27 out of 439 athletes in today's race!

Well, it's done...competition for the week is over, now it's time for rest, relaxation and post-race stories.

Here is a brief synopsis of the morning's events. All in all, I had a great day, a great visit to New York, and one of my best races ever! It all started last November, when my friend and training partner James Ellengold said, "Hey, why don't you sign up for the NYC Triathlon?" From there, plans went into motion, and everything came together for today.

Morning: Up at 4:05am, even though my race didn't begin until 8:27. You see, the race officials announced they were closing the BIKE transition area at 5:45am, so that meant we had to be up there to get our gear together. If we did all of that early enough, then we would get out in time to watch the professionals begin their race (they started at 5:50am!).

Pre-race: We were up at the bike transition by 5:15am, and were set by the time they closed the gates. From there, we walked one mile upriver (yes, we were to swim in the Hudson River!) to the starting line. Along the way, we met athletes, talked about the day, and then watched the first few waves take off toward the south jetty.

Waiting time: From about 6:15-8:27am I sat on the lawn, sipped on my water, and visualized the coming day. I knew from experience that an "Olympic distance" event is a challenge... moving 32 total miles with "as-much-effort-as-I-can-muster."

The Swim: 1,500 meters, down-river, in the Hudson. This was awesome! My swim time (under 22 minutes) was blazing fast, due to the rapid current of the river. In fact, at the start barge, I jumped in and had to hold on to a rope...otherwise, I'm afraid I would have gone down-river without my group!

I ended the swim feeling good, and ran toward transition passing guys in purple caps (my wave). Off with the wetsuit, and on to the bike.

The Bike: Just around 24 miles, an "out-and-back" course along the Henry Hudson Parkway. The course was well marked, and as I was in the 32 wave (yes, 31 waves of athletes...each wave with 30-80 athletes...had already started ahead of me), I spent most of my time passing other riders. The best part of the ride? I was not passed by a single rider. The second best part? Out of 439 athletes in my age group, I finished with the 12th fastest time!

I came in off the bike like a champ, and within two minutes was out again onto the run course. A mile along 72nd street...then it was "into the park!"

The Run: Running through Central Park is always a treat, and today it was that much more so. Nothing I've experienced approaches the feeling of running along with about 3000 other athletes, all with a common goal to do our best. Miles 1-3 I was feeling great...running right about 7:30 or so. Then, 4,5 I slowed down a bit...but, when I hit the mile 5 marker (meaning there were only 1.2 miles to go), I did what I could to keep a faster pace.

I ended the race finishing faster than I thought I would. I was pleased with the time, the day, the experience... Asked if I would do the NYC Triathlon again, the smile I replied with gave my answer away! See you next year...

Comments

[Rob]

Awesome, Jason. I love how an idea in November can develop into success in July - lots of lessons in there for everyone.