Chicago Gay Games VII - Part Two (triathlon)

FINAL TIME FOR SPRINT TRIATHLON: 1:31:50 (5th place in age group)







No that's not me in the tutu! After swimming the 750m stretch which is featured in yesterday's video, I sauntered out of the water and was made to run an extra 1/4 mile to my transition area where I finally peeled off the wetsuit. By this point it was really motherfucken hot and I only emphasize this because getting that second skin off was my main priority! In transition many people invoke their personal "juju" as my triathlon buddy Jerry Castro puts it. For me, it simply means getting wetsuit in bag, having my sunglasses ready in my helmet, and steppin into the bike shoes with only my shorts on (which I have underneath wetsuit). One of the first things you do when arriving to the event is get marked with your number and administered a champion chip to strap onto our ankle. This records all "split" times, meaning how you performed in each sport as well as what took your ass so long in transition. When I competed in the Treasure Island Triathlon, Brian was screaming at me as I exited the water, "Hurry up! What the hell are you walking for!!" As you can see, he is a hard as nails coach- and I appreciate it.

My buddy Eli from Denver


Below are my splits for this particular race. Have to say I'm pretty happy with how I did- though I wish I powered a bit harder on the bike. Maybe I would have medaled? There's always what-ifs after a race, and these splits make it hard not to overanalyze one's performance. They also provide the best means to track improvement.

750 meter Swim, 20K Bike, 5K Run
Overall 50th (154 participants) - 5th place in Male 30-34 category
Swim | Rank | Tran1|Rank | Bike| Rank |Tran2|Rank | Run |Pace | Final
14:47|__48|_5:46_|_60_|43:19|__64_|_1:12|_63_|_26:47|_4:19|_1:31:50

One bit of info I believe was recorded wrong is my running pace. It says I ran a 4:19 mile!! At that rate, I should have been having my mimosa before Brian got to the finish line. Actually, he never saw me cross it because it was tricky to find where the race ended. My one complaint was that there was no dance music awaiting us at the end. What the fuck?! I mean I understand people have a budget to watch but at least hook an iPod to some speakers or SOMTN! I've been to plenty of mainstream events and there is ALWAYS some dude blastin high energy dance music throughout the day. And we're gay, we're supposed to be the keepers of such things. It was shameful.



On that note, I do usually take my iPod with me for just such emergencies and have been known to wear it during the run. This is usually against the rules however, and I would advise one to take a look around to see if anyone else is daring to do it. At worse they might dock a minute off your time- which would suck. But some argue that having music really does improve your speed. Whatever the case may be, just be advised that it is a risk.



As to the bike course on this day (I know I'm out of order here, bike is second) I was not too wowed by the flat highway straightaway. I happened to rent my bike in Chicago to save money, and am grateful for it. I don't think it could have been about the bike, as lance armstrong puts it, that day. What really would have helped me out would have been more spin classes and training along CRISSY FIELDS. Most of my bike training has been longer course with some hills. For some this was a relief, but I felt pretty unprepared as I was passed by cyclists on the road. One of these cyclists is another buddy of mine Anders Nelson. Also a beginner triathlete, I felt a little more competitive once he zoomed past me toward the end of the bike. I was able to beat him in transition somehow, and as he explained later it was probably due to his choice of laced bike shoes! So remember, every bit of velcro goes a long way people!

photo credit: jim provenzano



The 5k run went from Monroe Harbor to the museum at Soldier Field. It was very pretty and also very motherfucken hot- but I already said that. A lot of folks got dehydrated on this stretch and I even saw some of them walk. For my part, I felt pretty good- not even the usual cramping which I experience when I get off the bike. I guess my morning commute with the Night Ride may have warmed me up. There were a lot of supporters cheering us to the Finish Line. This felt awesome. There were also a lot of familiar faces from my triathlon team in SF, Unity Triathletes. . . But as I mentioned earlier, there was no god damn dance music to get the party started at the end. So I regret to say that I did not wait around for all the Olympic distance competitors to finish... Just a few of the fastest!

Next: Out to Boystown and the Spike's Soccer game...