RACE REPORT: TOUR DE PLAM SPRINGS, LY LY TA
This “race” report is coming to you later than I had planned. I had no clue that recovery would take as long as it did.
A little over a week ago, my husband and I found ourselves at the start line for the Tour de Palm Springs. We have never been to Palm Springs, and we have never participated in a ride of this sort. So, of course, we knew we had to give it a try despite the fact that his longest ride had been 30 miles recently and my longest was 55. But that didn’t matter. We had convinced ourselves this was not a race. We were going to have a good time!
The weather was absolutely perfect that day. There was some wind but it wasn’t bad at all. The sight of all the people and bikes at the start line was amazing. It was a first for me so I wanted to absorb all the energy to help me get through my first 100-mile ride.
I felt the first leg of the ride dragged on. I couldn’t believe how much time it took to get to the first SAG stop. There were a lot of people to navigate around before we settled at our pace. It took some time for me to warm up as well.
The climb was gradual but I could feel myself working hard. My goal was to go hard for the first half of the ride. I had not planned on stopping until after 50 miles. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to get through the first SAG stop without dismounting. The crowd was huge and there was no room to ride through.
Just a short stop and off we went. The second leg went by quickly. The downhill was great. We did see a rider taken away by ambulance so that was a reality check to stay alert. At this point, we had settled in with a larger group. I have never ridden in a pack so this was a little nerve wracking for me. I have been spoiled with all the trail rides in Orange County and the closed bike routes during the triathlon races. But, with 100 miles to practice, I eventually became comfortable!
Before I knew it, we passed the third SAG stop. I was doing well until about mile 35. I was feeling pretty tired at this point and decided to draft behind my husband. I still had more than half the ride to complete so I had to play it safe. After about 5 miles, I felt better and took the lead. Before I knew it, we were at the half way point. It couldn’t have come sooner. The road was getting rough right before the stop. Lunch was a nice spread of different sandwiches, Chex Mix, M&Ms. We ate very little despite the vast array of choices we had. I just didn’t know how my body would react to real food during a ride. I stuck with my Clif Bloks and Perpetuem, which worked out fine.
The last 50 miles flew by. I was enjoying the scenery and getter bolder on the road while my husband looked for excuses to get off the bike and rest. We stopped once so he could offer his bike pump to someone in need (there were a lot of flat tires on this course). After that little rest and a lot of chit chat, he got his second wind, and we were off. We got lost briefly following a group. We had just mentioned how lucky we were to be following people who knew where they were going. Once we were back on track, we decided we should glance at the map so we had a clue where to go. Up to that point, we weren’t really worried about the directions.
At last, we found ourselves heading for the finish line. We had exchange leads the entire way with many groups. In the end, a huge crowd of us seem to cross the finish together. It was very thrilling to accomplish a century for the first time! The energy of the crowd was amazing throughout the whole ride. I did not feel exhausted at all after the ride. In fact, I felt motivated to attempt another long ride in the near future. My body, however, told me I needed to give it some time to rest. And so I did for about a week!
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MERCHANTS
Ron Saetermoe
A few weeks back I lamented about four local merchants that went under in this rough economy. This week I’m happy to report that a genuine institution in the triathlon world is actually expanding . . . our good friends at Edge Cyclesports.
Hank and Mary Ann at Edge are more than store proprietors, they’re merchants of speed! I bought my first Trek bike from Hank when I first moved to California. That bike is now in Jarrett’s garage and still has a few good miles left in it.
Since then I’ve bought two more bikes from Edge. A Kestrel and my Cervelo P3C (I no longer can blame my bike for my slow times).
I’m a huge believer in buying local. I can’t stand to see our local businesses going under and I often wonder if perhaps I’d just spent a little more money there (along with my friends) could we have saved them? I’m not sure, but I strongly encourage you to go to the new Edge Cyclesports opening Monday, March 1st.
Sure, you can probably buy most of the same stuff Edge sells online but whom are you supporting? The things the online merchants can’t do for you is give you the information and advice you need that may make your entire training and racing experience better.
When I walk into Edge I simply ask Hank to make me faster. Sometimes the response is just to “pedal harder” but sometimes it’s to change my set-up, replace my chain or to do nothing at all. I put all of my trust into Hank and the gang at Edge and I know lots of others that do too.
Go see Hank and Mary Ann at their new store (not far from the old one), and tell them Triathica sent you.
Edge Cyclesports
23561 Ridge Route, Suite J/K (new address)
Laguna Hills
949.472.9497
HAVE YOU READ THE TRIATHICA TRIATHLON ROADMAP?
Ron Saetermoe
Were you aware that I wrote a book for beginner triathletes called the “Triathica Triathlon Roadmap” and that you can download it for free? That’s right; people that already subscribe to our weekly newsletter can download it for free!
We’re trying to increase our readership so please pass this link along to anyone else you know who is interested in triathlon. Triathica Triathlon Roadmap
Now, for those of you that have read the book I would appreciate it if you could take two minutes (literally) to drop me a line with what you thought about it. The reason is the more positive buzz we can create the more people will download it.
I will consider this a personal favor and will forever say good things about YOU!!!
Thanks!
Ron
FIVE REASONS YOU HAVEN’T TRIED A TRI
Jarrett Pflieger
It is human nature to be scared of unfamiliar territory. We are all excellent at making excuses to keep ourselves from going out of our comfort zone and trying something new. These excuses could be keeping us from doing things that could change our lives for the better.
For many people, the idea of competing in a triathlon can be a scary thing. There are countless excuses not to try a triathlon, but even more reasons why you should. Here are some common excuses keeping people from venturing into the sport and why they may not be very good ones.
I don’t have enough time to train:
The average American spends an average of 127 hours watching television and 26 hours on the Internet per month. Even a quarter of this amount of time is more than enough to train for all three sports included in a triathlon. Depending on the distance you choose to race, you can easily get enough quality training with less than 10 hours a week.
Not to say that training for a triathlon isn’t a sacrifice, because many times you do have to give up some things, but a few less hours a week on Facebook and Twitter could make a world of difference. So turn off those reality TV shows and lace up your running shoes, in the end you will not regret it.
I’m not a (swimmer/cyclist/runner):
You do not have to already be good at all three sports, or any of them, to compete in a triathlon. Even world-class triathletes have weaknesses they must work on to even be competitive. It helps to come from a background in one of the three sports, but there are plenty of excellent triathletes that had no prior experience in any of the sports before doing their first triathlon. You may have to put in more time in one or two of the sports to get them up to par with the others, but a good coach and training plan can definitely get you there.
I’m too out of shape:
All the more reason to try a triathlon. There are people of all different ages, shapes, and sizes competing in triathlons. Anyone can do it if they start slow and build their fitness up one step at a time. If you go out too hard, too fast, you may get burned out before your body has time to catch up. Again, a good training plan and a coach can help you progress at a rate that is appropriate for your abilities.
I’m scared of not finishing:
Not finishing is always a possibility. Flat tires, crashes, and injuries have kept even the best triathletes from the finish line. There are certain things you can’t control, but one thing you can control is how you prepare. Put the time in, put your miles in, and you won’t have to worry about your fitness being what keeps you from finishing. Even if you don’t finish, you still did what 99% of people have never done. You stepped up to the starting line of a triathlon and gave it all you had.
I have no idea where to start
There are an infinite number of resources to help you start your triathlon journey. Check out websites like, www.triathica.com www.beginnertriathlete.com or many others dedicated to helping new athletes figure out what they need to do to succeed. There are thousands of books dedicated to the subject as well including Triathica’s Triathlon Roadmap as well.
You can also join your local triathlon club to find training partners, get advice, and ask questions. Find a certified triathlon coach to help you create a custom training plan based on your abilities and available training time. There is no shortage of information on how to start training for a triathlon if you know where to find it. So get out there and try something new. Even if you only do one race, it is something you carry with you forever.
