From: tomas@leland.Stanford.EDU (Thomas J. Monica)
Subject: Santa Cruz Sentinal Race Report
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 18:00:07 GMT

Santa Cruz Sentinel International Triathalon, Sunday 10/4/92

1.0 mile swim
23 mile bike (NOT a 40 k)
10 k run

Well this was my third race of the year (and of my life) and I thought I do
a report (as I've bagged on the others).

I decided to do this race in August (you had to, in order to get in) and then
took a month off from running due to back pains - not a smart move!

Well to begin with there were about 1200 people (anybody know for sure) and a
very tight transition area (bikes lined up with about a foot between them. 
Lucky me I got to put my bike next to my SO's). It was cold.

The swim started at 8:00 sharp with a small elite field including Harold  
Robinson, Rick Eckelston, Brad Bevin, Andy Kelsey, and Carol Montgomery.

Then the up to 30 males at 8:05, the over 30 males at 8:10, the women at 8:13,
and then the relays.

I went off at 8:10 and IT WAS SO COLD! I've done alot of open water swims with-
out a wetsuit, but that was the coldest I've done. We swam out to the end of
the pier and then back in. At the end of the pier the Sea Lions bark at you as
you go by.

The swim was cold and rough but not too bad. I came out right behind the
leader in my wave and ran up to the transition with numb feet.

The ride was through town a bit, then down route 1 to a turnaround, and back to
Santa Cruz. I did pretty well on that part, and only 6-7 riders passed my old
steel frame (if anybody wants to give me a Kestrel let me know). I saw the
leaders coming back near the turnaround, and yelled at Andy Kelsey who seemed
to be in 4th place.

Andy later told me he was in fourth and passed one guy on the way in. The third
place guy (name escapes me) flatted his disk wheel 8 miles out, rode in on it
and still finished third. I guess his wheel is toast.

Of the guys who passed me, 5 were in a small pack that was too close not to be 
getting a draft affect. My SO Maria and also Kathy Cleary later told me of a
pack of ~40 riders all drafting down the road. There were no Marshalls on the
course. Come on folks, if you have to win that bad you have a real problem!

Well I got to the run in great shape, hardly a bike in the transition area. ThenI remembered that I hadn't run in a month when I tried to do it. It wasn't fun
getting passed for 40+ minutes but you get out what you put in I guess.

I saw andy again on the run with a 20 second lead over Mr. Robinson. Tom McCleary was looking good as well and finished as top amateur.

The run was very flat and very fast along the shore (an out and back to the
natural bridges state park).

I finished with a 2:03:21, 83rd overall. Next time I'll train :-). But I had fun

Andy was first overall with a 1:45:3?. 

Carol Montgomery was the first woman with a 1:59 ????? We saw her afterwards in
the hotel icing her foot. She said she's got a slight case of planer facitis 
(sp?), hope it heals.            

My SO Maria did a 2:04:3? to finish as 9th woman overall (behind Kathy Cleary
who did a 2:02 something). Not bad for her first race of the year - and not
training. Well, I told her if she beat me she had to make me scones. I think
she sandbagged a little bit.

All in all a fun race. But the drafting on the bike is pretty irritating. It's
a sad fact that race officials NEED to get out there and enforce the rules, but
if they don't then the races will become a joke.

Time to train for next year.

Tom


-- 
Porpise: run, bike, swim, make cookies


"long distance runner, what you holding out for?"
Xref: sparky rec.sport.triathlon:1247 rec.bicycles:22959