The roller coaster ride: The Santa Cruz triathlon experience

No matter how many times you race on a familiar course, the experience is different every time. Probably that’s why I never get tired of doing events in Santa Cruz, especially triathlon events.  The views of the ocean during the bike ride and the run are just spectacular. Enough to lure me time and again. 

Not every triathlon is a smooth sailing ride, Irrespective of how strong you are, there are bound to be occurrences that are beyond your control. This is what makes it eventful and most importantly humbling. 

The Santa Cruz triathlon experience was certainly an eventful one and in short, I can sum it up as a roller coaster ride.  Having done 3 back to back races, I had planned on taking this easy and an opportunity to try out my new tri-suit and swim goggles. 

Race day morning: Santa Cruz was a 40-minute drive from my place. Listening to some 80s music that was playing in one of the radio stations, I managed to ease my nervous bouts which usually occur before every triathlon event.  

Depot park was bustling with triathletes wheeling their bicycles. It’s a custom to get body marked before a tri event and one of the kind volunteers wrote my bib number on my arm and age on my calf. It was a first come first served at the transition, so participants could place their bikes anywhere. I was lucky to find a spot just before the entry gate. This was where we would be entering from the swim. Considering the fact, I’d be breathless after a long transition from the beach to get to my bike, it worked to my advantage.

Laying out my towel, I placed my things in order of my swim, bike and run. This included my Swim cap, goggles, ear plugs, wetsuit, body glide, helmet, glasses, gloves, fuel belt, bike shoes, cap, running shoes and race belt. Slipping on my wetsuit, cap and new goggles perched on my head, I glanced at my watch. It was 7:00 am and still an hour to go before the event. 

I soon got into a conversation with a couple of participants who had racked their bikes next to mine. Apparently, it was their first time at this particular race so I was explaining about the swim and bike course to them. After a while, I walked down to the beach to ensure I get my customary warm up before the main swim. On the way I met BB-one of my Team Asha cohorts and chatted with him for a while.

Life is a beach: It was a beautiful day and the sun was already peeping out from the sky. The blue sky merged with the pristine blue ocean. It felt like entering into a painter’s canvas. 

The swim start was on the other side of wharf so it was a long walk. On the way, I saw some familiar faces from the swim clinic that I had attended sometime end of August. They were people from the Santa Cruz triathlon club and I paused to say hello and thank them for their help during the clinic. As I walked ahead, an old man remarked saying how I looked rearing to go. I stopped to have a conversation with him and also pet a lovely golden retriever which came up to me. There were a lot of positive vibes that morning. 

I finally reached the swim start which was bustling with volunteers. A few participants had already begun to warm up in the water. They beckoned me to come as well.  I entered the waters and immediately got some inside my wetsuit. I swam a few strokes up and down till I was warmed up.  Meanwhile the beach was swarming with athletes and music was blaring from the speakers. Some were grooving to the “Staying alive” number by Beegees and it felt like a party. 

It was soon time for the race and after a few mandatory announcements, the first wave took off. 

Swim around the wharf: When the horn blew, we all ran towards the ocean and jumped into the water. This time there were only 2 red buoys at the turn of the wharf to navigate. I spotted a small white buoy and used that for sighting. The visibility was good, thanks to the clear skies and for some reason, it began to feel like a holiday swim rather than a stressful race. I passed the sea lions-a well fed lot which were barking their heads off. This time it felt like they were cheering for us. So, I kept going till I reached the first red buoy. 

Now navigating around the wharf is a tricky situation as it can be quite deceptive. You feel that you have reached the end but you still have a long way to go.  Keeping the buoys as a marker, I soon made the turn and was on my way to the shore. As the race director Crystal had mentioned at the start of the race, I kept the big white hotel as the sighting point and kept swimming towards it. Once my hands touched the sands, I exited the waters and crossed the timing mat. For some reason, my garmin had switched to bike mode while I was removing my wetsuit. Probably my suit hit the button accidentally. It was weird as it was the first time that this was happening in a race. I had no idea how long I took so I just headed towards transition. 

Transition 1: Getting out of the wetsuit is the hardest part and I wondered when I’d master this skill. Maybe I should try applying tri glide next time. As soon I managed this arduous task, I buckled my helmet, put on my glasses, gloves and shoes. Slipping on my race and fuel belt, I wheeled the bike towards the mount bike section. 

Roller coaster ride: We had to wheel our bikes up a hill just as we exited transition, before we could mount on it. This was an uphill task literally. I soon mounted on my bike was geared up to do a strong ride. Just at the right turn at the corner, I felt that something was not right. My chain had slipped off and was badly stuck in between. I got off my bike and rushed to one of the volunteers. A man was kind enough to help me fix the chain while I looked on puzzled wondering what was going on, considering my chain seemed fine that morning. 

Well I suppose there was a first time for everything and I certainly hoped this was the last. It took a good 8-10 minutes before it was fixed. I thanked the man gratefully and counted my blessings that such a thing didn’t occur on the highway. Chanting my mantra “Om Gan Ganpathaye namaha”, I continued riding my bike and ignored my garmin which was acting weird. Signs that I shouldn’t even bother about my timing. 

 After 4 miles, I found myself on Highway 1. It felt good to be back again after 2 weeks. The roads seemed to greet me saying “Hello there, good to see you back.” This time the rolling hills were manageable and the headwinds weren’t that severe like it had been on the Ironman 70.3 race day. I kept peddling up the hills, passing the fields and acres of green on my right. On the way, I spotted BB on the bike and waved to him.  

I soon reached Davenport at the 12^th mile which was the turnaround point. I turned right, took a left and another left before I was back on Highway 1. At midpoint, there was an aid station serving water and Gatorade. Gulping down half a bottle of Gatorade handed over by the angel volunteers, I was ready to zoom down the hills catching the tailwinds on the way back.  

The scintillating views of the ocean on my right made this ride a joyful one. I was going really fast at one point with a sharp eye on the road. Just then I spotted something small shaped in the form of a worm crawling on the road. I wasn’t sure what it was but I swerved my bike in order to avoid running over the poor thing. I nearly fell but thankfully I managed to maintain a balance. It was worth saving the life of a creature irrespective of how small it may seem. Their life was a valuable one as well.

On the way back, I saw a couple of people fixing their flats. This would have hampered their official timings too considering they were fast and strong bikers. They appeared unfazed and cool. Something that I ought to learn from them is to not panic or brood over the time lost.  I soon reached west cliff drive and found myself on transition, relieved that my bike had behaved well.  

My hubby called out “Good going Swe.” “My chain came off and I lost time,” I told him, “Its ok,” he said. Another lady called out asking me to smile and enjoy. Well I might as well enjoy the run, I told myself. 

Transition 2: Placing my bike on the stands, I removed my helmet, gloves and shoes. Slipping on my cap and running shoes, I headed out to finish the last leg of the triathlon. 

Strides to the finish line: No matter how many brick workouts you incorporate in your training, running after biking is always tough. It takes at least 2 miles to get your rhythm.  It was an uphill start with volunteers cheering all the participants. It took a while to get my rhythm especially after biking a challenging course.  Enjoying the views of the ocean, I kept going. 

The sound of the waves, the laughter of the surfers below and the cheering by the volunteers were sounds that made up for the absence of the music that I was usually accustomed to when I run. The USAT rules strictly prohibit the usage of headphones during a triathlon event. That’s why choosing a scenic course helps. 

Families with their strollers and dogs were out on Sunday morning. Every time I passed them, they’d say “Go get this one gal.” I soon reached the turnaround point at mile 3. Gulping a couple of Gu gels, I upped my pace.  It was a sort of downhill. I noticed the row of pretty houses to my left this time. They had perfectly manicured gardens. It surprised me why I never paid attention to them in my earlier events.  

I spotted the wharf from a distance and realized I was one mile away from the finish line. It was a rather hot day and increasing my pace was challenging. However, I managed to push, thanks to all those speed intervals, that made me feel less like a dying duck. The white hotel which I used for sighting this morning was getting closer. Just a few more yards before I am home as I heard the emcees voice from a distance. I spotted BB and cheered him on. The road paved way to a downhill and I used all my reserve to sprint to the finish line. It was a beach finish just like the Ironman 70.3 race. 

Post race high: After having the medal handed over, I plonked myself on the sands and lazed around. “Good job Swe,” Amit exclaimed. After the customary poses with the medal and chatting with BB,  I headed back to the transition to collect my bike. 

The proceeds from this race are donated to athletic programs of the schools in Santa Cruz county, so it felt good to be a part of a noble cause. 

Today’s event felt like a bumpy ride, considering the waves had been choppy, the bike chain slipped off and my Garmin acted a bit funny. That’s probably what made it memorable and humbling. No matter how many triathlons you do, nothing is a piece of cake as there is something new to learn every time.