photo by ironman.com 1st 4:03:27
Swim 21:03 4th
Bike 2:19:23 1st
Run 1:18:59 1st
photo by Steve Smith Last year, the current in the Savannah River was moving at 5000 something-or-others (aka fast). My kind of swim course...'down hill' so to speak! The days leading into the race this year the hot topic on everyone's lips was about the current being a whopping 8000 or even up to 12000 something-or-others (aka faster!). There was even a story being thrown around about a packet of chips with a garmin attached that had made it down the course in 34min. I like the sounds of that. By race morning though, it had all become 'just talk'. The water-releasing dial upstream had been turned back to 'normal'. Not quite the rapids predicted, but still plenty strong enough to give us all a helping hand along the way.
To prevent us floating away before the start of the race, we had a diving start from the jetty rather than a deep water start. I think the siren must've broke so instead of the 15 of us all diving in together it was...well, pretty funny for the spectators. The clock had started counting down but no sound alarmed so we all stood there waiting. About 6seconds later an official yelled "go, go, go". We all didn't quite know what was happening. None of us wanted to break but we didn't want to get left behind. The girls on my far right fell into the water. I looked to my left then to my right and we kind of exchanged a "yep, I think we're good to go" nod then dived in. Not quite the explosive diving start I expected but I did get off to a good start all things considered.
To prevent us floating away before the start of the race, we had a diving start from the jetty rather than a deep water start. I think the siren must've broke so instead of the 15 of us all diving in together it was...well, pretty funny for the spectators. The clock had started counting down but no sound alarmed so we all stood there waiting. About 6seconds later an official yelled "go, go, go". We all didn't quite know what was happening. None of us wanted to break but we didn't want to get left behind. The girls on my far right fell into the water. I looked to my left then to my right and we kind of exchanged a "yep, I think we're good to go" nod then dived in. Not quite the explosive diving start I expected but I did get off to a good start all things considered.
photo by Steve Smith I was super pumped to smash this course today! The swim was dead straight so you'd think very little sighting. If I trusted my navigation completely I would have kept my head down and not sighted until I thought I was near the end but I'm not completely confident that I can swim dead straight so I probably sighted a little more than I really needed too. The sun was right in our eyes so sometimes I did a double take to sight the buoys. These are the few things I went back over after the race thinking "maybe I could have got a few more seconds here and there" but other than that... I swam hard! After the long run transition I got to my bike just as Emma Kate was leaving. "Whoa! Either she has had a shocker of I'm going well". The later was what I was hoping for. As I jumped on Ronny, Jared yelled "that's the lead just there...you and Emma Kate". I was stoked. I rolled out in control and took the lead 4km into the bike. I'd never been in this position before. I'm always madly chasing on the bike which I guess makes it easier to keep the pressure on. How do I push when I'm already in the lead and my strongest leg is yet to come?
photo by Steve Smith Sub 4! That's what I was thinking about. Keep pushing. I really wanted to break 4hrs. I started pushing hard but then we hit the bumpy, cracked, ripple filled roads. I was bouncing around like I was on a bull at the rodeo. I zig zagged from right to left trying to find the smoothest line. It didn't exist. I was getting so frustrated cos this course was perfect for me. Long steady rolling hills. But I just couldn't get into rhythm. After 40km the roads got better, for a bit. I tried to use it and kept pushing.
Just before I dismounted my bike I took a quick look at my Garmin. 2:19. Damn! Only 1min faster than last year. I won this race last year in 4:06-high. Somehow I needed to cut 6+ minutes and I'd only made up 1min on the bike. I didn't know what I'd swam but I was hoping it was mighty fast.
Just before I dismounted my bike I took a quick look at my Garmin. 2:19. Damn! Only 1min faster than last year. I won this race last year in 4:06-high. Somehow I needed to cut 6+ minutes and I'd only made up 1min on the bike. I didn't know what I'd swam but I was hoping it was mighty fast.
photo by Endurance Concepts I threw my socks and runners on then grabbed the usual - race belt, visor and gel. I was in such a hurry this time though that I dropped my GU gel. I looked back briefly then thought "stuff it, the clock's not going to wait for you". Luckily I knew GU was the race nutrition sponsor so I could grab one at an aid station. Maybe not Salty the Yeti, but I'd get one. As for rushing through transitions I also dropped my goggles running up the swim exit. Clumsy! I also left them.
So onto the run my trusty husband Jared appeared to give me an update. "Your 2 1/2minutes ahead of last year, you need a 1:16 run, that's just under 3:40 pace". I quickly absorbed everything he said. I processed it and thought... I'm gonna give it a shot!
So onto the run my trusty husband Jared appeared to give me an update. "Your 2 1/2minutes ahead of last year, you need a 1:16 run, that's just under 3:40 pace". I quickly absorbed everything he said. I processed it and thought... I'm gonna give it a shot!
photo by ironman.com 3:34, 3:33, 3:38, 3:39, 3:38, 3:38, 3:40. Hold onto it Mel, you can do this! 3:42, 3:46, 3:48... 10km done, still on pace but legs are tiring. It was a tough ask. I haven't done all that much since Vegas (3weeks ago). I've been on my semi-break. But I was gonna keep pushing to the line. Get as close to 4hrs as possible. I did the following 11km around 3:50 pace which wasn't fast enough to break 4hrs but I crossed the line in 4:03:27. I was still very happy! I got the win. I had an awesome swim. And I finished around 3minutes faster than last year. Next year 4hrs in going down!
A massive thank you has to go to so many people in the TriCoach Georgia squad and the Dream Team Youth Tri squad for making the whole trip possible. It was like an intricately orchestrated human relay performance to get Jared and myself everywhere we needed to be. In particular, thank you so much to Tony Creed (not his best day on the course but still showed he can soldier on to the very end, get it done...and take home his medal) and his wonderful family in Augusta. And to Harvey 'Slayer' Gayer (the 8-foot giant with a rocket 2.22 bike split aboard his foaming monster Shiv) and his incredible family in Athens.
A massive thank you has to go to so many people in the TriCoach Georgia squad and the Dream Team Youth Tri squad for making the whole trip possible. It was like an intricately orchestrated human relay performance to get Jared and myself everywhere we needed to be. In particular, thank you so much to Tony Creed (not his best day on the course but still showed he can soldier on to the very end, get it done...and take home his medal) and his wonderful family in Augusta. And to Harvey 'Slayer' Gayer (the 8-foot giant with a rocket 2.22 bike split aboard his foaming monster Shiv) and his incredible family in Athens.
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