike is short and sweet, and I’ll have my brakes race ready. I just hope the weather is as nice as last weekend.