Milford, CT, “Y” Tri Race Report

Yesterday was my birthday, and to celebrate, I did my first race of the season.  It was a short sprint at the local YMCA, the “Y” Tri, put on by FIRM Racing.  300-yard pool swim, advertised 10-mile bike, 2.5-mile run.  A good way to start the season IMHO.

Pre-Race
Going into the race, my goal was to go under an hour.  I also targeted this as my ideal Speedo race since it’s short, and I didn’t want to expose my tri-suit to chlorine.  So Friday last week, I went out and bought a new Speedo, black with red racing stripes.  It was, as you can image, VERY sexy, and in fact, several people commented on it. 

“No,” I told them, “I’m not insane.  The fine folks at Tri-Fuel will want to see these pictures.”

So I get in the pool, warm up, and generally get ready to race.  Folks start queuing in our starting order—we were seeded by approximate swim time—and suddenly my wife runs up to me.  “Oh no!” she says, “I forgot the camera!”

“What?!  But I’m wearing a Speedo!”

*sigh*

Well, they had photographers, and I know they took pictures.  As soon as I have some, I’ll share.  Until then, you’re just gonna have to wait with what I’m sure is breathless anticipation.

Swim
This being both a pool swim and a very short race in general, part of my plan was to see what I could do for a 300-yard freestyle.  I figured, what was the worst that could happen?  I might as well blast it out and see what I could do.  I was seeded fourth, with the first five or so people all entering approximate swim times of 3:30.  I don’t know how they figured the order out, but I can tell you that if there is a next time for me with this race, I’ll enter an approximate swim time of 3:29 and avoid the rush and confusion. 

In any event, they started us at 15 second intervals.  I pushed off when they told me and promptly caught the guy in front of me—just before the half-way mark.  At that point, the pool was pretty crowded, so I let my man pull me for the next 125 yards, passing him on the last 25.  On my wife’s watch, I was 3:23 to the wall.  Official time was 3:32 by the time I got out of the pool and ran across the mat.  1/7 AG, 2/71 Overall.

T1
It was a short run from the pool to transition.  I threw on my shoes, helmet, one glove, and my new biking jersey—the jersey that zips all the way down the front that my wife had given me just that morning for my birthday.  It was a very well-timed gift because the air temp on Sunday was right at 60-degrees, a little cold for riding in just a Speedo—and I started running for the road.  Ran across the mat and realized I’d forgotten to put on my race belt!  Oops.  And, oh yeah, I’m still carrying my other glove.  So I stopped and put on my race belt and started pedaling, meanwhile fooling with my glove all the while.

Eh.  Not the smartest transition ever, but effective.  Kind of a microcosm of the race in general.  Official Time: 1:19.  Probably add another 15 seconds fooling with my race belt, but that got added onto my bike time because I’d already crossed the mat.

Bike
It was an advertised 10-mile ride.  My bike computer put it at 11.2 miles.  Either way, it was a two-loop course, flat with a few little risers but no real descents.

Coming off that foolish transition, it is perhaps no surprise that I again did something stupid.  Look, I swam hard on purpose, and that’s fine.  I’ve been nursing a nagging running injury (pulled groin) all spring, so with that in mind, I’ve done 99% of my anaerobic work in the pool.  I was READY to swim fast.  But my plan of carrying that over into the bike and just hammering wasn’t smart.  I mean, it was okay—I had to go fast no matter how you look at it—but I haven’t done much fast riding at all this season, and I was unprepared for how quickly that caught up to me out on the road.  Plus, I came out of the pool with a heart rate of maybe 165 or 170, and so when I got on the bike, I probably should have laid back for a mile, gotten my HR under control, and then started picking it up slowly.  I don’t know that that would have actually made me faster, but it certainly would have hurt less than getting on the bike and going straight into a full speed attack did.  Regardless, after the first three miles, I knew I needed to slow down and get back under control or Bad Things were going to happen.  Fortunately, I was feeling a lot better by the time I hit the second loop, and overall I wouldn’t say it was a bad ride, just dumb.  A smarter execution would’ve seen me average over 20 mph on a fairly flat course, I’m sure.  Still, it wasn’t bad.  Just more painful than absolutely necessary.

Bike 11-miles: 33:42.  2/7 AG, 11/71 Overall.

T-2
Nothing to see here.  The biggest news was that I decided it was overcast enough that I didn’t need my sunglasses anymore.  T2: 1:19.

Run
So I’ve never been a great runner, and coming off a running injury, I knew I wasn’t gonna run well here.  It’s okay.  At least I’m running again.  And the fact that I knew I was gonna have to lay back on the run informed my strategy earlier in the race, so that I was actually running much easier than I had been riding.

It didn’t help that I saw NO ONE on the run.  The guys in front of me were all a good deal faster than me, and the guys behind me were well behind by virtue of the staggered swim starts.  So I basically cruised a 2.5-mile jog, feeling good and happy to be racing so soon after my injury earlier in the season.  I definitely felt the lack on miles on my legs, but you know, I can start putting those in before the next race, and it’s not like I’m out of shape or anything.  I crossed the finish line feeling groovy.

Run 2.5: 19:26.  5/7 AG, 27/71 Overall.
Total: 59:19.  1/7 AG, 8/71 Overall. 

I would’ve needed to drop 9 full minutes to get on the Podium, and that’s enough time so as to make me feel happy about doing well rather than pissed at just missing a better finish.  My goals were to go under 3:30 on the swim, average over 20 mph on the bike, and finish in under an hour overall.  I did most of that, and now I’m ready to get back to work prep’ing for the next race.

Odds and Ends...

Good morning and happy Saturday!  

Long time no see, no?  Eh.  I confess, I got a little frustrated with the lack of readers/comments on this thing.  It wasn't meant to be a diary, but I suppose I have a collection of seriously niche interests, so what do you expect?  Anyway, I noticed a few folks have come by and read-up on what's what, so... thanks!  Especially to you, Alan.

Alright, so first thing's first: I've written five short chapters of the Space Cadets story, but then I took a little break from it this week.  It was an exhausting week, and I just couldn't focus on Helena and Ellia.  The next scene is Ellia and the dinosaurs, and I just haven't had the energy to sit down and make it happen.  So I went back and actually finished another project, a solo adventure D&D adventure based on the beginning of the Sellswords Campaign, called Winter Ambush.  If you want to try that out, it's here.  The link goes to a ZIP file that has a Word document with an Excel document embedded that has all the combat maps and some other tricks and nonsense that'll make the adventure a little more playable.  Let me know what you think!

On the triathlon front, I'm finally back to running again, and in fact, my first race of the season is tomorrow.  I finished a six-week "spring training" period last week and then took a rest week--which I needed badly.  It was just good timing that the race was at the end of the rest week.  Anyway, tomorrow's race is a kind of a super-sprint: 300-yard swim, 10-mile ride, 3-mile run.  I'm hoping to finish under and hour, but I'll let you know.

And that's about all I got.  Have a great weekend!  I'll let you know how the race turned out tomorrow.

Space Cadets, Chapter 1

Well, I really enjoyed the recent episode of the TV Show Fringe where Walter Bishop told Olivia's niece a story.  it got me thinking that I ought to tell me own girls a story.  But then I decided not to do it off the cuff.  So the following is the first part of my story for my girls.  Comments are welcome!  Enjoy!

“Space Cadets Helena and Ellia Olmstead and the New Hoboken Zoo”

Chapter 1: Battle Stations!

           Space Cadet First Class Helena Olmstead stood on the forward observation deck of the USS Orion’s Bow gazing down on planet VS-138, called “New Hoboken” by its latest residents—the colonists of MARSAT-4, New Space Territory, Republic of Earth.

“Watch’a doin’, sis?” a familiar voice called out from behind.  “Givin’ that planet the old googly eyes again?”

Helena turned, and her nascent smile flattened.  “Don’t you mean ‘ma’am’ there little sister?  I am your superior officer, after all.”

Ellia snapped to, instantly ripping off a perfect parade-ground salute.  “Aye aye, ma’am!  Space Cadet Third Class Ellia Olmstead is heartily chastised, ma’am, by her oh-so-superior sister.  Even if said sister is mooning like a love-sick space puppy at the planet below us, ma’am!”

Helena’s face reddened.  “I am not mooning like a love-sick space puppy!”

“Please!” Ellia said.  “I saw your coms traffic while I was working my rotation in Engineering.  You’re meeting that dreamy Rick Hanover at the New Hoboken Zoo tomorrow when you go one Shore Leave.”  Ellia cleared her throat and put on a deep, gravely voice.  “’Oh Rick, I count the hours until we dock at New Hoboken Junction!  If only we had more time to—‘“

Helena listened until her mouth fell open.  “You read my coms traffic?!”

“Well, I… uh…” 

“But those were my private letters!”

“Yeah, but uh—“  Ellia, perhaps realizing that she’d overstepped, took a judicious step backwards.

Helena stepped forward, closing the distance with her sister.  “You little sneak!  Why I ought’a pound you!  If you think you can just—“

“Look,” Ellia said, holding up both hands, palms out, against the rising storm, “it wasn’t like that.  I was working with Chief Overstreet, and I had to put the coms traffic through the Digital Scrambler and then upload it to the Flux Wave Accelerator, and then—“

Thankfully, an alarm cut through Ellia’s explanation.  “ATTENTION ON DECK!  ATTENTION ON DECK!  All Hands to Battle Stations!  All Hands to Battle Stations!  Attention on deck!  All Hands to Battle Stations!  This is not a drill!”

Ellia smiled.  “Ooops!  Gotta go, sis!  Wouldn’t wanna keep the Captain waiting!”

Helena scowled.  “We’re not finished here, Ellia!  Why I’m gonna—“

“No time!” Ellia replied.  “Bye!”

            With that, Ellia took off running, heading back towards her post at Engineering.  Helena scowled, but there was nothing she could do.  Her confrontation with her sister would have to wait.  Because Ellia was right about one thing—Helena couldn’t possibly afford to keep the captain waiting.

***

            When the alarm sounded for Battle Stations, the USS Orion’s Bow became a study in controlled chaos.  Over six hundred men and women ran, climbed, and scurried through the halls, hatchways, and ports of the great ship, making ready for whatever might occur out in the wilds of deep space.  For Helena, the controlled confusion was a welcome relief from her sister’s taunting—and from thinking about Rick Hanover.  Oh Rick!  Long black hair, dark eyes, and a beautiful smile when he cared to show it.  It was true what Ellia said—Rick was dreamy.  But, beautiful boy or no, it wasn’t easy being friends with Rick Hanover.  No, Rick was working a Space Internship as a Galactic Zoologist’s Assistant, traveling around the galaxy with Professor Stubbledorf, studying the odd flora and fauna of the New Space Territory to make sure that it was safe for all of the colonists heading out from Old Earth Space.  Alas, Rick was perhaps the only boy in the entire Galaxy whose studies involved more travel than Helena’s own.  Helena might be a Space Cadet First Class, but at least she had to return to Earth for classes every semester.  With Professor Stubbledorf, Rick wasn’t likely to see Earth again until he was almost ready to graduate!  All of which made this stop at New Hoboken even more important.  Who knew when Helena would have another chance to see her beautiful boy?

            Well, there’s no time for worrying about that now, Helena thought, we’re going to Battle Stations.  She came onto the ship’s bridge, saw the Captain looking intently at something on his private screen, and slid into her own station at the Helm’s Secondary Control.  “Space Cadet First Class Helena Olmstead reporting for duty!” she said to let the Captain know she’d arrived.  “What is it, sir?  Vishandi Raiders?  A War Fleet from the Galactic Imperium?  Good, old-fashioned space pirates?”

            “Easy, Helena,” the Captain replied.  He was a tall man with buzz-cut salt-and-pepper hair, a stiffly starched space-black uniform, and piercing steel-blue eyes.  But though Captain Adarsh Adarsby could be scary when he was angry, he also had a ready smile—one that he favored Helena with just then.  “It’s nothing like that.  There’s been a disturbance at the New Hoboken Zoo.” 

            “The New Hoboken Zoo?” Helena said.  “Oh no!”  Rick’s at the Zoo!

“Yes,” Captain Adarsby said.  “Apparently some of the proto-dinosaurs have escaped, and the city’s mayor has called and asked for our assistance in recapturing them before anyone gets hurt.”

“Those dinosaurs can be dangerous, sir!” Helena said.

“Indeed they can, Helena, indeed they can.  I was just about to dispatch a VT-49 Assault Shuttle and a squad of Marines to help the mayor—“

“Thank you, sir!” Helena said.  It came out in a rush, and she blushed when she realized that she’d just interrupted her commanding officer.

Captain Adarsby frowned.  “Well, you seem very concerned about the New Hoboken Zoo, Space Cadet Olmstead.  Is there something that you’d like to tell me?”

“Yessir!  It’s just that my—“  Helena’s blush turned furious when she thought about Rick Hanover.  What did the Captain care about some silly boy?  Her face felt like it was on fire just thinking about it!  “My, uh, my friend is down on the planet, sir.  Working at the New Hoboken Zoo.  I’m, uh, just worried about him is all.”

To Helena’s astonishment, Captain Adarsby smiled again.  Some of the other bridge officers smiled as well.  Captain Adarsby said, “Your friend, huh?  Well.  I believe you’re qualified to a pilot a VT-49, aren’t you Space Cadet?”

“Yessir!” Helena replied.  What was this?  “I’ve got over 600 hours, sir.  Top of my Flight Class back at the Academy!”

“Very good, Helena.  You can take command of the rescue mission and pilot the shuttle.  The Marines are mustering on the Flight Deck.  Chief Blackstone’s down there, too.  He’ll be in charge of the Shore Party.”

“Yessir!” Helena said, already getting up.  She could hardly believe her ears!

“Oh, and one more thing, Helena.”

“Sir?”

“Pick up your little sister when you pass by Engineering,” the Captain said. 

“Sir?” Helena asked.  She couldn’t quite hide her shock.  Here she was, about to get her very first independent space command, and yet she still had to take her little sister along for the ride.

“Yes.  She can go with Chief Blackstone and the Shore Party,” the Captain said.  His look darkened.  “Why?  Is that a problem?”

“No sir!” Helena replied.  What choice did she have?

“Good,” the Captain replied.  “Now get going!  Those marines are waiting for you.”

Storyteller's Playbook: Bad Story Ideas

I was questing about for story ideas for a short story I'm writing for my daughters, and I came across this list:

Stories We've Seen Too Often

 After the jump, you'll see a HUGE collection of over-wrought cliches that the editors of Strange Horizons magazine have seen a million times.  I loved these. 

My favorites:

1. Protagonist agrees to go along with a plan or action despite not having enough information about it, and despite their worries that the thing will be bad. Then the thing turns out to be bad after all.
2. White protagonist is given wise and mystical advice by Holy Simple Native Folk.
3. An alien observes and comments on the peculiar habits of humans, for allegedly comic effect.
   
   1. The alien is fluent in English and completely familiar with various English idioms, but is completely unfamiliar with human biology and/or with such concepts as sex or violence and/or with certain specific extremely common English words (such as "cat").
   2. The alien takes everything literally.
   3. Instead of an alien, it's people in the future commenting on the ridiculous things (usually including internal combustion engines) that people used to use in the unenlightened past.

Tough Work Week, Awesome Workouts

Yup.  Tough week at work.  The big briefing for the Super-Secret Analysis is coming up, and it's got me a little crazy.  And then, too, half my Players are out in one way or another, so we've not had much action over at the Sellswords lately.  But... it's been a moderately big triathlon week.  All things considered, I'm finally starting to feel like myself, both in the water and on my bike.  Considering that I spent all-offseason working on running before pulling a groin muscle, that's not too bad.  So, bottom line, I don't know when I'll be able to do a full-on triathlon, but I ought to be able to put together a pretty decent aqua-bike at some point this season.

Tuesday:

100 free @ 1:25

200 free @ 2:50

300 free @ 4:15

400 free @ 5:40

400 pull @ 5:40

300 pull @ 4:15

200 free @ 2:50

100 free @ 1:25

4 x 100 free @ 1:20, holding 1:10

100 Warm Down

Total = 2500 yards in about 35 minutes

Thursday: 

Short Ride = 11 miles

Friday:

300 Warm Up

400 free @ 5:40

8 x 50 stroke @ :55, alternating fly / free

300 free @ 4:15

6 x 50 @ :55, alternating fly / free

200 free @ 2:50

4 x 50 @ :55, alternating fly / free

100 free @ 1:25

2 x 50 @ :55, alternating fly / free

100 Warm Down

Total = 2400

Saturday:

Long(ish) Ride = 28 miles (about 1 hour, 45 minutes).  Some hill-work.

And there you have it.  Hooray!