It’s always such a great day racing the Bayshore 70.4 because of all the local athletes that come out to race and cheer. This year my friends Shelly came from Northern California and Sergio came up from San Diego to join in on the fun. Shelly and I spoke last year and determined that this would be a great warm up race in preparation to Ironman Santa Rosa, of course we also set out to convince all our friends to do it with us. Well, let’s get this recap started.
The weather for race day was a wet one with 90% chance of rain. Great trick for your transition gear is putting everything in a trash bag so it doesn’t get wet. We arrived race morning and everyone was in a similar mind-set, we need to stay warm. We made our way to the swim start and joked about how swimming was actually the driest we’ll be all day. Rain isn’t to bad if you’re prepared for it. The swim was two loops and it was nice to see Shelly right next to me during the swim. I actually was having a tough time in the water and seeing her definitely motivated me. We came into T1 together and geared up for the bike in light rain. I knew Shelly was not familiar with the course so I waited to lead her out to the bike path. Once on the path it was a simple out and back.
The bike felt good and I was comfortable on the course. The path is on my training grounds so it’s no surprise that I would enjoy it. The rain made the ride fun, it wasn’t my first time riding the path in the rain so I was able to maneuver around all the tricky areas. Not a bike PR for the course but definitely a great time out there. I came into T2 to cheers from friends who actually came out to support in the rain. That’s right I have some amazing triathlon buddies that go above and beyond to show their support.
Started my run with a big smile as I passed Natalie and Jessica whose energy carried me into the run. The rain was now a light drizzle but it was still a bit windy and cold out. I decided to run with my cycling jacket to keep warm. At times I heated up a bit from sweating but it was nice to have when running into the headwind at the loop turnaround. On the run I was a few minutes ahead of Sergio but I knew it wasn’t going to last. Sergio is a strong runner and the only reason I was able to pass him on the bike was because I knew the course so well. This was motivation for me to push on the run, I think it was about mile 8 when he caught and passed me. My legs just didn’t have it in them to push and try to keep up. It was a fun chase and I’m so happy I got to share that with him.
I was ready to finish this thing up and change into some dry clothes. I made my way towards the finish line and saw Natalie, Jess and Sergio cheering for me. Finished in 5h:32m and set a new course PR. This race is so great, nothing compares to racing the local races and being out there with so many friends. I plan to do it again next year and am going to invite as many people as I can. It’s a fast course and the people are amazing. Thank you to all the volunteers who stuck it out in the rain to support us as well as everyone out there cheering.
Just an after thought, I truly am a lucky guy to be surrounded by loyal and inspiring individuals. Everyone I mentioned in this post I met through social media and they have become some of my closes friends. It takes a lot to come out and cheer for someone but when they do it for you in the rain, that really makes you feel special. Let alone those that travel hundreds of miles to join you in a crazy adventure like a triathlon. I am very thankful I stepped out of my comfort zone and have opened up myself to meeting new people and taking on new adventures. And you know whats crazy in a couple of months we do it again at a different location, all reunited and supporting each other on the next adventure.
From Recovery To Endurance 