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Race Result
| Racer: |
Steve Smith |
| Race: |
Falmouth Sprint |
| Date: |
Saturday, July 28, 2001 |
| Location: |
Falmouth, MA |
| Race Type: |
Triathlon - Sprint |
| Age Group: |
Male 30 - 34 |
| Time: |
0:55:24 |
| Overall Place: |
8 |
| Age Group Place: |
3 |
| Comment: |
Great swim! And a scenic, fun race (8:55/8 27:11/29 19:18/10) |
Race Report:
I decided to visit my grandfather & take in one of the Cape Cod races. Arriving in Cape Cod on Thursday, I made my way down to Falmouth on Friday to preview the course. It's a short race, 1/3-mile swim, 9-mile bike, and a 5K run, but it packs some beautiful scenery and a solid course in that short distance.
Race morning is beautiful and I arrive & do a quick spin on the bike. My grandfather had come along to watch me race which is cool. The water is calm and a perfect 68-degrees. We start and I'm swimming hard. I can see some folks just ahead of me, but not many. It's a square course and we finish just up the beach from where we started. I ended up 8th OA in the swim, which is huge for me. I think I swim better in cooler waters.
Out on the bike I hammer out as hard as I can. It's only 9 miles, right? We race along the water for a few miles before ducking into the trees and then rounding the lighthouse (my favorite part of the course). Coming into town, we make a hard right and then start some climbing. I don't see many folks on the bike. Up on the ridge it's more flat and then a hard right turn to head back down toward the beach.
As I head toward transition, I see my grandfather & give him a big wave. There aren't many bikes in transition as I head out for the run. Immediately my calves seize. Ouch ouch ouch ouch. I have to stop and massage my calves for a second. I have no idea what's going on, but a brief rest seems to return things to order. Just as I start running again this Jamacain-looking dude with these amazing dreadlocks starts screaming "Take the pain, take the pain." I guess I wasn't hiding the situation with my calves very well.
About half-way through the run I re-gain my momentum and start pushing the pace. I finished much stronger than I started and felt amazing at the finish. I was pretty happy with my race, and really surprised at my swim. The post-race affair was fun; decent food and a TON of give aways. Good stuff too, like coffee makers and blenders (Sunbeam is a sponsor).
All in all, a great race. I look forward to returning.
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