I was excited to race the Mermaid Triathlon in Alameda even though it meant getting the gross taste of salt water in my mouth. I didn’t dread swimming in the ocean, I didn’t dread the transition from bike to run, my entire focus was on what was the fastest way to get the taste of nasty gym socks out of my mouth.
Race morning went off without a hitch. My race morning schedule helps me keep my head focused. Once that magic time comes I go into the zone. This race I had all my training buddies with me, so to keep things light, I raced down to their wave start and pulled out my “race morning schedule” to give them all a chuckle. They think it’s funny that I schedule time to get dressed, fuel up or visit the long line of port-a-potties. Entertainment that’s what I am here for!
The water in the bay felt good. I like swimming in the ocean, you are buoyant and your hips pop right out of the water. The count down came and once again I got myself right into the thick of it, I seam to have an addiction to the lead pack madness. At Morgan Hill I forced myself to wait and stay to the outside, but with more confidence in this race my goal was for a smooth start. I hung in with the madness and managed to emerge from the water 8th in my wave and I think 6th for my age group. I was surprised at my swim finish and wanted to thank God for a smooth swim but I decided maybe it was best if I did that on the bike.
The bike course at Mermaid, Alameda is pretty much a cakewalk except for the poor street quality on one of the roads. I felt strong after my swim and went out hard on the bike knowing the course was relatively flat. Being that the first wave left a full 40 minutes ahead of me and the bike course was an out and back double loop course, it made for a lot of passing. I confess I love to pick people off on the bike, you put them in your sights and then reel them in making sure to say “good job!” as you pass. I liked knowing the Fleet Feet Ladies I trained with were on the course and so whenever I passed a FF friend I gave a shout out and cheered them on.
By the time I got to the run I was breathing pretty hard and I guess the lack of oxygen to the brain was the cause of me gunning it out of transition with my bike helmet still on. Thankfully my two friends/mentors were standing right outside the “run out” andthey quickly alerted me that this run course was not “full-contact” and that I would not be in need of my helmet, so I tossed it to them for safekeeping. I did what I could on the run but hindsight always makes me think I could have put more out.
All in all Mermaid puts on a great triathlon, it’s organized and fun, I would totally recommend it to someone looking for a fun beginners sprint. The ease of the course allowed me to experiment with my racing skills and I was pleased with my race in the end.
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