Ashland Lions Olympic Triathlon - Triathlon

Last year, I was too excited at the start of the Cranberry Olympic swim and it cost me so I promised myself I'd relax this year. I thought there was to be 3 waves, but they did 2 sans the Sprint group. So, it was youngsters and then those who remember well when Plunkett was drafted by the Patriots. There was hardly any contact on this swim and it was very pleasant. I started off very sluggish for reasons unknown to me other than my arms/shoulders were toast from the prior day. I enjoyed the swim, though, and reminded myself to stay relaxed and remember that swimming is supposed to be fun. I caught up to some from the first wave which made me happy and confident - happiness is seeing caps next to you from the first wave.. Near the very end, I saw an orange bouy, a yellow one, a dock and rope threaded through bouys to mark the publics swimming area which all confused me and I had to tread water to figure it out. I was happy.......until I saw my lousy results. I actually swam better in my OWS practice the prior 2 weeks. Apparently, I was too relaxed - the pendulum swung too far the other way relative to last years excessive excitement.

I just gotta' find the happy medium between getting too excited and too relaxed.

I put on my beater sneakers and huffed 'n puffed up the hill. I guzzled water and downed a Hammer Gel.

The buzz prior to the race was to be wary of a big pothole after the first hill in addition to a dead skunk after about a 1/2 mile. On the first significant downhill, I got into my new aero bars for the first time ever in a race. I wanted to tinker with and experiement with new things in this race which I did. I got up to well in excess of 35 MPH on that downhill. The course was hilly. For the first lap, I averaged 17.2 MPH which was disappointing and I intendedto keep that pace up. Instead, the headwinds picked up and I just wasn't making it happen. I had to stop for 2 lights - sorry, but I'm a law abiding goody 2 shoes - and I was losing steam in the last quarter of the 2nd lap. Given my overall average of 16.5 MPH, I actually averaged < 16 MPH for lap 2. Bummer.

Eat a Hammer Gel halfway through. Not doing this would be something I was to pay for in the run.

Wolfed down a pack of Nabisco Nutter Butter cookies and a Hammer Gel. I also did some quick squat exercises to loosen up.

Go faster. Duh.

There was a hill coming outta' the gate and I got pounded by it. I was stunned at how slow I was going and getting very discouraged. At about 1.25 miles in, the Corn Syrup Buzz from those Nutter Butters kicked in and I picked up the pace and my spirits went up. None of teh stations had any Gels, just water, so at the 4 mile watering hole, I stopped to fish out an emergency reserve Hammer Gel in order to be prepared for the final hills. At around the 5 mile mark, a woman that had passed me had some medical condition flare up, so I stopped to assist. SHe was OK and said it was something that flares up now and then. I reminded her that help was thre if she needed it. I was feeling progressively better in the run, but it was all too littel too late to recover from the lousy initial 1.25 mile. Spirits picked up even more when I smelled the skunk hazard and I saw the lass that was in distress way ahead and headed yo the finish which was a relief. When I got to within 50-75 yards, I put on a big sprint s I cofinish in a blaze of glory and I actually got progressively faster up to the Finish Line.

Eat more Nutter Butters.

Walked around, drank water. Later that night, I downed some Sierra Nevada Torpedos.


Ummm, I don't think I'm ready for that "dainty" Kona race that I mentioned above.