A Rollercoaster and a Race

Two weekends ago, my husband and I spent a couple nights in Santa Cruz with some friends. The "excuse" for the weekend getaway was that several of us had signed up to participate in Tri Santa Cruz. But we did a lot more than race when we were in town. The weekend was filled with all kinds of fun and relaxation - riding rollercoasters, cycling up Highway 1, completing jigsaw puzzles, eating delicious meals, sampling gourmet chocolate, and people watching (Santa Cruz is THE place for people watching).

Riding the Giant Dipper on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - the 5th oldest rollercoaster in the US. It had been a number of years since either of us had ridden a rollercoaster, and we both decided the Giant Dipper was well worth the $6 ticket.

My husband on our ride up Highway 1 the day before the race.
We did not get any pie.
Sad day.

I love racing in Santa Cruz. This was my third race in the beach town, and it was just as enjoyable as the first two. This time, the course was entirely closed to traffic, which was a treat. The bike and run segments of the race took place on West Cliff Drive, which made for great ocean views during the entire event.

The race started a little bit late, and the lifeguards put the second buoy in the wrong spot... so the 2-lap swim was longer than it should have been. But no complaints here - a longer open water swim means better training for Ironman! :-) Unlike at Vineman, this time I felt strong and smooth for the majority of the swim. About halfway through the first lap, I noticed a girl without a wetsuit just ahead of me. I made it my goal to catch her - which I did - but somehow she managed to sneak back around me before we got out of the water. Dang it! (Side note:  After the race, I'm pretty sure I overheard said girl talking about how she doesn't swim with a wetsuit because she "gets too hot"... um... seriously? The water can't be any warmer than 60 degrees. That's just crazy talk.)

T1 in Santa Cruz is always super long. You get out of the water and have to run ~1/3 mile to transition. A lot of the run is on roads/sidewalks, so this time I opted to stage a pair of shoes at the swim exit. In the past, I have just run barefoot, but I didn't want to take the chance at this race since I've had to deal with some foot issues this year. In the end, I don't think I lost or gained any time by putting on shoes.

As I said, the bike course was 4 loops of the same out-and-back course on West Cliff Drive. It was almost entirely flat, but there were some tight turns that required a little slowing in order to navigate safely - especially on the later laps when the course was more crowded. Going into this race, I was a little apprehensive about congestion on the course, but it turned out not being much of an issue.

In T2, I took a little extra time because I opted to tie my running shoes instead of use elastic laces like I normally would for a race of this distance. I didn't want to take any chances with my foot.

I wasn't sure how I would feel on the run, but I was surprised to find that I felt strong and smooth throughout the whole run. It definitely helped that the course was pretty flat and that there were a bunch of spectators all along the course. I ran at what felt like a fast tempo pace, and was happy to see that it ended up being around 6:53/mile. I'll take it. :-)

Fun with Flags - Kentucky edition

Fun with Flags - Pennsylvania edition

With my husband after the race
Go Freeplay and Cal Poly!

After the race, there were some issues with the results, and we ended up sticking around for quite a while while we waited for the awards. During that time, I was able to meet and chat with the other girls who had raced. Two years ago, I met Sonja Wieck at a race in Santa Cruz, so it was only fitting that I would meet some more studly triathlete women in Santa Cruz again this year. I know I've said this before, but one of my favorite things about this sport is the friendships and connections I've made through training and racing.

High fives on the podium :-)

With Kimberly and Alia on the podium -
it's always fun meeting other studly women triathletes.

The main reason I signed up for this race was to break up the last two months of my Ironman training, and to give me one last chance to race before IM Wisconsin. My goal was to give a good effort and to try out some new things (like wearing compression calf sleeves) in a low stakes race... and I think I was successful in both those areas.

After the race, we packed up our things and met some friends for burgers and beer - a great way to celebrate a day of triathlon. Overall, this was a great race despite the logistical challenges the race organizers had (with the swim being too long and the results taking a long time to get right). I would definitely recommend racing here if you get a chance. The course is beautiful, and the multi-lap format makes for a fun time and lots of spectators to cheer you on throughout the entire race. I'm definitely looking forward to the next time I get to race in Santa Cruz.

Next up for my husband and I:  Ironman Wisconsin in less than a month - IT'S TAPER TIME!! :-)

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As always, special thanks to the following whose support helps me get to the starting line:
Freeplay Magazine, Art's Cyclery, Rudy Project, HUUB, Salming, Fluid, Temple Coffee, Nature's Bakery, XX2i Optics, Pro Compression, and Taco Works Tortilla Chips.