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Date/Location: |
5/23/2020 Granite Beach, CA |
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Distance: |
1mile Run – 5mile Bike |
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Time: |
30:34 (9:12-21:22) |
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Place: |
2nd /12 |
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Teammates: |
Oly Du: Anna Soares, Troy Soares; Sprint Du: Caryn Galeckas, Suzanne Hartley; |
Ariel Soares’s Virtual race story
10, 9, 8, ..., 3, 2, 1 Go! Daddy and I start running. I took the countdown for us because it's a virtual race .Anna, mom, Suzanne, and Karen all started earlier. Now we're starting an hour behind them. I'm doing a mile run and 5 mi bike. Dad's doing a 6.2-mile run and a 25-mile bike. back to the race, we keep running. I think Dad’s taking it easy because he runs more than me, so we're running together. We go on a path that goes around the beach. Then we run past a bathroom and then go up and down a hill. “You're a tough competitor!” dad remarks while running. We run through the trees a little bit, and then sadly daddy had to go a different way because he is going a longer route. I run through some twists, turns, and some trees. I hear a runner behind me. A lady comes running past me. I run down a small hill and pass some walkers coming the other way. I get to boulders which I know mean I'm very close to the Finish. I start running on a long dirt path to the start of the bike. I run faster because I want to get a good time. I know I'm not going to get 7-minute, though, but at least it will be 8 something.
As I get close to the finished line, I look at my Garmin. My Garmin has already reached a mile, so I stop it. Since this is a virtual race your distance has to be exact. After I run a little bit and was very close to transition, I start my Garmin again. I finish the run. I unlock my bike (because we locked it up so no one can take it) and put my helmet on. I turn my bike around and bike out
I bike up a big hill and turn. I peddle down a small hill onto a long, bumpy road. I'm very careful because there are many cars behind me. I pedal fast hoping to get a good time. I'm heading towards my duathlon course. Usually, I would do my duathlon loop, but today I'm going to do a little more, so I'll do half of the course backward, then, I'll turn off to a different road. I go into a big turn. Next, I go up and down some hills. I get to the spot where I usually turn onto my duathlon course, but instead, I go backward on it and then turn off onto the other road. I think I've been this way once before for a super sprint triathlon. I see a road that leads down to a part of the beach. Now, I know why all those cars are coming this way. They all want to go to the beach. I see cars going down it. The beach is packed, but still more cars come. Some cars have boats on the back others with swimming gear on the top of the car. After a little bit, I make it to the turnaround. I have to wait for a truck that's coming towards me. After it passes I turnaround. I head back to the road that leads down to the beach and I pass the walkers again. I see more cars heading towards me. I go back around the twists and turns again. I head up and down little or big hills too. I get back on my old course again and after a short while turn off. I travel back over the up and downhills. I see someone walking with their bike. It looks like something is wrong with it. I hear the person talking to someone. "Do you need help?" I asked him. He shook his head no, so I kept going. I reach the big turn and bike around it. I travel up a little hill that turns onto the long, bumpy road. I know I'm close to the Finish line. I bike faster and faster because I know the finish line is near. I go up a small hill and turn. Finally, I get to the big downhill leading to the finish line. When I get close to the bottom, I make sure no cars are coming, so I speed to the parking lot and I finish. I finished second place overall.
Written by, Ariel Soares
