Train-n-Tri: Bayshore 70.4 2015

Bayshore 70.4 looked like a good practice race for me and a couple of my athletes.

One of my athletes is training for Ironman Coeur d'Alene and I have another one training for Vineman 70.3

Bayshore looked like a kick-back fairly inexpensive way to get in a full day of swim, bike, run training with support.

As an athlete, it was really hard for me today.

As a coach, I had a fabulous time.

A few weeks back a woman rear-ended my car at a freeway off ramp while I was waiting for the light to change. That BUMP caused damage to my shoulder to the point where I can't swim. Well, I could swim, but I would just do more damage. And I am not being sarcastic when I say that not swimming right now makes me sad because I love swimming.

So I went to the tri and signed in and took everything but the chip. I figured it would be just a good training day for me also, even if I didn't do the swim.

The athletes lined up on an "official" line drawn in the sand.

Bayshore is a nice place to swim. I am so looking forward to the day I can swim again.

It was great to watch my two athletes do their swim. At the half way point the swimmers had to get out and run around an orange cone and then head back in.

One of my athletes came out and ran around the cone and then headed out for her next lap.

Barbara onto her second lap of the swim.

About 5 minutes later my other athlete ran around the cone and then came to me. She was freaked about the swim. We had a talk. I told her that fear could not stop her.

Then I sent her back in to finish it.

My two athletes ended coming out of the swim together.

Then we all ran into transition and got ready to cycle. I led the way out about 2 miles until we hit the San Gabriel River Trail, then I sent Barbara ahead. I rode on the back of Rosemary's wheel. I had told her she was going to ride a negative split so the first half of the ride was just going to be an easy ride. We had a headwind, but it wasn't too bad. Before we knew it we were at the turn around/Aid Station. They had grilled hot dogs (pass) and beer (pass) and water (thank you very much) and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I can eat one in less than a minute), but NO BATHROOM.

They guys pointed to the truck and said the bathroom was behind it.

This isn't really the truck I squatted behind, but it was white. I think a lot of people driving on the nearby freeway got a good show, but I didn't care. I was careful that no one on the bike path saw me. A guy was waiting to use the "restroom" as I walked away.

After the turn-around a lot of the course was a 2 percent downhill with some short steep inclines and some underpass tunnels. I continued to ride on Rosemary's wheel, letting her set the pace.

Everything was good until we started riding near a woman in running shoes (with her capri running pants inside out), with the number 26 on her leg (for her age).

She would whiz by us on the flats, but on the steep inclines she was a mess. Once she had to get off and walk her bike while we rode around her. Of course, she then floored it to pass us on the flat. Then at the next incline she barely made it and almost caused a domino effect taking us with her. I nicely suggested that maybe she should incorporate some SQUATS into her workout routine, so she would have some glut muscle to get her up the inclines.

Shortly after she whizzed passed up and I watched as she sped up the next incline and around the curve. Then I saw a guy running toward in toward the curve.

OH OH

She'd crashed.

I got to her and laid my bike down on the other side of her across the bike path and told someone to go down to the bottom of the hill and divert cyclists. It was obvious that her foot was at a 45 degree angle from her knee (NOT GOOD!)

I ran through the first aid check list. She knew her name and her pupils were good. She knew her mother's name and phone number to call her. Some guy was near me and I asked him if he had called 911. He got up and moved away and I heard him call for an ambulance. The girl told me she was at the race by herself and didn't have anyone at the finish line.

I sent Rosemary on and waited until the fire department and ambulance came. Then rode out.

No one was one the bike trail then, so I was able to really push it. It took me about 10 miles to catch up with Rosemary. Then I rode her wheel to transition.

It was a beautiful hot sunny day at the beach.
The kind of day that you want to just sit in the sand and look at the ocean and read a book and dip your toes in the water once in a while.

Instead we put on our running shoes and started running. Okay, so it was really a jog, but we were moving forward. I hung back because I wanted Rosemary to set her own pace and not be pressured to run faster because I was on her heels. I knew Barbara was in front somewhere.

The run course was kind of boring. Mostly sidewalk along the main street. Nothing much to really look at. And the course was 3 loops.
Boring!!!!

After the first loop I became a rogue runner. Since I wasn't chipped it didn't matter where I ran. I ran up and down the streets in the neighborhood checking out the landscaping. From Park to Claremont I just ran up and down the streets in a serpendine formation. I stopped at one open house and had a look inside and filled up my running water bottle. After about 10 miles I went back to the triathlon transition area and packed up all my stuff and loaded it the car.

Then I parked myself at the finish line and waited for my athletes.

I ended up walking the run course backwards until I found Rosemary not far from the finish line. She was walking, but I got her to run the rest of the way in.