Mitch’s Destination:
Galveston, Texas- September 21-24
Mitch’s Race:
5150 Galveston
My decision to travel to Texas for the Galveston 5150 was somewhat of an after-though as a result of missing several other planned races throughout the season. Training had been more consistent in the past month and it was nice to have the added motivation of a race to help bounce out of bed in the mornings.
I was fortunate enough to be afforded a home stay with the Lang family- Dave, Donna, Danielle and Douglas. This was a great opportunity to get to know the area I had traveled to and their generosity certainly made me feel at home (not that Mum is always that nice to me)…
Galveston is located about 45 minutes from Houston in the South of Texas and is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico. The town was hit by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and was “inundated” with water from the Gulf. The area suffered extensive damage and as a result the town lost approximately 15% of its population (to relocation). The local community supported one another through the clean up and Galveston has now returned to the beautiful tourist destination it was before the storm.
The race was aligned with the change of season in the USA, so with Summer behind us it was shaping up to be a pleasant race on the first weekend of Fall. As is often the case, the weather forecast had been misleading. The humidity rose upon my arrival and the heat was impressive through the day. After spending much of my time in Florida, I was not overly concerned about racing in the heat, but that proved to be a significant error on my part.
Feeling well prepared for the race, I arrived at transition in good time and set about my routine. Interestingly enough, my helmet was deemed illegal and unsafe by the race officials because it was missing the USA Quality Assured sticker, even though it was fitted with an “Australian Quality Assured” sticker and had been approved at every other event this season. I remained reasonably calm throughout this minor setback and quickly began adjusting the straps on the communal helmet that I was given.
The race began at 7:30am local time but the heat and mosquitos were up and about well before then. The water temperature was 83 degrees (28 C) and was actually quite inviting (to start with). It was a reasonably straight forward swim and the small pro field stayed together with the exception of a couple of token fish who took off up front. It was an uneventful 1500m and I exited the water in a good position. T1 was smooth and I pinned the ears back for the 40km out and back course along the Galveston Sea Wall. As I stamped on the pedals I witnessed a cycling exhibition as 1, 2 and 3 riders blew past me, and I don’t think my ring-in helmet was to blame. I stuck to my task and did what I could to cut my losses but the task proved rather difficult. I had been enjoying every drop out of my Dextro Energy drink bottle before it ran dry 20 minutes premature. For the last 15km I hung out my tongue and prayed for rain whilst aiming to maintain an advantage over the chasers.
I finished the bike in 5th position however I was starting to feel the effects of the heat and was hit with cramps in both legs as my feet hit the ground. I suddenly realized I might have misjudged my all important hydration plan. I knew it was best not to dwell on this and I set out on the run. I generally look forward to the chase but after failing to respond to several “run faaaaast… NOW!” commands, I had to be contempt with what felt like walking pace L ß (that’s me disappointed about that)!
The two lap run course took us on a journey through Moody Gardens, which is home to a myriad of family activities including an aquarium, a museum, theaters, rides and a handful of pyramid shaped convention buildings. The course had a number of U-turns, which provided the opportunity to monitor the field. I had managed to claw back some time on 4th, but I was being tracked from those behind who were faring better then me in the heat! As we came together, one went past and then one went back, so I was still in 5th. After a brief period of feeling better, I soon began to feel much worse…
The second lap of the run felt like a maze and I was disorientated even though I had just gone through on the first lap. I was hanging onto 5th but I wasn’t making any progress on those in front so the battle became a fight with my mind to hold on until the finish. It was all out effort for every step of the last 3km to maintain what was “jogging pace” on any other day. By the time I straightened up for the finish I was just trying to stay upright. It was the toughest 10km run I have completed purely because of the state I was in and I was relieved to make it across the line without relinquishing my spot in the top 5!
Most days the finish line marks the end of the suffering, however the hardest part of my day was just getting started. I collapsed down towards the back of the finish chute and slumped over next to the fence for a few minutes in order to catch my breath and cool down. I was nauseous and dizzy and could not get up as I watched the other competitors roll across the finish. I was escorted to the medical tent where I sat down to be monitored. In the next 15 minutes I became extremely agitated and uncomfortable and began to vomit from the heat stress. I was attacked by dozens of mosquitos in the medical tent and I was unable to produce the energy to brush them off me. It took complete concentration to even reveal my name. It was one of the few times in my trip I had felt completely alone and I was beginning to worry what would happen to me if I didn’t improve!
The medical staff were very helpful and kept a close eye on me until the paramedics arrived. My heart was still racing and my blood pressure was so high that they were unable to get an IV drip to stay in my veins. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I looked down at both my forearms and saw my veins inflated and spilling out blood from the needles. They ended up passing on that idea and took me into the back of the ambulance for about an hour and forced me to sip on water. This seemed to help and I eventually regained enough strength to sit upright and regain control over my body.
Although I wasn’t overly impressed with my race, I was proud of my ability to fight it out when the chips were down. It’s another big lesson for me and another gauge of my progress since I’ve been away. In addition, this race offered points towards the Hy-Vee 5150 Championships in Des Moines next year, I am slightly tempted to pursue a start there, but I have several things to consider before committing to a goal like that.
I can’t thank the Lang’s enough for being brilliant hosts and I look forward to seeing them again in the future. I’m now confident in my knowledge of the NFL and with my new “signed” Houston Texans jersey, I’m no longer in search of a team! As always, I’m missing my family and friends and it has been great to have your support. I’m having a blast over here and I’m hoping it’s just the beginning of my time in the sport.
Until next time, work hard and be good to your mother!
Cheers.
Mitch’s Next Race:
Lifetime Fitness LA Triathlon, September 30 (YEP, already been)
Mitch’s Birthday:
September 28th (YEP, already been)
A nice little photo of Texas
Looking fast
Mitch and the Lang's
Huston Texans- My Man "Schaub"
On ya Kiblet!
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