Louie Tri

Days prior to this training race, it was pouring rain. I was definitely not real excited about training in the cold, and it was suppose to rain that day as well. But I guess it was time to IRON up.

Saturday night I went through my check list of the things I needed for the race; Wetsuit, tri shorts, running shoes, cycling shoes, and all the nutritional needs for the day. I also packed a couple different tops as I won’t know the weather condition until I was out there. It was better to be prepared than not having it when you need it.

As I roll into the parking lot Sunday morning at Treasure Island, I was surprise to see the amount of people who will be participating in this race. It was a combination of SF IronTeam, South Bay IronTeam, and also the winter triathlon team. I never knew we had so many people on the team! I grabbed all my gear, found a spot to set up transition and went to get my race number.

By the time I finished setting up, the sky started turning blue and the sun was shining. Guess it wasn’t going to be that bad after all. After a brief introduction about Louie Bonpua and why we were there to honor him, we set off to the swim start.

Even as the air temperature was warming up, I knew the water was going to be cold. My strategy was just to jump in and grind it out and hope for the best. It was so cold that my face started to hurt and I started tearing up inside my goggles. It felt like millions of pins poking your whole face and never lets up. I thought about going back to shore after the first lap, but held strong and finished the 3 loop swim course. By the time I finished the swim, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a lot of blood left in my head. I felt light headed and what? I can’t walk straight?

For the bike we did a 6 lap back and forth around Treasure Island. I remembered to keep hydrating and intake calories, as I always forget and would be totally drained by the start of the run. The bike course ride along the edge of Treasure Island and we were treated with a fantastic view of the bay bridge and the city. There were moments of “What the hell is up with this head wind?!” and moments of “Crap! Pot holes! Ouch!!”After 6 laps of furious headwind, I turned back to transition and started the run.

Off the bike and onto the 4 laps of out and back run. I used this opportunity to run a little harder and practice my run/walk strategy. By this point, it started to get cold and the wind was picking up. So I tried to hurry to finish as I didn’t want to catch a cold. Running towards the finish line has always been an adventure itself. Friend/Family/Strangers are always there to cheer you in, and I always find a burst of energy to sprint toward the line. And that completes my first “race” of the season.

Next up: Wildflower Half @ Training Weekend.