Peterborough Half Triathlon - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

I had a good draft for the first couple hundred metres, but when it started to thin out I didn't have a good draft anymore. I though I had my watch set it auto-multisport, but it was in running, so it autopaused a few times when it lost satellite and my watch time was messed up from the start. I thought I had come out from the first lap at 16:29 and though I had come out of the water at 33:59 (swim time includes the run into transition) but my watch time was off from the official time by about 1 minute.

Swim was average for me. Based on the official time, I came out of the water around 35 minutes which is right where I have been in my half swims the last two years. I was hoping to take some time off. Meh.

Run to transition, 20 metres or so from transition I got a VERY PAINFUL reminder of my calf strain and had to hobble the rest of the way to the timing mat. Duing these final metres, I got passed by one of the pro women which made me feel good about myself! (at the half last year she beat me out of the water by a good 1:30.

Walk to transition? I don't know whether I really would have done this though. I certainly should have if, as I say, my number one goal is recovery from my injury

Hobbling. Not much else to say here. I did okay at the stuff at the rack. Not as fast as I am capable of, but it was going to be a long hot bike, so I wanted to be comfortable. The hobbling though transition ruined my time.

This face says it all.
http://www.finisherpix.com/xtc/photocommerce_list.php?language=en&b...

Walk to transition? Not be injured.

When it became apparent on Friday that my calf injury was serious, I went to talk to my coach. We agreed that I was going to not do the run and switch to the swim/bike. I was given the instructions to “Swim hard, bike harder. I want you to be DONE when you cross that timing mat.” So the plan was to settle into a good zone 2 pace for 2/3rds of the bike and start picking it up in the last 30 K. Really start picking it up in the last 10 K.

Kept with my race plan pretty well. As mentioned earlier I had messed up my garmin, so spent the first 5K or so in the run mode before remembering that I could manual switch it to bike. Did that, but then I lost my speed information from the first part and didn’t really know exactly where I was on the course or what the actual distance was. The results say 86 km. Based on where the 45 km sign was in relation to the turnaround, I thought more like 87? Oh well. The bike was short.

This was the first year since they switched the course. I think it was more challenging than before, but the last time I did it was 5 years ago, so my memory might not be right. This time the hills were longer, but I guess a lot of them were more gradual? Because of my calf injury I could not stand up on the bike, so I just grinded (ground?) up the hills. The first 10 K of the course had a few short steep hills, from 10-25km it was nice roads and fairly gentle terrain. From 25 km to the turnaround it was hilly with an overall elevation gain. The return into town was overall very fast.

At the end of the bike course I felt pretty good. Not in a lot of pain. Low zone 3. Definitely gave it a good effort, but I think I could have bike harder. Get off the bike. Hobble across the timing mat and turn in my chip. Very anti-climatic end to a race.

I was debating originally after I hurt my calf whether I should walk the run. There is no way I would have been capable of walking the course on Sunday. I hobbled to the ambulance/med tent trying my hardest to hold back tears (partly from pain, partly from the emotions of being injured with only 9 weeks left to Wisconsin. Hung out in the ambulance for a while icing my calf. Had to wait for post race food because they had to wait for the half finishers. Then had to wait again to be able to get back into the transition area to get my stuff.

been able to finish the race by not being injured.

no T2 for me.

No run for me.

calf strain



My goal going into the this race was to equal or better my half time from last summer. 5:59:xx but this course is much harder. I think I probably could have done that yesterday, but the bike was short. if the bike course was the correct length, I'm not sure I would have made it under 6 hours.

I can't say I was too torn up not to be out there running. The run course looked hot with no shade from km 5 to 20.