Lowell Mill City Tri - Triathlon

Some day I will learn to set up a little further in the pack. Since this was a C race, I defalted to other racers to get a jump. Swam over a bunch of people. Drafted very well up stream. Could not find feet on the return. Somehow, I felt stronger and faster going upstream drafting than on my own on the way back.

Get some sleep before the race. The water temp was said to be 73 by the ref., but a friend had taken a reading of 79 the night before. I think next time I will pass on the wetsuit when it is that warm.

Decent T1

not much

Plan of attack, go our with a moderate effort. Will pick up the effort on the second lap. Wanted to average around 15-16 MPH on the first lap. That was my average on the flats, by the time the hills were over, I was up to over 17 MPH on the first lap!!

Second lap, I just stated to run out of energy. Reasons will be at the end of the report.

Not much, this was a C race. No tapper, and just not feeling it. Planned the ride right, but was toast from no tapper.

No hurry, but standard solid transition.

Nada

THIS SUCKED BIG TIME! Just was not in it. I kept a mantra going of "I am doing this because there are those who can not". Started to run, but legs were beyond junk. I understand why and I am good with that. Just hurts to have nothing durring a race.

Lots more walking than running. I kept having songs of "morning" pop into my head. Particualarly "Empty Garden" by Elton John. I wish I did not have to admit this, but I will. I actualy started crying on the run.

Christine's passing was such a tragedy, that I could not let it out of my mind. I never met her, but just the shock value of someone so full of life, passing so fast was hard to get my hands around. Working in a cemetery, I see things like this daily, and can normaly put it out of my mind quickly. Having talked to C in chat the day before she passed, kind of sent me for loop. She will be missed.

In the last few miles, a US marine joined me in my walk twards the line. He was doing his first tri ever on no training. He was taken aback at how hard a tri can be. He figured "I am a Marine, therefore I can" attitude. We chatted for about 20 minutes, equaly venting on a varitey of issues. It was quite cathartic, and prety much what I needed. When the line was in site, we started to run, I gave him honors when it came to the finishing shoot. Turns out he beat me by something like 20 minutes.

not blow up training the days before the race.

All I wanted to do was pack and go home.


Where should I start. When I got home from NY with my son on the Tuesday before, I went out and did a very hard run out of frustration from hearing about Christine's passing. This would become a theme for the week.

Ran a "Virtual 5k" on the Charles with some BTers. Was a brisk pace for me.

Sat. I rode to work and back. A total of about 1.5 hours. Rode some sections pretty aggresively. I am sure there were other things I did to beat the hack our of my legs, but you get the point.

Add to that, I went out to dinner with DK on Friday night, then stopped at a friends hose on the way home. Got home about 1 AM. Woke at 6:30 because that is late for me.

Went out with the wife on Sat. for dinner. Did not get home until about 10:30.

Oh yeah add to that the stress of comming home on Sat. eve, only to find a branch from a tree on my roof! The branch was about 18 inches accross. Went to the race without knowing for sure if there was any dammage to the house. Turns out there was not, and the branch was removed after the race.

To sum it up, I was just very tired going in, tummy issues, and no mojo. Good thing it was a C race. I am hopping this will help me to have a good Cranberry. The last time I struggled like this in Lowell I PRed Cranberry.


Small, but growning race, I plan to keep doing this as a staple race.