Tri4God - TriathlonSprint

A lot of knocking around and swimming on top of people most of the whole swim. I had to stop a few time and reroute myself. My plan was to go out strong and then set into a pace, however I felt that this was such a short swim I could maintain a strong pace close to what I started with. Boy was that stupid. About 1/3 into the swim I started having trouble with my breathing. I was also expelling a lot of energy fighting the crowd. about 2/3 in and swiming tword the launch my muscles and body started to feel the fatigue. I thought if I kept this up I would be going in on a kayack. So I settled down, slowed up a bit and got the rythm I should have been in for a while. I kept siting the launch but it never seemed to come. Right when I was able to touch bottom I did and walked up because I needed to catch my breath before the bike. After I felt spent and I think this threw off the rest on my race. Walked halfway to T1 until I seen people jogging past me.

Focus more on a good swim warm-up and find a rythm earlier. My time was one of my bests but I sacraficed a lot for it.

Coming in from the swim I was sluggish but I did move pretty quickly through transition.

1st time I rubberband my shoes to the bike and went sockless. This is so much better and saved a lot of time that is hard to make up on the coarse.

The coarse must have been a little longet than 18 miles because race results read 19.9 mph. My bike computer read 19.5 mph with a little over 18 miles but that is a little off anyway. The first 3 miles I started off with a 90 cadence at an easy pace because I needed to catch my breath after that swim. Right when I was just starting to "attempt to drop the Hammer" the hills started. 90% of the coarse was constant large rolling hills. I was shifting gears the whole time. Slowest was around 9-10mph on a climb and fastest was 34.7 mph on a down hill. I never train on hills and it showed. Everyone else must because there was a good bit of people who past me. But they were the 35+ y/o ringers who started 3 minutes behind in the 2nd and 3rd wave.

I need to do some strength training because I just dont think my toothpick legs can pound the pedals like I want them to. I lost my yellow aero drink plug thingy on the way back and was splashed by gatoraide.

One of my best T2. Unstraped a little early and left shoes on bike which benefited a lot. Sockless shoes and visor and I was off.

Nothing

By this time the heat was starting to take affect on me. I came off the bike with 3 other people in my age group so I knew it was going to be a rough run. We were all neck and neck most of the run. The rolling hills didnt help either. 1st mile-8:30 and nicely paced to settle in the run. 12:45 at 1.5 half way mark. Now I started to pick up the pace. I was trying to reel in 2 of the guys in front me but they were picking up the pace also. I was fighting cramps in my legs and I thought they were going to lock up. I was dehydrated and electrylyte depleted. The 1st guy just took off and I knew I was not going to catch him I past the other guy but he just beat me with the last 100 yards,I just didnt have much left in the tank. I past another guy in my AG whom I beat on a sprint to the finish. After crossing the finish line I felt like I was going to die of a heat stroke. Having this such a close race I feel pushed me too hard for slumping fitness level. 5 guys from my age group finished within 30 seconds of my time.

I only did about 3 runs since April because of a foot injury. I also need to do some speedwork.

Drank about 6 kentwood 16 oz waters and poored some over my head. I had to hang out a bit and catch my breath. Ate some pizza and endurox. I really wanted to jump in the pool at the club house but that was fenced off.


Lack of fitness. Hills. Heat. Overexhurthing myself.


This was a great event, I just was not trained properly for it so I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to.