Post by bwilms on Jul 19, 2009 19:27:17 GMT -5
I arrived at West Branch State Park just before 6:30 this morning. I got my stuff setup in about 15 minutes and had about 45 minutes to kill by milling about and visiting others. I had a quick warm-up swim, which was shortly followed by the beginning of the race (I guess I didn't realize how little time I had.
Goggles and swim cap on, I hopped in the water and moved to the front of the pack. Now, I was by no means the top swimmer out there (far from it), but I figured I would at least act as an obstacle for those who were. I haven't got the spilt times yet, but I cam out of the water towards the middle of the second half.
Into transition I was feeling good. Onto the bike and into the single-track I passed a few here and there. I had ridden the course plenty in the last few weeks and was very comfortable with the trail. I finished the lakeside in about 32 minutes (a personal best) and moved on to the Southside. This is where things took a turn.
Heading into the first rock garden, I promptly had my front tire stopped by a medium sized rock. I fell off my bike and put the majority of weight on my left hand, which landed on a rock. It hurt!!! I pressed on, babying my hand the whole rest of the bike. Every little bump sent shocks through my palm - the pain was difficult to take. I made it through the rocks of Two Ponds Trail and onto the snowmobile - almost home! When I got to transition, it was more bad news. I had severe difficulty fastening my shoes and was on the verge of tears – but pressed on, asking myself “What would Conrad Stoltz do?”.
Looking at the photos, you can tell something is making me uncomfortable at the beginning of the run. It was indeed my hand. After a couple miles, I started to calm down a bit and was realizing the benefits of not having to support my weight on my hand anymore - ahhhh. I ran very solid and cruised to the finish line, bettering my time from last year by 16+ minutes! Again, I haven't seen the splits yet, but I'm guessing the majority of my saved time was on the run - I really stepped it up during this year's training.
Post race I grabbed a couple quick snacks, said hi to a few people, but mostly wanted to get my hand taken care of. My father took me to the hospital where I got a few x-rays to find out everything looked okay - no fractures! Phew! So, other than the fact that it hurts very badly and can't really be used in any productive fashion, it should be okay with a little rest.
Later this evening, I had dinner with family to find out I got 3rd Place in my Age Group! Hot dog! Overall, awesome race, even with the injury. I really felt the benefits of my harder training this year. Hopefully I can keep it up in the off season and do even better next year!
Here are some photos: picasaweb.google.com/brett.wilms/XterraONE2009July19thWestBranchStateParkRavennaOH#
Goggles and swim cap on, I hopped in the water and moved to the front of the pack. Now, I was by no means the top swimmer out there (far from it), but I figured I would at least act as an obstacle for those who were. I haven't got the spilt times yet, but I cam out of the water towards the middle of the second half.
Into transition I was feeling good. Onto the bike and into the single-track I passed a few here and there. I had ridden the course plenty in the last few weeks and was very comfortable with the trail. I finished the lakeside in about 32 minutes (a personal best) and moved on to the Southside. This is where things took a turn.
Heading into the first rock garden, I promptly had my front tire stopped by a medium sized rock. I fell off my bike and put the majority of weight on my left hand, which landed on a rock. It hurt!!! I pressed on, babying my hand the whole rest of the bike. Every little bump sent shocks through my palm - the pain was difficult to take. I made it through the rocks of Two Ponds Trail and onto the snowmobile - almost home! When I got to transition, it was more bad news. I had severe difficulty fastening my shoes and was on the verge of tears – but pressed on, asking myself “What would Conrad Stoltz do?”.
Looking at the photos, you can tell something is making me uncomfortable at the beginning of the run. It was indeed my hand. After a couple miles, I started to calm down a bit and was realizing the benefits of not having to support my weight on my hand anymore - ahhhh. I ran very solid and cruised to the finish line, bettering my time from last year by 16+ minutes! Again, I haven't seen the splits yet, but I'm guessing the majority of my saved time was on the run - I really stepped it up during this year's training.
Post race I grabbed a couple quick snacks, said hi to a few people, but mostly wanted to get my hand taken care of. My father took me to the hospital where I got a few x-rays to find out everything looked okay - no fractures! Phew! So, other than the fact that it hurts very badly and can't really be used in any productive fashion, it should be okay with a little rest.
Later this evening, I had dinner with family to find out I got 3rd Place in my Age Group! Hot dog! Overall, awesome race, even with the injury. I really felt the benefits of my harder training this year. Hopefully I can keep it up in the off season and do even better next year!
Here are some photos: picasaweb.google.com/brett.wilms/XterraONE2009July19thWestBranchStateParkRavennaOH#
I've got a 9AM appointment tomorrow with a specialist, so I'm hoping to find out a lot then. At this point I know next to nothing besides my hand hurts if I try to move it (which I mostly avoid doing).