Jason Rinks
December 4, 2010
Swim 1:13
Bike 6:11
Run 5:17
Overall Finish 12:55
COACH'S COMMENTARY: The most impressive aspect of Jason completing this race is that he finished his first ever iron distance triathlon only 1 month earlier. This is not a combination I would recommend to anyone, that is, two ultra events 1 month apart your first time in there. But my saying is, "You choose your dream, and I will help you achieve it." Jason wanted to visit Australia with his wife Shiela (probably a reward for being an "iron widow.") He also was very strong in his training and in fact B2B went off without a hitch for him. However as often happens with an epic combo like this, Jason ran out of steam to have the strong race he was hoping for. Combo complete, job well done, now enjoy the off season.
EXCERPTS FROM JASON'S RACE REPORT:
RACE: After getting over jetlag which lasted a few days, we got to Busselton. I did a swim Friday morning to get used to the water. The temperature was nice, especially with a wetsuit. The water was rougher than Beach to Battleship (B2B) so I knew I wouldn’t be turning in a 56 minute time. I also got concern about the wind. The wind picks up pretty early in the morning. It was also hot…around 90-95 degrees.
SWIM: The race got started around 6:00 AM with the Pros going off. It was pretty cool seeing them start. Around 6:15 AM, the scabs got into the water. 1300 people swimming to the end of a 1.2 mile jetty. It was chaotic to say the least. Unlike Beach to Battleship, it never really eases up. It was crowded the whole time. I kicked people and I also got hit in the face a few times…nothing malicious. Finished the swim in 1:13:42. Not bad, but not B2B. The water was choppy, I took in a lot of water and it burned my throat and made me sick to my stomach on the bike.
BIKE: My transition was pretty good since it was warm. I took the time to put on an additional pair of bike shorts to pad the buttocks. The course was a three loop track. I knew on the first lap it was going to be long and slow due to the wind. A lot of the course is unprotected from the wind. Add to that I was sick to my stomach for one and a half of those laps due to water intake. By the end of lap 3, the water at the Aid Stations was hot and so were the other drinks. It was a flat course like Beach to Battleship, but unlike B2B, the wind was blowing the entire bike leg…not just the last 30-40 miles. I turned in a 6:18:22 for the bike leg. On my second leg, I did get past by the leaders. It was amazing to see those guys ride. They passed me like I was changing a flat.
RUN: Now we come to the leg where I tanked at B2B…and I tanked again. I turned in a 5:22:58 time. Hell, six turtles passed me on the run. I just cannot get off a 112 mile bike ride and run a marathon. The run leg was a 3 loop course. The run wasn’t too bad…not hilly…just hot. I think the temperature got to 95 during the day. I walked quite a bit of the course. I even took off the extra bike shorts to display the Stephen Taylor TOA gear hoping to channel ST’s time at B2B. I looked good, but ran like crap. The only thing that made me feel better was on the run I saw last year’s winner, Tim Berkel, walking. I was amazed. The course took its toll on him too. I later read he was having stomach problems too. Of course I was on lap 1 and he was on lap 3, but who’s counting. He had a rough day also. Toward the end, I looked down at my watch and I was nearing 13 hours. There was no way in hell I was going to finish over 13 hours so I kicked my run into high gear and ran the last mile in 9 minutes. Looking back, I should have run like this from the start…what a dumbass. I think this goes back to my lack of motivation.
OVERALL: Overall I am not happy with my time. In fact I’m still kinda pissed about it. I felt different about this race in comparison to B2B. At B2B I always had a smile on my face and was cheery. At this one, I wasn’t so sure. I was struggling on the bike with a stomach ache and wind and kinda wishing I was in bed. On the run, I didn’t push myself too hard. I could have, but I just didn’t have that motivation. I wasn’t even sore the next day either. Again, I feel this goes back to my lack of motivation. There are 34 Pros who started the race. Only 20 finished for one reason or another. I finished in 12 hours 55 minutes and 4 seconds. That was 719 out of 1326. Middle of the pack.
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