So now, let's get to the race. The race was held at Reserva Conchal. Reserva Conchal is a very nice resort which didn't seem very interested in having us spandex clad men running all over their resort. The course was, to say the least, challenging. The swim was open ocean. My swim came out to be 53 minutes. 53 MINUTES??? Two loop course. My watch said I had swam 2.6 miles...great time for that distance (so that tells me that is wrong). However, a straw poll of other GPS watches shows me that the swim was very close or just past 2 miles. This, coupled with the jellyfish made for a tough swim. From there a short run to transition and a bit of a jog from transition (at least from my rack) to the mount line. Once on the bike the fun really began.
Within half a mile of the transition there was an unpaved section you had to cross of approximately 100 yards or so. Crossing this section on a road bike would have been dicey....on a triathlon bike it was downright white knuckle. They told us this was an iguana crossing or some natural animal crossing...don't believe it. After you cross the unpaved section you then hit the climbs. The largest climb was almost 1 mile long and I was told it was a 15% grade. This was a painful climb and certainly set the tune for the rest of the bike. Once out of the resort it was a three finger, three loop course. Had the wind with you for most of the ride out each finger and then dead into it coming back. The ride was tough due to the heat, wind and hills.
Coming back into the resort you knew you had the climb coming back down to T2. First time I have ever seen triathletes throwing up on a climb, unclipping and walking up the hill and generally just looking crushed. Coming down the backside of the hill we were all flying. My Timex Globaltrainer clocked me at 36 MPH even though I was squeezing the levers as hard as I could. As you made it down the hill you approach the unpaved section again. I hit the unpaved section at 15 MPH. First rock hit my front wheel and that was done...launched over the handlebars. Good news is my helmet and shoulder broke my fall.
When I regained my composure I knew I was done for the day. I left way too much skin in Costa Rica and the general fuzziness of my vision told me that was all I could do. Packed it up, went to the med tent and got the gravel picked out of my shoulder. Tough to sit in the med tent and watch everyone cross the finish line but couldn't really help it.
Long term....I am recovering from the battle wounds. Cuts are healed but I have now developed some new issues. Doc thinks I may have chipped the shoulder and have a small clot under my arm. So, all, be careful out there. No riding without the helmet. They are there for a purpose. Rudy Project did me good.
So, I am going to finish healing up...build up my new bike (the other one survived the crash rather unscathed, but I just couldn't resist) and refocus my training for the rest of my season. Hopefully that will include more Rev3 races....
