Mark Dames Triathlon Report-Reservoir Tri

Triathlon Report by Mark Dames
Race: 6/3/2012 Reservoir Olympic Distance Triathlon

Location: Uvas Reservoir Morgan Hill
Race wave: Mixed Relay Division
Place: 4th out of 9 teams

While you folks were attacking the CCCX, my daughter Amanda and I took a shot at the Uvas Reservoir Triathlon in Morgan Hill.

Being that Amanda is coming off finals and the end-of-school year, graduation press, we decided to do this as a relay so she can ease back into competition.

Plan was for her to do the front and back/swim and run, I’d to the bike leg in the middle.

We arrived, set up in transition, said hello to a few friends and headed out for a warm up run along Uvas road. A twenty minute loop and we were ready.

She suited up in the wetsuit and we got to the beach for the line up. She goes in for a swim warm up about 15 minutes before her wave goes off.

Her stroke is looking arrow straight, and efficient, I feel she’s going to do well on this leg. I usually get around in 30 minutes, and I’m hoping she’ll do the same although she hasn’t had much swim training lately. Unbeknownst to me she’s swimming with triathlon goggles I bought her in 8th grade. She’s now a high school senior and apparently they don’t fit so well anymore. She has to turn over several times during the race to clear them from leaks, but she gets around the course in 31 minutes.

It’s a gratifying sight to see Amanda sprinting up the boat ramp which from the swim exit right on schedule. I get ready to strip the timing chip off her leg and transfer to mine. Task done, I jog my bike out of transition to the mount line and I’m off. The course is rolling hills with several significant climbs and some technical descents. I get up to 25 mph and try to keep my heart rate even for the first couple of miles. 151 bpm is my Olympic distance threshold, but I’m bouncing up to 159 at times and have to throttle back. On the first descent I discover that my brakes are not working on the carbon rims too well, and I am in imminent danger of losing it! I get through the first descent, and come to a right hand intersection with a flag man waving me right. Only problem is I’m going over 30 mph and the brakes have the aforementioned problem of reining this TT bike in. I approach the intersection and the brakes are not slowing, not slowing, not slowing, rear disc lock-up! A holy shit moment ensues as the rear skids out to the left, which happens to point me in the correct direction for the right hand turn. Luck or instinct causes me to let off, the rear straightens and I get around the corner. Wish I had a video of the corner worker’s expression. I get back on the gas as I figure there’s a 50/50 chance I’m going to crash in this race. Oh well. No caution now, I’ve got to get that timing chip back to my partner. I pass everyone I come upon and no one passes me. This isn’t saying much because the relays started dead last behind all the age group waves, but I figure at least I’m not having a bad day, . . . yet. One more technical descent comes along, I take it pretty slowly, my brakes are screaming like scalded cats, but I figure an unintentional dismount will cost me even more time. Last five miles to the barn I try to up shift and put the hammer down. This causes almost immediate muscle fatigue, and I have to shift back down and keep the cadence up. I pass numerous people who look to be pedal mashing at a sub 60 cadence. I spin by them at 90-95. Somebody give those poor souls the message. At around 22 miles I’m still sub one hour. I’ve been hovering at LT for an hour with numerous forays into the red zone. My record in the 24 mile bike leg is 1:05. I’m thinking team Dames may get a PR today. At mile 23, my legs start failing. I’m experiencing an alarming drop off in pace going up the rollers. I realize I forgot to eat anything. My goo pack is still taped to my top tube. Too late now, I push through and let the heart rate go ballistic. I enter the bike finish chute in oxygen debt wheezing like a Marlboro addict.

In transition #2 Amanda is waiting, she strips the timing chip, we high five and she’s off on the run. After catching my breath, I note other relay runners still waiting for their bike riders to arrive. Good. Let them wait. Their teammates didn’t go to the pain cave like I did. Maybe we’ll have a shot at the podium.

About three minutes after Amanda left, and small guy in a Stanford kit comes into transition with his bike. A big African American dude is waiting for him. This guy is football big up top, track and field build waist down, and he’s wearing those “I’m serious about this” compression sleeves on his legs. He takes the chip and literally sprints, knees high, arms pumping, out of transition. He looks like he’s doing the 100 yard dash. I think, “either that guy doesn’t know what he’s doing and will blow up, OR one of the podium spots is gone.” I’m hoping Amanda can go 48 minutes for the 10K run, an 8 minute pace. The hills however, prove to be a challenge. She’s pulls in at 52 minutes but has sprinted the last mile and looked like a rocket in the finishing chute. I’m proud of her. We end up one spot off the elusive podium, but have a lot of fun and a great father/daughter experience. My bike leg was a 1:09 for the 24 miles at about a 20 mph average, on a course with some steep hills climbs and twisty descents. I’m 4 minutes off my PR, but I didn’t crash. A good day.

Cheers.

Mark A. Dames