Race Reports - 1998
This page chronicles the races of the year 1998.
1998 was a maintenance year for me. My heart and devotion were not fully into racing as it was in past years. I had many other hobbies encroach on the amount of free time I can devote to training. Nevertheless, I do many Olympic and upward distances, driving to many races withing 3 to 4 hours of Austin, and doing Panama City and Clermont in Florida.
Here are the details on the races.
- The Great Floridian (2.4M Swim/112.5M Bike/26.25M Run), (1:12:11/8:48/6:19:33/8:54/5:52:45 13:42:10 91/146 AG, 580/1051 OV) Clermont, FL, 24 Oct 1998.
This year's race was an extremely difficult one for me, but I finished. I suffered from extreme nausea during the run, most likely brought on by the energy drink Race Day. Although I raced with this product before, I have had other races with this sports drink where I could not get the energy down during the run. Despite the stomach cramps, I continued to walk until the many cups of chicken broth finally cleared out the problem and allowed me to run the last lap. I finished with my worst ironman time ever, but at least I finished.
The day was beautiful. The air temperature was a little cooler than usual (highs ranging from 65-75), brought on by partially cloudy skies. A high pressure front from the previous evening was clearing the area and thus we also had high, gusty winds (10-15 miles per hour). It rained lightly several times during the bike and the run. My swim went with no problems, and I was happy with my 1:12 time based on one swim session every two weeks. My bicycle ride was a bit slow, but this was due again to the little training I put in toward the event this year. I was only able to get one 100 mile century ride in. Luckily, I put most of my training in on the tougher hills around Austin, and the hills of Clermont were no problem. I'm happy to brag that for the first time I was able to bike up Sugarloaf mountain while remaining in the saddle. Others had to stand on the pegs or (gasp) walk. (Gloat, Gloat!) Following the race, many athletes commented on how strong the winds were in the last 20 miles of the bike!
Nevertheless, I entered the run with lots of energy and enthusiasm. I even wore a red Flash super hero hat to get laughs and have fun with the run. Unfortunately by mile 5 I was reduced to walking. My stomach was a large churning jug of liquid. I could not get the sports drink or the water to exit my stomach (I did have a salty sub and potato chips midway during the bike ride.) For the next two laps of the run (14 miles) I walked and drank chicken broth to get the liquid to empty my stomach. I really had to dig deep to prevent myself from quitting. I thank the other athletes for their encouragement and kind words as we battled this event together. Once my stomach started emptying, I was able to run the last 7 miles. I finished with no soreness, no blisters, but I did have a bit of a bruised ego from the slow time. Despite the slow time, I'm happy to have raced and finished this year's ironman. - Wool Capital Triathlon (1M Swim/25M Bike/6.5M Run), (26:50/2:03/1:08:51/1:02/46:27 2:25:15) San Angelo, TX, 9 Aug 1998
A beautiful summer day for a triathlon! The morning temperature starts cool for a summer day on the Texas plains, about 83 Fahrenheit, warming to about 88 degrees by race end. Humidity is low, and the wind does not turn on until the second half of the bike.
The Concho River is warm and lazy once again, as the 270 swimmers begin the race in thier speedos in 3 waves. The buoys are well marked, but the return leg downstream is difficult to navigate because of the rising sun.
The bike ride is an absolute joy, mild wind on the way out, picking up to a healthy tailwind on the way back. The boost turns the ride back into something enjoyable and close to low level flying.
The run is on trails and hard-packed jeep roads. The road leads up and over a hill near the edge of the Middle Concho river. Luckily, this year the road is dry and hard, but occasional gusts pick up clouds of red dust and deposit it on your skin.
All-in-all a well-run race with ample room to swim, ride and run.
- Advantage Texas Triathlon (1M Swim/6.4M Run/21M Bike), Boerne, TX, 12 Jul 1998
This is a fun race because of the inverted run and bike. The weather was slighly on the warm side, reaching upper 90s in the mid afternoon. The winds were low and steady. My swim went well along the triangular course in Boerne Lake. As in previous years, I enjoyed the cross country part of the run. Most of the off-road run consists of grassy double-track trails alongside a highway. Runners vied for the shortest grass and the hardest packed dirt. Some quick downhills, bottomed with a drainage ditch, required leaping. The rest of the off-road running consists of double traj The bike also is a nice twisty, hilly, path along the country roads of Hill Country. MIles 10 to 15 are generally uphill, but when you hit mile marked 15 it is nearly downhill all the way home.
The post-race party is excellent - lots of good food (subs, pierogies, bagels), live music, and beer from the Yellow Rose Brewery of San Antonio (they make a great India Pale Ale). Also, the timing of the awards ceremony is great because people generally mill about the shady pecan trees around Boerne Sqaure until the results are posted. It is a nice family affair, and our dog Harriet found plenty of other dogs to play with although she was tired from the swim and the 6 mile walk from the lake to town.
- Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon (1.2m Swim/56m Bike/13.1m Run), (5:34:50 34:49,3:51,2:45:35,2:39,2:03:53 34/98AG,236/536), Lubbock, TX, 28 Jun 1998
This is the hottest race I have ever run in - 108 degrees according to the local weather station. The wind was blowing about 10-15 miles per hour, and the humidity was an arid 10 percent. Liquid pools of tar on the road stuck to your running shoes. As you took a breath, you could feel the heat dry out your nose. I saw one runner stumble and fall in the heat like Bambi attempting to stand for the first time. Several minutes later I heard the emergency sirens. I doused myself with water at every aid station, but before the next aid station, my singlet was bone dry. You could watch the water droplets evaporate off your sun glasses.
The 1.2 mile swim in the 76 degree waters was a joy: clean, calm and flat. The temperature was a little warm for this length swim, but wetsuits were allowed. The roads were smooth and uncongested with occasional potholes. With the low traffic density, there was little evidence of drafting, and I saw none of the packs that I saw at the Gulf Coast Tri in Panama City. The canyons around Buffalo Springs Lake are my favorite parts. It is fun to see how different cyclists tackle the hills. Training in Austin, I usually make up a few places on the climbs.
I was surprised at how well I handled the heat. My bicycle ride was steady and didn't taper off at the end. My run was steady and even, and the only walking I did was up the 3 long, large hills (and this is one of the few races were EVERYBODY walks up the hills). Despite the heat, I kept dousing myself with water and the low humidity allowed the evaporation to cool my body enough to maintain a run.
The race had great organization and plenty of volunteers. There was ice and plenty of towels at every aid station. The residents of the lake were nice enough to set up hoses or sprinklers, so the last mile of the run was a jog from shower to shower. The spectators, both human and canine, also deserve a round of applause for sitting through the long, hot race and cheering for the racers.
- Gulf Coast Triathlon (1.2m Swim/56m Bike/13.1m Run), (4:57:45 35:49,3:51,2:23:35,2:39,1:51:53 84/226AG,429/1425), Panama City Beach, FL, 09 May 1998
Ha, ha! I finish with a vitually identical time to last year! My bike is 15 minutes faster due to low-wind conditions, but my run is 15 minutes slower due to lack of training and a knee injury. The port-a-potty stop I took during the second transition also added a few minutes, but shows up in my run time. All the racers had a lucky day because the days immediately before and after the race raged with high seas and high winds. 
My nemesis Adam Gruman thoroughly thrashes me by 20 minutes with a 4 minute faster swim, equal bike, and a 15 minute faster run. I used to be that fast! Adam's fiancee Beatriz (Nematriz?) also trashes me by one minute with an equal swim, 5 minute slower bike and 6 minute faster run. My new nemesis Steve O'Beirne also beats me, with an equal swim, 5 minutes slower bike (thanks to 12 minutes of drafting penalties), and 10 minute faster run. By the gods Krom and Odin, I hope to come back next year and trash these guys! Once again, this event is a great mini-vacation. I meet old friends from Boca Raton, Gainsville, Atlanta, Memphis and Austin. The party is smashing baby as we eat good food, drink free drinks, and see race day highlights at the multilevel Spinnaker's bar. I force Shawn Rogers to do a tequila shot with me (watch this space).
Other Races
Follow the links to race reports from the given year.