First of all the day before we (NMSU Race Club) left I stripped my seat pin bolt in my Cervelo so now my seat wouldn't work. I tried to find a spare seat pin at the local bike shop but to no avail. I was forced to take my Pinarello road bike. Not that there is anything wrong with my Pinarello, it just is not a time trialling bike. It's funny because before this happened I was actually toying with the idea that I could win. Just maybe. Now, onward to Lubbock! Land of the flat, home of Steer (as in cow).
Arriving in Lubbock we were greeted with a torrential downpour. No problem, it will clear up in no time... right? Well it did clear up by the next day but not after dumping 5 inches in some areas. The lake was brown from run off and easily well over flood stage. Not to mention that there was a cold constant 30 mile per hour wind howling in our faces. There was talk that the bike would be moved and that we would have to dismount in specific areas to cross the flooded roadways. Well the bike course ended up being okay but the rain, wind and cold temperatures had dropped the lake temperature to 52 degrees or so. This is the borderline temperature for any swim. Seeing and hearing all of this I felt like quitting even before the race started so I could just sit in my truck with the heater blasting. Then I learned the swim was shortened to 500 meters. I thought I might as well have a go. But my motivation at this point was no longer going fast, it was simply survival. I know how quickly I get cold in a swimming pool if the water temperature is 78 degrees so I was fully expecting to be taken out of the lake with hypothermia.
With my extremities so cold and all of my blood contained in my core to keep my vital organs warm I had a rather pathetic swim. I had no power or speed but I did manage to make it out of the lake without getting hypothermia. I jogged to my bike and started thinking about it. "Do I really want to go for a ride in this weather? If it was up to me I would never ride my bike outside if it was anything less than 60 degrees outside and sunny. Otherwise I will go sit inside on a trainer. But I must have not been thinking too clearly (okay maybe I did have some mild hypothermia) because I put on my wet sweat pants and North Face jacket over my tri-suit and mounted my bike for the 25 mile slog. I caught someone right away and felt a little better. Then I started thinking, "Ha! watch this everyone, I will have a brilliant bike split on my road bike wearing sweat pants." But then one of the girls from the wave behind me caught me and squashed me like a bug. Then another girl passed me, and another. This sucks! I quit.
I got off the bike completely numb and frozen to the core. I sat down in transiting and slowly untied my shoes, put them on, then tied them up again very slowly. Running was painful since I couldn't feel my feet and my ankles were very stiff. I started running faster and faster in an effort to warm up. Once away from the majority of the spectators I ran into the bushes to take a quick pee (because I was probably over hydrated from drinking but not sweating) and was back out on course feeling better and better the longer I kept running. I ended up having a semi-decent run but was so far back it was a wasted effort. I did accomplish my only goal however so I was pleased about that.
So it was fun right? "You will look back on this", said everyone, "and laugh remembering how awful it was." Truthfully it was not fun and I don't really feel like laughing but rather punching someone. I will look back on this race and remember how much I suffer in cold weather. I learned that if I ever have to race in those conditions again I will just not start. It is not worth it to me. Give my 90's and humidity any day.
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