Monster Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

Normal pool staggered start of, I think, 7 seconds.
Being about the 8th to start I was still amazed that good swimmers ahead of me cannot estimate a 300m swim time. Caught up with person in front in just over a length. Person in front had also caught the next person. I wasn't holding anybody up behind me so I just conserved energy and plodded the rest of the swim.

I have said it before, my immediate reaction is to lie on the entry form to get a clear swim. But I'm near the front on the swim and wouldn't want to hold up a contender for honours.

I'm not swimming in my tri top as it feels all wrong. However I feel it is only fair to spectators and other competitors to cover up for the bike and run. But again I got tangled up trying to get my top on.

Either.
1. Practise putting on the tri top.
2. Get over it and swim in tri top.
3. Buy a correctly fitting tri suit.
4. Bike and run half naked.

I think I forgot to drink. I was only carrying less than half a bottle as it was only going to be about 40 min on the bike, but I just forgot to drink. Having said that, I never felt I suffered for it.

This was the most hilly course I have rode on. Practising on the Trinity trail and around Benbrook is pretty much flat. I'm glad I practised the course before the race.

I was higher up the rankings than on my other events, which is good. But my pace was a bit slower. I'm more inclined to focus on my pace, I can't judge the relative standard of competitors between events.

It may be that it was much colder and raining compared with other events, and in addition the course had more climbs than other races I have done. Perhaps these would slow me ? I'm not convinced.

Having now completed 4 races, even with all the timing information, unless there is a step improvement, I'm learning that it is hard to draw conclusions between the different races.

I think I mentally prepared for the bike but forgot to include the run. During the bike, I remembered the 10k run at the Metroplex Olympic when I walked the aid stations I think that may have had a mental effect. Perhaps I was not pushing as hard as I could, in order to retain energy for the run. Or am I just making excuses?

T2 is easy.

Nothing.

OK then, there is probably a few seconds to be had by taking my feet out of my shoes while still on the bike and jumping off a moving bike. But that's not going to make much difference to me.

Felt like I was plodding the run, but still couldn't pick up the pace in the last few hundred yards...and didn't feel that worn out at the finish. However when I got the times I was about 2 minutes quicker than previous runs and only 1:18 slower than stand alone 5k run I did a few weeks previously. So overall really pleased.

Keep uping the milage at a steady pace in training.

Doughnuts, pancakes, orange, water and accelerade.


Lazyness on the swim.
Rain, hills on the bike......possibly.
Nothing on the run.

The run (and probably the bike) training are giving steady improvements.

Don't forget the run in the mental prep.



Overall a good race.

I thought I had left the rain back in England.