Race Reports - 2001

This page chronicles the races of the year 2001.

2001 was a rebuilding year for me. I reentered the sport after taking a short leave of absence. Actually, I never stopped training, but I just did not have the desire to race. As always I love to swim and bike and run.

I may not be the fastest, but I still have a lot of fun.

• Race to the Rescue (0.5M Swim/15M Bike/5k Run), (15:37/2:23/47:18/1:16/25:04 1:31:36 7/18AG 68/264OV) Austin, TX. 27 Oct 2001.

  Chaulk up another triathlon race for a total of 2 this year. After having a long hiatus, it feels good to participate in even these two few races.

  Conditions were perfect with 75 degree water temp, 58 degree air temp, and no wind. It is the toughest short course I know. The water was a bit dofficult because of all the hydrilla in the lake. This plant is similar to those long ones you put in a fish tank. It is not hazrdous, but it is stringy and can tangle around your arms and goggles. Idon't mind it, but others I know don't like stuff touching them in the water. The water visibility was about 15 -20 feet, so it was easy to see and avoid all obstacles.

  The out and back ride on Loop 360 was very challenging. The 360 Bridge hill and Bee Caves Road hill were major challenges. Luckily the pavement is smooth and there was plenty of room and virtually no drafting.

  The run was a partially off road run into the Bunny Run division south of Lake Austin. The hills were tough, but luckily the temp was cool and windless. A joy.

  In this report, I salute Marty Hoff who finished his first triathlon on this difficult course. I saw Marty about 3 times during the race and each time he was chugging along with what appeared to be determination on his face. No sign of pain or defeat. Good going Marty.

• Capital of Texas Triathlon (1.5k Swim/40k Bike/10k Run), (28:43;1:24:35;56:53 2:50:11 24/64AG 141/320OV) Georgetown, TX. 29 July 2001.

  This is my first official triathlon race in over 2 years. It felt good to break the dry spell and race again.

  Russell Park in Georgetown, about 30 miles north of Austin, is an excellent race venue. The water was warm (78F) and clean. The swim was well marked with a slight chop on the return leg. I did not do any formal training for the swim, but my technique seemed to be OK and my swim leg turned out pretty good.

  The bicycle course was slight rolling hills, but with low traffic and wide shoulders. No signs of drafting in this race. However, some of the pavement was a bit rough from the gravel and tar they throw down for maintenance. There were quite a few flat tires,

  The run was an out and back run along the entrance road to the park. Conditions were hot, with moderate westerly breezes. This was Austin's 21st straight day of 100 degree weather. Humidity was relatively low. The sun beat down mercilessly on the runners. There were few shaded spots as the trees were the typical Juniper and low scrub trees that are so common in central Texas.

  The race organization was superb. There were plenty of volunteers to help with the timing chips and numbers. The waves went off without a hitch. The party after the race was a lot of fun - plenty of pizza, colas, beers, and apple struedel.

  I was sore and tired after the race, but I ran the entire course, had no injuries, and no problems. This was 20 to 30 minutes slower than I usually run this distance, but I still enjoyed the race, and I came away with a great feeling of accomplishment afterwards.

Other Races

Follow the links to race reports from the given year.

2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995.