Team MIT Tri Chicks
Last weekend I had the opportunity to do a 1/2 IM as a relay team. This is something I have never done before, so when Kathy emailed Kristen and I a few months ago about doing this, I was very intrigued. So, after a little discussion and figuring out who would do what leg, we decided to sign up and give it a try!
This was the inagural race for the Rev3 Tri at Cedar Point. We had to go up the day before to register and get the bike into the transition area before 5pm. Most of the bigger sized races require that you do this prior to race day and there isn't race day registration. Not sure the reason, but it does make it easier race day because you don't have to haul as much gear or worry about how long the registration lines are going to be on that given day. So, by 4:30pm we were checked in and ready to go with nothing else to do the rest of the evening.
The OSU vs. Miami was the same day, so someone suggested BW3, sounded good - so a few of us went there to kill some time and watch the game. We then ventured over to a local Italian Place and did our carbo loading for the night!
Race morning always comes early. This was no exception. It was suggested that we try to be there by 6:15am to get our body marking done. Normally this flows pretty well, you get your marking done, then go to the transition area and check all of your stuff, then get the wet suit on if appropriate, and before you know it - the race is starting! It was a little longer process for this race. The full IM race started first at 7am, then they let the 1/2 IM group go at 8:30am but in waves. The Relay Teams got to start in the last wave, which meant our start time wasn't until 8:50am! So, we got to sit around for several hours before the race even started for us. It was fun though, because we did get to see everyone else get ready and had some nice bonding time as fellow racers . . .
Kathy and I getting body marked, very early in the morning.
Found a fellow racer, who also got there way early . . .(Kathy, Me, Rocco, Kristin)
We set up our own area outside of the transition so that the spectators and racers would have a common place to meet and get ready while they waited. Kristen had the longest wait of everyone since she did the running leg of the relay. This would mean waiting until 12:15 to 12:30pm to start depending on how quickly Kathy and I could do our legs! Kristen had the right idea by bringing the recliner chair so she could rest her legs!
Getting on the wetsuit truely is an artform and there is much discussion on what is the best way to do this . . .Some spray Pam or Cooking Spray on their bodies to make it go on easier and many use body glide. You can see that this group used a variety of methods including, but not limited to, wetsuit calithenics and other friends to help zip and get into the suit!
Swim start finally arrived and most everyone headed down to the beach to get ready.
When there are "wave starts" to a race, they typically break up the groups and start them at different times, rather than everyone starting together. Each wave is typically indicated by age group, sex, and/or weight. Different color swim caps normally designate who is which wave.
As I mentioned before, the Relay Teams started in the last wave - they grouped us with the 45+women and the clydsdale athletes. Apparently someone thought those would be the slowest swimmers. Not so, Kathy actually caught up with and passed some swimmers in the 2 waves that started prior to hers!
We didn't catch Kathy coming out of the water, but we did spot our friend John, he was actually only a minute or so ahead of Kathy . . .
Kathy made it back into transtion after a 40 minute swim (1.2 miles), we exchanged the race chip and then I was off to start the leg loop of the tri (56 miles). The course itself wasn't really that challenging - a few steep but short hills and one segment that had about 10 miles of rolling hills. Would actually have been a pretty easy bike for me except that there were 15-17 mph winds that day. Wind is not my friend on the bike and I would rather deal with anything else. And wouldn't you know it, but the last 15 miles or so on the bike provided us with a nasty little headwind! No worries, I gutted it out and although it wasn't the time I was hoping for, I was able to finish the bike in 3:08.
Meanwhile, Kristen is still waiting in transition. Not sure what all she did for 3 hours while I was out there, but someone snagged a shot of her stretching and getting ready for her run.
Whatever she did, it worked! I came into to transition, Kristen took the timing chip from my ankle, and in 36 seconds our transition was complete and she was off on the run (13.1 miles)!
Once I caught my breath, got the bike put away and my legs stopped shaking, I stretched, changed clothes then met up with Kathy and Kristen's husband, Ben. We put a few things in the car and then headed to the finish line, which was inside of Cedar Point Amusement Park. That was one of my favorite parts at being part of the relay - I actually got done early enough to see most of my friends be able to finish. It was especially cool because I was able to cheer on two of my friends, Rocco and Stephanie, as they finished their first 1/2 IM distance!
Rocco, looking strong with a 5:35 finish!
Stephanie is on the left, apparently she ran 10 miles with this girl and they exchanged recipes and other things while passing time on the run!
The other really cool thing is that they let all the team members run down the final stretch so that everyone can finish together! Kathy and I went back and forth on this because we knew Kristen was on her way to a PR time for the half marathon distance. We were both in flip flops and weren't sure we could run her pace, on the otherhand we wanted to finish as a team! We opted to jump in and run as fast as we could!
In our exuberance we almost left Kristen behind! But we slowed and all got to finish together with a final time of 5:36 (Kristen's 13.1 mile run was a 1:46 PR)!!
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