Road-Trip Warmup: Round Trip to Austin, TX

This weekend Jenna, Kaya and I headed to Austin for the Longhorn 70.3 Ironman. A long trip for a 'warm-up', nearly 1600 miles round trip.

Race was pretty much a disaster but having barely trained I wasn't particularly perturbed. Swim went well despite this chronic pain I've had for over a month in my shoulder that has prevented me from any swim training. I passed 5 different colored caps from waves ahead of me- and each wave was separated by 5 minutes, it was mayhem out there. Out of the water in 29 minutes.

Bike was where the real problems occurred. Got two flats. First was a slow leak on my rear (disk) I noticed about mile 26 and stopped, felt it- about 100 psi at that point (riding tubular so normally I ride about 160psi ) and thought maybe i could get away with it. Hopped back on (was averaging an easy 24.6 at that point) and went about two more miles before going around a corner and almost losing it. I had to stop. Being an idiot, I failed to bring any tools (air, spares, tire lever etc) so I basically had to sit there and flag another rider down to help me. Someone tossed me their CO2 which I used to inflate the tire back to about 120psi and took off, this time taking it really careful not to hit anything to cause the leak to happen more quickly. I made it to mile 36 before I had to stop again.

This time I waited until I saw someone else roadside before pulling over. As an aside, I saw the aftermath of two serious bike accidents (later heard these two unconscious guys were medivacced out). The ride was a shitshow out in the middle of nowhere because they did a retarded 18 wave start with the fastest guys last so we were biking through literally thousands of yahoos). Other than those serious accidents saw many riders with mechanical issues.

Anyway I stop next to this guy on a p3 who busted some spokes on his 808s and he offers to help. He has two CO2 cartridges and a spare tubular. We try inflating my disk but his CO2 doesn't fit properly on the valve (you need a special adapter which of course I failed to bring) and we basically waste the first CO2 and manage to lose the rest of the air in my wheel. So now I'm really screwed. Obviously I'm not riding a disk flat for 20 miles. He then offers up his spare tubular and when I resist he basically says he doesn't care as his day is over. He helps me rip the damn tubular off the glue (takes about ten minutes between the two of us) and we put on his spare (a 19mm which is obscenely narrow btw) and without glue I ride it the rest of the way. My bike computer, which only works when I'm rolling, averaged about 23.1 (2:24) which I was pleasantly surprised with considering my lack of training and the low psi I rode on for god knows how long. Race was actually moderately hilly and very windy. Disk not the best idea.

I had an old coworker from lehman, 40 year old guy, doing his first 70.3 and only his second triathlon (his first was a mere month ago). I apparently passed him 3 times on the bike and only recognized him on the third time as he yelled out my name when I passed him about mile 40. Knowing he wouldn't be far behind me off the bike I jogged the first of the three loops on the run waiting for him to catch up so I could help him finish. Didn't see him so slowed even more until he caught up with me on the third loop. His legs were shot but helped him work through it, running, jogging, and even walking at times. The run was basically all hills- they changed the course due to recent heavy rains. We finished side by side and while I was disappointed with my day I was happy with how I felt. Other than some nasty blisters on my feet (because of course I forgot socks) and some sunburn (ditto with the sunblock), I really wasn't very fatigued. Next year...

Austin was a pretty cool town but very small. It was a zoo all weekend with Lance's charity ride/run and Austin Film Festival all occurring the same weekend as the IM. Jenna and I walked over most of town including checking out Whole Foods (Jenna was ecstatic as it had '5 different restaurants inside') and Mellow Johnny's (Lance's bike shop). His shop was packed with riders and tourists but I appreciated checking out the assortment of bikes he's ridden over the days from pre-Postal Service to his new team's rides. All just sitting there in the store. And of course a bunch of his Yellow Jerseys from which the name Mellow Johnny's name is derived (French for yellow jersey is 'maillot jaune').

Our hotel was right on the river which is ringed by a nice dirt running trail that I used for a warm-up run on Friday. We hit the supposed places to eat- Green Mesquite (bbq), Stubbs (bbq) and Chuys (tex mex) which were great pre-race dietary supplements (!) but they weren't that good. Pretty disappointing as we were really looking forward to some good eating. 6th street is where all the bars are and that was cool but small. Basically the town felt like a smaller Boston lacking the draw of mountains and water.

It was announced the morning of the race that Austin had 68 100+ degree days this summer. With that humidity I don't know how one can live down there. Brutal.

I had no idea how long of a drive it was going to be from Santa Fe, however, until I looked at it online last week. 750 miles and 12 hours according to MapQuest. And a very boring 750 at that. If flights weren't over $600 each I think I would have elected to fly.

On the way down we went through Roswell (think aliens) and Carslbad (caverns) before hitting Texas. We took two days on the way there and those two 'destinations' were pathetic. Highlight of the drive was the 80mph speed limits (which meant I put it on cruise control at 100). It's amazing how big Texas is. I mean we only drive from western TX to the middle of the state and it took nearly 6 hours and 500 miles!

We did the whole drive back today and took a different, more direct (and supposedly slower) route. From Austin we left in driving rain (thank God it was today and not yesterday) to San Angelo, through Lubbock before hitting border of NM and onward to Fort Sumner and up. A lot of the driving was on desolate desert state highways- a steering wheel is irrelevant on these roads. 55mph zones but was doing as high as 115 (as fast as the loaner could go) and one could easily go substantially faster safely as the roads are straight with no towns or intersections as far as the horizon. You literally would drive 40-50 miles without passing a single residence (or anything interesting to look at).

We went through Fort Sumner, NM where apparently Billy the Kid was killed. As far as I could tell it is the only thing that town has going for it. So many of these podunk towns have some cool western history byline but the modern towns are absolutely atrocious. It's much easier to imagine a meth addicts life when you pass through these towns. Most of them consist of nothing more than some rusted out old motels and derelict gas stations scattered for about a quarter mile. And then back into nothingness.

Three highlights from the drive back-
1) Went over some creek in nowhere Texas today called Kickapoo Creek. I mean seriously is there a better name for a creek?

2) Some sign on a seemingly vacant commercial property in a tiny town in TX- ' I'm so busy I don't know if I found a rope or lost a horse'. Only in Texas.

3) And the signs along the highway in Texas stating- 'Dont mess with Texas. $10,000 fine for littering'.

Runner up: Glasscock County TX.

Hitting the road for the 'trip' end of this week. Looking to be a chilly trip- 37 here in SF when we got home tonight and frost on the hot tub cover. Good omen for the trip is that our mutt Kaya didn't relieve herself in the car and definitely farts less than I do in the vehicle. I am trying in vain to blame all gas on her. Also got her to piss and poop on command- we only had one piss accident in the hotel in Austin which Jenna and I felt no shame for after being woken up at 4:30AM race day by a vacuum cleaner in the hall.