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| Julia racking up at Jersey Girl Tri 2015. I believe she is actually staring in awe at the "camp grounds" that were the set up area of our neighboring racers. |
The girls --who I assumed were sisters-- had spaced their bikes about four feet apart on the racks, preventing anyone from racking in between them, and had spread out a large Power Rangers* beach towel in front of the bikes like a picnic blanket.
They proceeded to fill up a plastic, foot-washing tank with water using about 10 Poland Spring bottles. The empty bottles rolled around on the pavement like so many bowling pins.
Next they emptied their bags --suitcases, really-- which included what appeared to be the contents of an entire bathroom and closet. In addition to necessary items like bike helmets, sneakers and tech shirts, they had boxes of Kleenex, Hello Kitty lip balm, tubes of concealer, a mirror. They even had a hair dryer. I repeat: a hair dryer.
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| Pinwheel marking the spot. |
Other first timers were asking questions about how to set up their space, how to put on their timing chip etc. and all the old timers were happy to help. But these two were like tourists who arrive in a foreign country and demand to be taken to the nearest Starbucks.
I considered mentioning, within their earshot, that having all their stuff in the middle of the path, where everyone would have to run their bikes out, might cause their campsite to be disrupted, that, in fact, there would be no way for them to get their own bikes out without mowing down at least one pile of toiletries. But a quick check in with Julia and Annie and we agreed there was a 0% chance these two would take advice, no matter how well meaning or gently put.
Twice they placed some of their paraphernalia directly in front of my set up. First it was a spare bike helmet (I guess you bring a spare bike helmet if you are expecting to fall on your head a lot), and later it was what looked like a pair of leg-warmers. Both times I just picked their things up and put them back on the red Power Ranger when their backs were turned.
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| Racked up at Jersey Girl Triathlon, for my first tri using clipless pedals. August 2, 2015. |
When we got down to the staging area on the beach in preparation for the swim start, I spotted the two girls up ahead, high-fiving each other and splitting a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. They wadded up three pieces of gum each and chucked the empty packaging on the sand; one mumbled something along the lines of "Oh, we'll pick that up later."
After that I lost track of them. At that point I had a chance to catch up with Julia and get to know Annie a little before our group was called.
The weather was supposed to get hot later in the morning, but at 7am it was gorgeous --a far cry from the drenching rain of last year-- and the ocean water was as serene as it gets. The surface glistened with pink from the sunrise as the water support staff put out the yellow, pyramid buoys to mark the 300 meter course.
In triathlon terms, 300 meters is about the shortest swim distance you can get. A few people did a warm up swim, but I didn't see the need.
For many, the biggest challenge of triathlon is the swim, particularly for those unfamiliar with open water swimming, and this race does all it can to help these folks along. There are plenty of support staffers in the water, and for each wave of swimmers there were "swim angels" -- that is, stronger swimmers who are not competing but just there to swim along side anyone who is nervous or might need encouragement.
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| Sunrise over Long Branch beach at Jersey Girl Tri 2015. Photo courtesy of Jenny Altagracia. |
I executed a swift high step through the first waves, dove under the one larger swell, and then set up a steady rhythm to the first turn. Buoys were to our left on this course, and I tend to breathe on my right, which isn't optimal, but I have been working on bilateral breathing and it was smooth sailing.
This was one of the only tris I've completed this season (with the exception of Escape the Cape back in June), where I wasn't skeeved out by water quality issues. It was also my only race all summer where I experienced zero body contact during the swim. One woman was swimming back stroke and I saw her heading toward me at about the 150 meter mark, but I picked up my pace a little and managed to avoid her. I was happy to be sixth out of the water in my age group.
After exiting the water there was a substantial jog up the sand back to transition, but volunteers were on the boardwalk hosing off sandy feet, which was great.
I did a kind of pas de chat leap over the Power Rangers towel and its contents to get to my own set up. My heart was racing as I put on my bike shoes. I was thinking about the bike mount and the very real possibility that I would not clip in smoothly and would just fall over (as I have done many times of late) or someone would come up behind me and run me over.
On my jog to the mount line I felt a profound sense of connection to all those who were attempting their first triathlon that morning. Even though this is my third year of triathlon, my fourth triathlon of this season and thirteenth overall, I was a first timer too, in some respect, brand new to racing in clipless pedals.
I followed the mental plan I had rehearsed and moved off to the left edge of the mount line to get out of traffic. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to sloooow down. My pedals were in the correct position to get the right foot clipped in first. I pushed off and reminded myself not to panic if the left foot didn't click in right away, just maintain momentum and keep my eyes on the road.
My left foot has been giving me trouble getting clipped, but I received a little race magic at Jersey Girl; my left foot clicked in after only the second pedal stroke. I am absolutely certain no one was paying any attention to my clipping but me, but I was ecstatic.
Once on the bike course, I remembered it was deceptively challenging. Even though it is flat, the road surface isn't great, lots of potholes and rough pavement, a fact that I remembered from practicing it a few times last year. There are also a lot of turns over the 10 mile course. But the biggest problem by far was the congestion.
Of the 700+ racers, quite a few were unfamiliar with basic cycling safety rules for keeping to the right, calling out "on your left!" to pass, maintaining adequate non-drafting distances and so on. It would have been a good idea for the race directors to include this info on their website and reiterate it before swim start.
People were riding two and three abreast. I saw several people biking along, side by side, casually chatting with friends. I totally understand this is a race that caters to newbies, and I get that many people just want to finish and there is no "racing" about it for them. Still, I couldn't help gritting my teeth as I had to slow down multiple times and practically swerve into the on-coming traffic lane to pass gaggles of girlfriends gliding along on beach cruisers.
In the last two miles of the bike section there were long stretches where we had to stay in a narrow lane marked off by cones. At that point there was no way to lay down any speed; no one was staying far enough to the right for anyone to pass safely. I felt like I was trapped behind 18-wheeler trucks on the top span of the George Washington bridge.
No surprise, I had a slower ride (average 17.5 mph) using clipless pedals over the 10 mile course at Jersey Girl, then I had using flat pedals over a 20 mile course at NJ State two weeks earlier (18.5 mph average). Still, I executed a smooth dismount and hustled back into transition with a sense of accomplishment.
As I rolled in to re-rack my bike I was struck by the sight of the Power Rangers' camp ground, which had been utterly destroyed. It looked like a helicopter had landed in the middle, spraying clumps of wet Kleenex, empty water bottles, toothbrushes, spare change, and Chapstick in every direction.
I stared, goggle eyed, at the mess as I pulled off my helmet, slipped out of bike shoes and into my sneakers, and then improvised a set of elaborate dance moves to get around the wreckage on my way out to run.
I didn't have high expectations for myself on the run. I haven't been running much and have put on weight from eating at fancy restaurants while on summer vacation, so I set a goal to run a modest pace and not stop.
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| Ron Jones and Jenny Altagracia volunteering and supporting at Jersey Girls Tri.Photo courtesy of Jenny Altagracia. |
The cheers from the Jersey Girls --many of whom I only know from Facebook-- were very much appreciated. They kept my spirits high. Pink may not be my thing (can't we switch to periwinkle or turquoise next year, Moira?),
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| Pink or magenta? You be the judge. Team gear color for Jersey Girls Stay Strong Multisport. |
The heat was coming on strong by the time I started mile 3, and I was beginning to regret not having done a few more miles of running in recent weeks.
I found myself running next to a woman in my age group who was going at the same stately pace. She was wearing a shirt from the team Triwomen. This appeared to be her first triathlon, and she was not going fast, but did not appear to be struggling. From what I could tell, she was just in her groove, and so was I.
We had been running side by side for about two tenths of a mile when a young, very tan, very perky woman from her team bounded up like a Jack Russell terrier. She had evidently finished her race already and come back to cheer on teammates.
Like I said, I appreciate the value of team support, really, I do, however, this lady's style of cheering was...um...beyond enthusiastic. She kept up a stream of whoops and yips, followed by commentary and questions.
"Yeah girl! You got this, Stacey! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!! Yeah! Alright! You want some water? There's a water station up ahead? You want me to run up and get you some water? How you doing, lady? You're looking great! WAY. TO. GO. STACEY!"
Stacey mumbled things like "Thanks," and "I'm fine," and once she said: "I think a couple of others are behind me, maybe you should go check on them."
To this the woman responded: "No way!! I'm here for you, girlfriend! Don't you worry! I'll be here with you all the way home! GO STACEY! YEEEHAW!"
Every hundred feet or so she'd race up ahead with her cell phone to shoot some video, and she'd shift tone and narrate the movie as she was filming, like a kind of maniacal, over caffeinated wildlife documentarian: "Here comes Stacey! She's running. She's nearing the end of the race! She's got a half mile to go...."
Then she'd look up over the camera and shout at Stacey directly, rather than her documentary viewers. "Stace! GO GIRL!! You are strong! You are a strong woman! WOOOOOHOOO!"
At one point she stopped for a moment, and I felt a swell of hope that she had finally worn herself out, but it turned out she was just fussing with her iPhone.
"I'm gonna play you some tunes, Stace! These tunes will keep ya goin'!!! WOOOT!"
I watched her tap the screen and Stacey and I both jumped as the iPhone blared out hard core rap (pretty sure this was Big L): "So we could never be a couple hun, f**k love! All I got for hos is hard dick and bubble gum!"
"Oh, no! That's not 'Eye of the Tiger!' Oopsie! No worries, Stace! Looking great girl! WOO! You need some water?"
I felt like I needed a bath.
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| Annie, me and Julia looking strong at the finish of Jersey Girls Tri in Long Branch, NJ 2015. |
I crossed the line feeling hot but good.
I hadn't walked on the run, just kept the steady pace I was aiming for.
My finish time wasn't as good as last year, and I probably could have pushed harder, but I had a long day of other obligations ahead, and besides, I did do the clips. Moreover, I got a good morning's exercise in a beautiful location, spent time with friends, felt the support of my teammates and enjoyed some great people watching. Lovely day all around.
PS - No sign of the Power Rangers post race. Their bikes weren't there when I went back to pick up my stuff, but the towel and the rest of the mayhem was, so I assumed they were still out on the course. Come to think of it, they may still be out there pedaling around Long Branch. If anyone sees them, put a tag around their necks and send them home.
EVALUATION OF THE EVENT = Depends
In terms of rating the race overall, I'd definitely recommend this race for ladies skittish about the swim, and newcomers to the sport who want a laid back atmosphere. On the other hand, there is a point where laid back turns to chaotic. The race itself was well organized, with good course support, plenty of port-o-potties, water and aid stations etc. But having such a high percentage of first timers, means a lot of unpredictable behavior. For anyone serious about racing, anyone looking to lay down a fast time, this is the wrong race for you.-----------------
*I changed the cartoon characters on the towel, in case, somehow, this post should make it back to the girls in question. I suspect they would not recognize themselves in this description anyway, nor be the slightest bit concerned about anyone's reaction to them, but I aim to be polite, just in case.
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| I'm a "Taste Agent" for Skratch Labs this year. Their hydration mix is key to my participation in triathlon and multisport. Check them out online. |
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