Thanks to Jose (Whitecaps "A") for
writing a race report on the 4k swim:
"I’m doing the 4K Technosport swim in August", said my friend
Jill. "Wow! What a great idea!" I said, "I want to do some of that too!"
We shook hands on the event and I was committed.
Agreeing to participate in long distance sporting events is
best done on the spot, without much thinking. The Keskinada for example, is a
great idea while cycling the Gats in July; it feels different in February as you
claw your way up Penguin hill. You are better off not thinking too much.
Training rule number one is to assemble a team. Without a team
your enthusiasm withers, training sessions shorten and you start thinking too
much. So, we assembled a posse of swim freaks and organized ourselves as a cult.
We agreed to a lake swim at least twice a week, three times a week if possible;
this in addition to the regular swim practice at Carleton. In the last week
before the race the cult actually got six days of swimming for a weekly total
mileage of about 14 Km.
The cult was made up of nine permanent members and one
honorary member. Many other swimmers came to the lake –on and off- but the
regulars were; Francois P, Stephane, Steve, Gi, Constanza, Jill, Nicole,
Isabelle and yours truly -me. The honorary member, Margie, came out quite often
but she was training for a half Iron-man. Of the nine permanent cult members, 7
were in for the race and 2 were in for the training.
On race day I woke up at 5 AM to the sound of my alarm clock
AND rain on my bedroom window!
I thought about it for a few seconds and then I got up, had
breakfast and drove to Francois’ for our 7 AM pre-race gathering. Jill was
already there and as I walked into the kitchen she asked; whose great idea was
this? Francois then mentions we have one cancellation, we are now down to
six.
The rain tapers off for a while but by the time we get our
pre-race briefing it starts to rain again. It rains hard during the race but I
won’t know about it until we are done. Duane, the race organizer, is quick and
to the point; shortest distance is through the middle of the lake, if you follow
the shore line it lengthens the time by about 20 minutes, when you finish the
race, touch the rope and say your name out loud. For safety, there are several
life-guards on surfboards, they are wearing a red and yellow vest and if we
follow them it should take us on the shortest path from Blanchet to
O’Brien.
Off we are by 08:10 and I’m now officially cold; I won’t warm
up until I get out of the water some 75 minutes later. There are a lot of
swimmers around me but after a while the crowd starts to thin out, I can’t see a
single person from my cult. Two women start to pass me, one on the left and one
on the right. The one on the right looks rather fine, then, the one on the left
starts to cut me off …She surely knows I’m here! …She just passed me! … Hey! , I
stop before she kicks me. I get over it and shortly after start to find my
rhythm.
The house on stilts by Meech Lake road starts to show up on
the right. If I ever win the lottery I’m getting that house. We are one third
into the race and I’m feeling fine. For a while I could see the life guards on
the surfboards but now they look rather distant, they must be going really fast.
The house on stilts on the other hand is getting bigger. What a dipstick! I’ve
been swimming away from O’Brien. The life guard is now a tiny speck. I adjust
course and make it a point to lift my head out of the water often enough to keep
the life guard in sight.
After a while the mind starts drifting. The clouds reach half
way down the Gatineau hills surrounding Meech Lake. I wouldn’t like to be flying
a little airplane in this area right now. The three-level red house on Meech
Lake road starts to come into focus. I’m not buying that house with my lottery
money; it is the wrong colour, for a house. We are now two thirds into the race
and I realized the clouds can’t be that low, rather, my goggles are seriously
fogged. I decide to stop and fix the problem. As I tread water to clear my
goggles a voice behind me asks; are you ok Jose? It is my friend Francois.
Francois has Tourette’s syndrome and makes involuntary noises,
barking he calls it. It seems that the combination of Francois’ bark and me
cleaning my goggles has caught the attention of one life guard. The tiny speck
is no longer tiny; the dude is paddling with both hands heading for us full
bore. This guy is a good life guard I think, he spotted us from far away and is
headed to assist. Neither of us wants the life guard to sprint for no reason,
Francois understands the situation and starts swimming; I on the other hand am
still fumbling with my goggles. I start swimming regardless, my right goggle
fills with water immediately but the left goggle is ok. I keep my left eye on
the life guard and my right eye closed, he is definitely not paddling as fast
now, after a while he turns around and I can fix the stupid goggles once and for
all.
Finally I’m there, I touch the rope and try to say my name out
loud, Jose I whisper; I try again louder, pssose, it is just not coming out
loud. May be the vocal chords also shrink when cold. I notice Duane is giving me
the thumbs up, he has my name and gave me a time; it is over. Total time is one
hour and fifteen minutes, or looked at a different way; 40 x 100 mt free at a
rate of 1:53 per 100. Not bad I think, not bad at all.
Sun Aug 28th Cranberry
Country Triathlon, MA (0.8mi/24.9mi/6.2mi)
Congratulations to Tom M (Whitecaps "A")
for winning the New England Championships by placing first in his age group at
this race (and 9th overall)! Here's his report:
I just came back from
the Cranberry Country Triathlon, obviously located in an area where Cranberry’s
are harvested. In fact it’s the World head quarters for “Ocean
Spray”
This is a particularly
pretty area of Massachusetts just about
1 ½ south of Boston or so.
The entire event is held in a rural
area with mostly mature tree lined roads. The Pond in which the swim is held in
a clear spring fed body of water that generally sits at about 76F throughout the
summer months. (A.K.A. a wetsuit swim).
The day started off
with warm temps and a slight breeze. By the time the event started at
8 am the breeze was a wind
coming from the ESE at about 15mph and climbing temps to the mid-80’s. With low
humidity and bright skies the day was nearly perfect.
600 Athletes took part
in the fourth annual Cranberry Country Triathlon which was also the New England
Championships, one of twelve held in the USA. The competition was very strong
with many athletes vying for USAT points and amateur team status for the World
championships. Unlike Canada in the
US you must qualify
within a percentage of the winner of your category and not have a spot handed to
you because someone turns their spot down.
As you finished the day
you were greeted with a live band and a great BBQ.
This year prizes for
first place (in category) was a trophy and a USAT Triathlon long sleeve
“technical” shirt (of which I received one for the 45-49 cat).
Lots of fun a
fabulously well organized event and I’ll be there again next
year.
Sat Sept 3rd
Canadian Triathlon, Ottawa
Full results at: http://www.sportstats.ca. Congrats to Margie, John, Louise and
Blair on their medals! If I missed anyone, let me know, as I expect there
were other Carleton swimmers participating.
Half Iron Distance
(2k/90k/21.1k; 202 individuals & 10 teams)
Margie B (Whitecaps
"A") 68th overall, 8th woman and 3rd in women's 30-34 in
5:33:14
Jenn Eberman
(x-6:30am Earlybirds) 94th overall, 15th woman and 6th in women's 30-34 in
5:44:32
Blair C (Whitecaps
"A") swam on the team that was 3rd in 4:25:54 (his swim was
25:22)
Sprint Distance
(0.5k/30k/5k; 295 competitors)
John B (6:30am
Earlybirds) 31st overall, 26th man and 3rd in men's 30-34 in
1:43:51
Louise R (6:30am
Earlybirds) 285th overall, 106th woman and 1st in women's 55-59
in 2:35:47
