Pumpkinman Race Report

I was feeling pretty good about saturday, no stress, no expectations, just going up and having fun with my friends. I knew I had some decent swim and bike fitness but I hadn't run in over a month and my heel ( which is getting better slowly, still was hurting a bit). I went on friday night and spent the night with my good friend Keri Boyle, she is also coached by JRM and she was racing Elite for the first time. After having her 3rd baby 18 months ago her progress in triathlon has been great and her racing has just turned around remarkably. I am really proud of my friend and look forward to her kicking some major ass in the near future.

Anyway, we chatted and ate twizzlers and then went to bed after watching a bit of the Jesery Shore. Woke up at 5:15 and ate our normal breakfast and headed out to the course. I have to say on route to the pumpkinman course it was just beautiful, the sun was rising, the fog was lifting off the farmland, the cows, I wish I stopped to take more picutes it was just beautiful. Anyway, we got there with plenty of time to spare and got our stuff ready. The volunteers were amazing, the venue was beautiful, registration went like clockwork. I had a lot of fun taking picutes of Keri in the first row of the Elites, so much fun to see her with the big girls, then of course Deano was there so I had to take a few pictures of him ( one of the nicest people ever and fast, did I mention fast).

Anyway, I had a lot of fun going around chatting with people, taking pictures, relaxing, meeting one of my blog friends Mary Eggers ( she was race announcing the sprint and racing the 1/2 today) just fun. I finally went out with Keri to get our warm up in on the bike, check out the course a bit. Came back in and it was ready to roll.

It was swim time and after 5 waves it was my turn, nothing too much to say about the swim but being in a back wave really sucks because you have to swim around a lot of people, I had a good line, I swam well, I was 8 minutes flat and first out of my wave. Then it was the run up the notorious ski hill to T1, I took it really easy with my foot and just kept a good pace, 1:33, not the fastest but not the slowest either.

I was the first in my age group on the bike course however Amanda Cox passed me around mile 6 or 7 and I didn't see her until the run, she biked 21.7mph, so great job to her. I averaged on my computer 20.5 but the results have me at 19.9. Not bad, not great, the roads were a little rough and that got congested a lot so to make sure not to get a penalty trying to concentrate on passing and doing the right thing made me slow down a bunch and not take advantage when I wanted to. There was also a lot of turns on the course which slows down your overall speed. There is also a bridge that is tricky to cross over so you have to go slow and then there is a hill right after it so that crushes your speed. Anyway, my bike was fine, only one person passed me and that was Amanda, no other guy or girl passed me. 2nd in AG at this point going out to the run.

Of note, Mary's husband had crashed on the bike at the bridge, when I saw him I was so scared for him, he wasn't moving and he looked really hurt. WE found out late last night that he had a few bumps and bruises but he was fine. I was praying the whole race and yesterday that he was fine. Its so hard to see anyone get hurt.

So into T2 I went feeling pretty good, foot not bad, for some reason my transition time is really slow, I think I decided to bake a cake or something but I put my Kirvana's on and took off. the run course was nice, not too difficult, I knew I could finish the distance but it was how fast and when would my foot start to hurt. I could tell my Threshold fitness wasn't there but I felt pretty good and in the end I averaged 7:38 per mile and finished with minimal pain to my foot. However, today my foot hurts a bit so I'm glad the season is over and I can really focus on healing.

I finished 9th overall female, 1st Age group for 40-44 ( however a side note, the top 3 overall amateur ladies were 40-44 and they don't count them in the Ag categories so in theory I was 4th AG) way to go to the ladies in our division it was great to have the level of talent only get better as we age.

I would definitely go back to this race and probably do both the sprint and 1/2 next year. The food, the venue the race director the fun, the volunteers, what left is there to say, oh yeah, only 45 minutes from home. Ironman better watch out because races like this may soon take over, its all about quality and this race has it.


Results: Dean Philips Fitwerx overall male winner
Peter Mallet 3rd overall male winner
Keri Boyle 4th overall female and 3rd elite
Vin Miserendino 1st overall amateur male, Franco 2nd AG 35-40, Marty Miserendino 3rd AG 35-40

Way to go Fitwerx for putting more people on the podium then most, they guys deserve it.