Motivating the Base

Motivating the base. I’m not talking about some Palin-esque move to caputure the electorate next November. No, instead I’m referring to my body’s odd ability to somehow channel the 9,000 miles I rode in 2009 for a race that happened almost two years later. Remarkably, while the muscle memory is a bit fuzzy, it’s kind of shocking that my body retains any athletic ability whatsoever.

For some context, I’ve been on the road almost constantly since the fall of last year (first doing a promotional tour for Josh Groban’s newest record, and then following that up with the actual tour). So my life has mostly consisted of planes, TV studios, planes, rehearsal halls, planes, radio stations, planes and ice hockey arenas? Did I mention the planes? In short, it’s done wonders for my frequent flier mileage, but very little for my aerobic capacity. In fact, I’d basically assumed that – with the tour currently booked almost solid through Thanksgiving - I just wouldn’t race this year.

So, when I noticed the first of the Long Branch Tri series races would take place the day after I returned from the first leg of the tour (which, ironically, concluded at the Giant Center in Hershey) I didn’t pay much attention. Fortunately, my girlfriend managed to convince me that I should race it for ‘fun’ and just enjoy the experience without worrying about how I did. Not something I’m particularly used to, but I hoped it would motivate me to assemble my Ritchey Break-away on a few of the scant days off we get out here. (It kind of worked. I did ride in some cool places. But not very often, as we don't get very many days off...)

Cut to last Saturday I’m in a transition area 36 hours after finishing loading the truck for our last show. Not where I expected to be, but I was just glad I didn’t forget anything and managed to get the TT bike tuned, functional and fully inflated in time for the race. I don’t even think I’d been on it for about 10 months with the schedule we’d been keeping. But it was racked, my wetsuit still fit (a little more snug than last summer…) and I was back on the beach for a go at it.

Now, I’m not crazy. With all of 250 miles in my legs for 2011 I was NOT interested in anything but the sprint distance. But at least the swim has never intimidated me. And despite the short distance (and my year-long break from the pool) the rough waves in the morning seemed like they might even prove advantageous. Sure enough, the horn sounded and dozens of inlanders were immediately tossed back onto the sand by an angry sea. The locals among us faired better and it wasn’t long until we were stroking out towards the first buoy.

I’ll admit, the first half of the swim I was questioning why I’d EVER practiced swimming! After all, I felt pretty good. I didn’t have much of a lead, but I WAS in the lead. And that can’t be all down the Xterra Vendetta (though it did help…) Those hundred of miles of my youth really were paying off and all without early morning swim sessions. Is swim practice for suckers?!

And then we hit the turnaround. Wow. I was maintaining my lead, but the adrenaline wore off and my arms were left to question what I was doing to them. Apparently stacking cases and lifting consoles doesn’t do much to build swim muscle. The last half felt a little dicey. And while I hit the beach still in first, it wasn’t a completely pleasant experience. Swim practice, it turns out, is not for suckers.

After finding my bike, it WAS pleasant to learn the flying mount is completely ingrained in my muscle memory. I was off on the short (10.6 miles) bike course with no issues and was doing well for a while, even reeling in some intermediate distance stragglers. My bike fitness isn’t what it used to be, but I was holding my own. I didn’t get passed until the last third of the course, but even then it was only by two dudes. And I wasn’t even sure they were in the sprint. I assumed, but didn’t know, and just proceeded along as if I were in 3^rd.

Hit T2 and hoped for the best. The only instructions I received were ‘stay on the path.’ Not knowing if that meant stay on the boardwalk or the street, I started out following the boards…until I saw a line of cones in the street. So I jumped off the boardwalk and ran there, following a curve of cones (with a policeman directing me) over two blocks to another road. Followed the new road for about 300 yards until I got an uneasy feeling. Stopped to ask another police officer if I was on the run course, got a puzzled look and decided I wasn’t. Oh well. Headed back towards the water where I spotted another racer. He looked a bit surprised to see me running in from the other road! We ran together for a bit to the looped turnaround. Once there, he headed towards the finish line while I followed a sign with an arrow. (Guess which of us made the right turn? Here’s a hint: It wasn’t me.) Eventually got headed back in the right direction and figured it didn’t much matter, I was only here to have fun and was probably in fourth anyway.

Except I wasn’t in fourth. I finished second overall about 1:20 behind the guy I met up with on the run! Damn. The moral of the story? Train hard enough that you can get lost and still not get caught on the run! Either way, it looks like that’s the beginning, middle and end of my 2011 tri season. Hope to see more of you all in 2012!