As I’m reading through the participant guide for the CapTexTri I’m finding tons of useful crucial information that I didn’t know that I didn’t know.  Who would’ve thought, right?  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Triathlons are a whole lot more complicated than marathons.  For a marathon all you need to know is what time the race starts.  It helps if you line up in the appropriate “wave” based on your predicted finish time, but really you just have to go pick up your race number the day before and then just show up to the race.  For a triathlon, not so easy.

For the CapTexTri, the first order of business is going the day before the race to get my race packet at the Palmer Events Center.   I’m hoping there’s a decent expo where I can get a new shirt and other gear.  After that I need to leave the PEC and go to the race transition area at Auditorium Shores, affix my bike’s race number, and leave my bike behind.  My bike will spend the night with all the other bikes racked up and ready to go for the race (I’m really glad I caught this, or else I’d be in trouble come Monday morning).

When race day rolls around I’ll need to first apply my race numbers in the form of temporary tattoos.  My superfan (Ev) and I will head down to the race relatively early, though the exact time is still TBD.  The race has an Olympic Distance and Sprint Distance, and they seem to be treating them as totally separate events.  When a marathon has a half marathon counterpart, they invariably start together.  On Monday, the first Olympic swim wave starts at 6:46am, with each subsequent wave going off exactly 4 minutes later.  After all the Olympic swimmers are gone, there will be about 15 minutes of downtime until the first Sprint swim wave starts at 8:54.  Then I have to wait for all the Sprint swimmers to go because I happen to be in the last Sprint swim wave (Men 20-29)… at 9:46am, a full 3 hours after the very first swimmers started.  My transition area opens at 7:15am, so I’m expecting lots of waiting around.

One issue I’m already fearing is the late start.  In Texas, as we’re getting ready for summer, it doesn’t take long for things to heat up.  I’m a little concerned with what the temps are going to be like around 10am when I’m just getting out of the water.  Today, just three days before the race, is going to see highs around 98*, and this past Wednesday saw triple digits.  Hopefully my blinding speed creates enough wind to keep me cool.

And so, my friend reader, I bid you farewell until after the race.  Check back next week for a race report.