login
 Swim
Comments: I lined up on the R, on the buoy line. I was near the front which I wasn't sure was a good idea. Caught some feet for maybe first 50. No interference and felt like I went straight up the bupy line. Sun in the eyes. Tried to stay smooth and well-paced. First turn we went into the shade and this leg passed quite quickly. Turned again for the leg home and at times felt in the sweet spot technique-wise for the first time - roll was working well. Started catching some traffic from earlier waves but otherwise uneventful. Ran out, worked suit down and as soon as it was at my hips I stopped and took it off right at the end of the beach. What would you do differently?: Not much. I'd like to get a little faster swimming. Maybe do the suit off immediately thing more.  Transition 1
Comments: Taking the suit off early was a good idea - it let me focus on just glasses, helmet, shoes and off. Didn't have new tri shoes so had the old 3-strap jobs that you can't put on the bike but I fastened them loosely so I could get in and get on the bike before I tightened them. There is a run from the swim end to T1 of approx. 200-300m, some of it on sand. Rain the night before had firmed up the sand. What would you do differently?: Get my cleats on the new shoes and try to do the shoes on the bike thing  Bike
Comments: I got down on the aerobars early which worried me a little. Figured if the neck bothered me than I wouldn't be in them anymore. Tried to mix aero with tops of the bars. Am lacking bike fitness big time and felt like maybe I worked too hard and thought maybe I'd blow the run. However, I have to say that it was fun even though there were many stragglers from early waves riding too far left. Aerbars felt good although on more than one occasion I felt like I was going fast and someone would pass me that would make me realise that maybe I wasn't going that fast! What would you do differently?: More training. But for where I was fitness wise I was very happy with it. Thought I'd be nearer 44 mins. Transition 2
Comments: This was the 2nd time I had done the feet on top of shoes thing, after yesterday's practise it was planned and went well. It just works well. What would you do differently?: Get the new shoes going. Not screw up placing bike in rack/trough.  Run
Comments: On the bike I was imagining that the transition would be ugly. It wasn't ugly but my stride was short. However, knowing the course helped mentally, sort of a hang on/work steady until the top of the course and then use donwhill for leg speed. Immediately out on hte run I noticed a woman ahead of me (Purple Lady), she was in my age group. I happened to pass her. She then passed me back running alongside a guy. This went back and forth 3 times before we turned L up a longer rise. The guy was by her side - not like another competitor that she had come upon but someone that knew her. I was a little irked that she was maybe getting paced but they were going faster than me and I had to let them go. Passed a few people and then I think one gal in my age group before the top of the course, always letting my legs go on any downhill. From mile 1.5 - 2 it starts to trend down and I tried to take as much advantage as possible and started passing people, another F4044 I think. Made the turn to start the gradual mile downhill to the finish and just decided to let it go. About 1/2 mile from the finish I came upon 2 gals and then saw Purple Lady ahead of them. Ran with one gal who was F4549 and we passed the other gal. Then I decided I would go for Purple Lady if it meant I would blow. This is a new approach for me. Can't even remember if I was tired but I must've been. I passed Purple Lady with maybe 200 m to go and could feel her trying to hang on, 100m to go I pushed again thinking I was going to explode but I'd make her work to come around but she never did. I neat her by 3 secs and got a new max HR into the bargain (187 bpm!) I didn't realize it at the time but that gave me 3rd in a/g. What would you do differently?: Try to remember the feeling of being willing to just let it hang out. It was downhill and I knew the course which helped alot - not sure if I could've pushed that hard on the flat. Post race
Warm down: Was shagged. Walked back into TA and then went out and jogged easy for a couple minutes on the road. Came back in and gathered my stuff and went in search of a shower. There was only a cold shower on the beach but I used it as I was covered in sand from taking my wetsuit off on the beach and carrying it (must remember not to to do the sand thing again). It was cold but felt good. Then I went back to the PT tent and got a post-race stretch. What limited your ability to perform faster: Nothing. I was faster than I expected. Event comments: This is a tricky venue as it's cramped. Bike and run go out and come back on the same stretch of road, so at certain times during the race there is 4-way traffic on a 2-lane road. They did a good job of seperating the different folks but the finish area was a squish. I've heard that the folks that own the lake (and have a motorized boat ban) are keen to not have the race back due to the rescue boat that they have. This would be a shame - can they cover the swim without motorized support? Is there any where else in R'field to have the tri? Nice race - courses are a little tough but fair and not totally crushing for newbies. Lake is spring-fed and nice conditions. Field doubled this year to 400. It's a treat to have a race so close. There was packet pick-up the day before where you could have also practise swum between 6-6:45pm. "Tech"style t-shirts and nice little backpack thing for race bag. RD had involved local bike shop (Bethel Cycle) who were there day before and for last minute things day of and local PTs for massage and stretch pre- and post-. Look forward to racing it again. Profile Album Last updated: 2008-05-22 12:00 AM
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK
United States
65F / 18C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 75/332
Age Group = F4044
Age Group Rank = 3/33
6-7 wks before this race I was (finally) diagnosed with 2 bulging discs in my neck and after dealing with this since Oct it looked I would have to scrap this race and who knows what else. Orto cleared me to exercise but to get PT. Started PT and realized I'd need to radically change my bike position whatever happened. 3-4 wks ago I rode the bike course on my mtb with slicks - slow but no neck probs. The next day I started swimming with the Bethel Club Wed nights and the possibility of maybe racing seemed a little more real. I was still in that mode of not knowing whether to bag the race or wait longer and risk losing my entry fee. About 2 wks ago the stem for my bike arrived and I swapped it out and added some new tri bars without even knowing if I good get down in them. Memorial Day w/e was my blitz weekend, 5k on Sat and then 5k Mon morning with swim/bike on the course with the Bethel Tri folks. Basically the plan was to get some 5k speed, be sure I could do the distances with no pain, trash my body and then rest up for the week. I knew the courses well, everything else would be wait and see. Day before the race I practised transitions with the Bethel folks - this was very useful with it being first race of the season. Decided to go with no sox for the first time.
Usual brekkie. It's a treat to only drive literally 15 mins to a race. Arrived at 6am as had picked up packet day before. Racked bike etc. Was in the 5th wave at 7:12 which included 42 F4044s!!, combined with F4044 and up this wave was 90 women!. A local PT (Ridgefield PT) was giving pre-stretches so I had the gal work on my legs. 6:30 a.m. went for a 8 min jog up the road. 6:45 wetsuit on and up to the beach. Wanted to get in and get the suit filled up and warmed before I started. Swam maybe 200 if that. Readjusted suit. Was a little anxious about how this whole thing would go and had goals of i) a solid swim; ii) wetsuit off as soon as it was down to my waist and ii) try to blitz the transitions. Any thing else was gravy.