Soma Triathlon - Triathlon

I started out decently, but pooped out around 1500 meters. I just tried to maintain a pace that kept me from getting too tired for the bike, but maintain headway. My form probably wasn't as good as it could have been.

I swam about 1.5 minutes slower than I thought that I would or could.

I haven't been able to swim since Aug. 8th when the local pool closed. The last time I swum was at the Tempe Olympic race on Sept. 22nd.

Either, I need to get a vasatrainer or endless pool. I'm not going to make any further significant progress in swimming without year round practice.

Decent tranistion

I just need to speed it up a bit, since it was about 27 seconds slower than the average for the leaders.

I had a goal time of around 2:22 to 2:23, this time required about 245 to 250 watts.

I smoked the bike part. I thought in my head was that I wanted and needed to catch the might and great, dream crusher, Jedi Master Bryan Dunn and stay with him on the bike course. He beat me out of the water by about 1.5 minutes, and I noticed at turnarounds that I wasn't making too much into his time, but I continued to push the pace hard.

Getting out of the water is always pretty tough as my legs need some time to get aquainted to the work that I'm requiring of them. I'd say that it wasn't until about the 20 mile point that I felt comfortable after I had pushed my limits for the HIM distance in close to the first hour.

The second lap got congested, esp. around the U-turns where I'd have to really go slow or almost stop to wait for the other riders. I managed to get back to speed as best as possible without busting the watt ceiling. I pushed the hills kind of hard to maintain pace, but again not to go anearobic, right at lactace level though, some VO2max efforts.

It was in the middle of the 3rd lap that my body was feeling the effort, around mile 48 to 50, I backed off a smidge on the hills, but kept hard on the flats.

I feel the toughest section was going east on Rio Solado on the 3rd lap, there was a wind, not great, but it was tough to maintain a fast speed. I was grinding stay above 23mph.

After I crossed over the hill on Mill Ave. bridge, I basically coasted in and let my legs get some blood and recouperate for a bit before the run. I did a decent flying dismount and jogged to the rack.

Other have asked me to put out the power data:

Bike: Specialized SHIV
Gear: Rotor Q rings 54/42
Cassette: 11/28
Wheels: Valdora 58mm carbon/aluminum clincher
Tire: Conti GP4000S with Bontrager XXX latex tubes

The tire combo was the first time, used to use Michelin Pro4 SC with butyl tubes.

Power Data and Chart Shown:
est. CDA: .275
est. CRR: .0055
avg: 267.5
NP: 279
IF: .87
VI: 1.05 (a little high, probably due to the U-turns and going uphills hard)
Cadence: 92.5 rpm
w/kg output: 4.01


Not much

Again about 30 seconds slower than the leaders

Tighten this up.

I felt pretty good off the bike, esp. considering how hard I hit the pace. I settled in at a 7 min/mile pace right off the bat. My first loop split was right at a 7:17 pace, so I thought that a 135 was in the cards... but in the middle of the 7th mile as my body was aching and some cramping that my pace was slowing. I vowed to not stop or walk, and to grab water and gatorade at each station. I did this well.

I just couldn't keep my pace up as the miles wore on, I was repeating my new battle cry over and over in my head: "Pain is not an indicator to stop..." but my gas tank was going dry and I ran in on fumes.

DONE!!!

Well, my achelies limited my running for about the last 6 weeks and the longest runs that I did were about 8 miles, right where I crapped out.

Massage, food and friends


Running injury and lack of pool facilities


Awesome race, awesome volunteers!!!