This was one of those experiences that will stay for me forever... what a day!
I will try to give all the details I can... hopefully someone will read this and laugh about it... but there is so much to tell!
SUNDAY May 2nd RACE DAY Chronicle:
Time 4.00 AM:
Did not sleep at all... tried to change position in bed for at least 305 times but not a success. Time to get out of bed and eat something. My first fear is to be able to get rid of everything is in my intestine before I leave the house. All the bags are ready, the bike is ready. I rush to the kitchen... uff damn it nothing in the fridge for breakfast. Boom found it... old bread with jam. This will do.
Time 4.20AM.
I am all set. Bathroom time was not successful... so plan B: Imodium.
Time 4.45AM
Some success in the Bathroom. I am all dressed ready to get out. Tri-race clothes are on and I start feeling my hearth pumping like crazy. Need to calm down.
Time 5.15AM
Ready the get out and meet Dario and Diego on Union street. While I open the door to leave the house I hear my sleepy brother saying: "take it easy on the bike... don't fall!" .... Love my bro
Time 5.30AM
Riding my bike with this huge heavy bag on my back. The city is totally silent. It is still dark outside. It feels so unreal. Dario is already out... and I hear Diego whistling from far away. It seems we are the only persons in the city.
Time 6.00AM
The transition area is all packed... people were there before us. Most of the bikes are ready. I get to my spot "278" close to the Japanese flag. Shut... there is not enough space for all my stuff... need to be creative. Now I understand why they sell Tri-bags. My huge one does not fit the area I have.
Time 6.30AM
I am excited, start to feel the need of the bathroom... ufff. D&D are done as well and we line up to go get the bus. It will take us to the boat departure point.
Time 6.45AM
We are inline to get into the boat.... boom... I cant take anymore my..."intestine".. boom I see a bathroom... MINE. 5mins and now I am a happy person. Back in the line for the boat. We are in. The boat is full of athletes. Everyone with is own little bag, the wetsuit in their hands. "We are all on the same boat" :-). 2000 people ready to jump from Alcatraz. You can feel the tension....
Time 7AM
We are seating in the "elite" area. In this way will start swimming soon after the first guys. Time to put the wetsuit on. I am all tense... Body glide all over. Drinking a lot of water, I just read so much about dehydration issues. Dario is way too serious... Diego looks happy... we all look happy, excited, thrilled, motivated, stressed, cold, hot, sweaty, agitated, friendly, driven and READY.
Time 7.55AM
Boat is in position, instructions have been given, all the athletes are standing, looking anxiously the water from the windows. The guide told us to use a couple of tall buildings in the city sighting to help our navigation in the water.
Time 8AM
USA National Anthem.... Boom all the elite athletes are gone... they look like little boats... their swimming tecnique is awesome. I feel ready.
Time 8.06AM
Here we are, approaching the jump... everybody pushing from behind.... Diego, Dario and myself... ready to jump together. Boom I hit a phone attached to the wall... Diego picks it up and says.. " Hello ... sorry I am busy right now...we are about to escape " L O L... huge laugh 5 seconds before Escaping... it is exactly what i need... I turn towards the moving water, SF in front of me... GOOOOOOOOOOO
Time 8.06.01 to 8.38.00 - THE SWIM
I am in the water, damn I should have jumped differently... I am sinking down and losing seconds... ok I will do better next time. Water does not seem cold, adrenaline is probably helping, look ahead and my arms start moving like crazy. The first 60 seconds I am swimming to fast, legs are moving too much and my hearth rate is picking up. Finally I get to a decent pace, the wetsuit feels great and I feel like I am flying over the water. BOOM... hit a guy in front of me, I slow down a second, BOOM I get hit from someone behind... shut I can't slow down... I cant change pace, just need to swim full speed and shut up. If I hit someone just need to swim harder on him and that's it.
The water is getting very choppy, breathing is tough and "salty". I am calm now. I know I can do it and my swimming just gets better and better... I feel relaxed, joyful. Ok time to raise my head and see where I am at. CRAP, I am alone, no more people around... I am going straight while I was supposed to gently turn right. Uff... time to get back into the perfect route. After few minutes I am back on track... I hit people diagonally... is a good sign... now need to follow again.
I am getting close to the coast, still going conservatively too straight but I have some guys around, it means I am not lost :-). My arms are tired, my shoulders on fire, but I am close...
I see the beach, push... mofo ... push... I kick my legs stronger to wake them up, I see people around standing.. I do the same... ground under my feet :-)... time to transition with a great smile in my face ;-))
Time 8.38.00 to 8.42.00 - T1
The beach is full of spectator, 10-20 athlete popping out the water every 10 seconds. We all look the same, black wetsuits, funny walking/running style... everybody looking to get their strenght together to keep up the race pace. As soon as my feet hits the sand... I start pushing way harder... I want to hear some familiar voice, but all I hear is GO GO GO GO GO..GOOD JOB, NICEEEE.
Uff running on the asphalt barefoot is painful, BOOM here it goes my number on my bag. Time to get rid of the wetsuit and put running shoes on to run towards the bike.
The wetsuit goes off quickly. Put everything in the bag, shoes are in. RUN to the bike mofo...
I am all wet and happy, i know I swam decently, I hear Roberto screaming my name, it makes me go faster. I keep overtaking people, afterall we are running... even if only for 3 mins to get to the bike racks.
Here it comes my BIKE. Change shoes, put socks on, helmet on, sunglasses on, number on... take the bike and run with it till the exit of the transition area. I look around to see if Diego made before him... I dont see him.
Time 8.42 - 9.40 - The BIKE
I take off like a fury, I start over taking people on the first 2 miles of flat road before the hills. This was my plan since the beginning and I am executing great. I feel powerful and fast, soon I realize that I am not passing great bikers around me... this means I did not swim fast :-(. Here it comes the first hill, boom, boom, boom, boom... I am going fast, somehow 1 month without biking does not seem that big of a problem. I feel strong. Up hills, turns, steep down hills.. miles after miles I start believing I am catching up with faster triathletes. The wind is strong, the hills are as steep as you can imagine, but I keep repeating to myself it is a short ride, I need to push all the way thru.. no time for resting. 5 miles to go and I start to see people around me that dont let me pass anymore. I guess I am in the group I probably belong too. I caught up enough and feel satisfied. Here it comes the downhill before the last 2 flat miles. My legs are rolling but I feel pain... somehow I am way to stiff than I should be, I feel like my carbon bike is smoother than my carbon body.. NOT GOOD. I see the transition area.... cmon my man .... get ready to transition.
In my mind I keep reviewing all the little actions I will have to take to transition well. I take my feet off the shoes.... keep pedaling ... done... the blue line ... I can jump off the bike.
Time 9.40am to 9.42am T2
I enter the bike to run transition. It is full of bikes..... NICE.. this means I am in the first 200 at least :-). I get to my position again, need to put my bike on the rack quickly. Done. Change shoes, done. Sunglasses are not needed... done...BOOM I am out. Running outside the transition area... hundreds of people everywhere cheering... awesome feeling... I feel ready to kick some real butt now with MY sport.
Time 9.42am to 10.39am THE RUN
These first 500mts are awesome, legs are decently fresh and the biking pain is almost unnoticed, I feel I can push a great run. .... BOOM, less than 1 mile done and something is really wrong... my feet are both cramping, what is happening to me. I hope this pain will go away, most likely is just the race pace and the biking that killed me. Feet will do just fine... just keep pushing mofo. Less than 2 miles done, the road is flat and I cannot go fast at all. My feet are cramping so much, ooops... I guess yesterday night I set my elastic laces too tight... way too tight... I should have tried them on at least once. Bloody inexperience. I am about to hit the first big set of stairs to get to GG level... I am walking... uff... cant believe it. I am so far to the end and my feet are screaming. Uff stairs are gone, now uphill trail for a while, I can run... but the pace is very slow. Mile 3, downhill towards Baker beach. Legs are getting some rest, but I cannot find a way to relax my cramping feet, no matter how I put my feet down, the pain does not change. The right one is hearting especially. Mile 4, I running on the sand... this mile is tough, but somehow is relaxing my feet. Mile 5... the Equinox stairs, this is brutal. I try to run on them... 10 stairs done and I am dead. I start walking again... dont know if I have to feel ashame... but it looks like all the athletes in front of me are walking too.
Mile 5.5... the stairs are gone... somehow I feel I am getting close, the trail is beautiful. The view spectacular makes my mind wonder and space out. Mile 6... I am going down hill... towards the end... my pace all of a sudden is fast... I hear a guy cheering for his buddy telling our current pace... 6.45 per mile. NICE
1.5 miles to the end... I am flying again... the pain under my feet is there, burning... but it does not matter... I am overtaking dudes after dudes. BOOM... one guy passes me... I try to keep his pace but the pain is huge and 1.5 miles are a long finish. 1 Mile to go... the DUDE that passed is still there 40mts in front of me. The speed is crazy... 0.8Miles I start seeing the big crowd of people, I am catching up with the guy that tried to pass me :-)... I set my target... time to kill him. I am getting close..... Adrenaline is all over... pain too... I dont care... push mofo. 0.5 miles to go.. It is all flat in front of me... 600mts of sprint... I can do it.
People in the crowd seems to understand my little competitive goal... i hear .."go get him tigerrr"... LOL this is what I wanted to hear. Pedal to the metal, I forgot how fast I could go ..I am flying baby... 200mts to go and I overtake the DUDE. One more in front... 50mts... done... I pass this new dude too... arrival... YEESSSS.
My little moment of glory... Finished 105/2000 people. 2h33minutes. What a joy to see all my SF friends and brother at the end. I AM HAPPY ... SATISFIED... I had my race orgasm and now I am GOOD :-).
Tonight Academy of Science, night visit, let see how cool will turn out!
