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Amica 19.7 Phoenix - Sprint Course
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Amica 19.7 Phoenix - Sprint Course - TriathlonSprint
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 Swim
Comments: I had a bad swim. During my total body conditioning workouts, I have done a lot more upper body exercise than I have before and as a result, my already snug wetsuit was even tighter around my shoulders and chest. After a smooth 50 yards or so at the start, I started having trouble breathing and couldn't recover. I'm sure it didn't help that I had only been in the water 3 or 4 times over the month and a half leading up to the race. After the pack left me, my motivation was gone and I struggled my way around the course. I had a burst of comfort on the back side and swam well, but it was way too little, way too late. What would you do differently?: Needed more 'tune up' swims - keep mental focus.  Transition 1
Comments: I had trouble getting out of my wetsuit, which took time. I also felt I needed a jacket for the bike and run, so I took some extra time there. Last, the gloves I have used for Kokopelli and this race are difficult to put on with wet hands - lesson learned. What would you do differently?: It was a disaster - see above.  Bike
Comments: Even after the horrible swim, I managed a good bike split. I ended up in the top third of the field on the bike, which is the only thing that kept me from totally embarrassing myself in this race. Giving up so much time on the swim, there were a lot of people in front of me to pass. Thankfully, the road was wide and there wasn't much congestion. To say that I felt really good on the ride would be an overstatement. However, it was a very solid and disciplined ride. I kept the pedals turning constantly since the course was flat. I stayed in an aero position throughout, only coming up to the base bar when cornering. I had settled in with a fairly quick set of people and we exchanged positions a few times. Staying with them kept the motivation high. However, they turned off to go to finish as I started the third lap. I kept the pace together despite the fact that I knew most people were already running. The third lap went by without incident, I pulled into T2 with 3.1 miles left in my season, nothing to chase, and nothing really fueling my desire. What would you do differently?: Nothing - it was a solid ride and salvaged an otherwise forgettable day. Transition 2
Comments: I really don't remember this transition very well, which leads me to believe it wasn't particularly good or bad.  Run
Comments: There wasn't much spurring me on in this run. It was just a matter of finishing the day. I had turned in a good run race the previous day at the AZ Urban Race, and didn't feel that I was having the kind of day where I could prove anything. I ran for a while and walked a few steps and repeated. I heard my name at one point and saw Chad on the Olympic course. Seeing him helped me to push a little harder, at least temporarily. When I was running, my pace was good, but my internal push was long gone. I counted down the minutes and tenths of miles to get done. Not that it matters much, but I was a minute less slow (saying that I was faster would be inaccurate) on this 5k than at Firebird in '10. That's something, I guess. Post race
Warm down: I crossed the line, turned in my chip and picked up a medal, which was a nice touch. As I headed back to the transition area, I stopped to talk to Chad and Catie, who were there with their children. I said my good byes, picked up my stuff, and headed home. What limited your ability to perform faster: I always say that you get what you train for, and it was never more true than in this race. I made a conscious decision to be undertrained, and prioritize other things over tri training, and it showed. I'm not disappointed, and the result is about what I expected. Since I took that time to focus on different fitness goals, I feel like I will be reinvigorated to get back in the lab this winter to train for a half Ironman coming up in May. Event comments: Amica and Tucson Racing did a good job with the race itself. There was a lot of confusion (at least for me) about the event due to changes in venues and dates, and where my registration for the original Firebird date would be applied. It was a little challenging to find the information online. However, all of these issues originated with bad weather back in February which couldn't be helped (for the record, I was 100% in agreement with the decision that the February race should be postponed. The coniditons would not have been safe). That said, the event was very well run. There were plenty of volunteers, the course was well marked, and the bike course was closed to traffic. The 'extras' - the registration bag and finisher's medals were nice as well. I also like the Firebird Lake venue. The water tastes very salty, but I have most definitely swam in worse. The roads were smooth, and the run was on paths and race tracks. A raceway is a pretty good place to hold an event. If you're on the fence about whether to race there, do it. Last updated: 2011-10-04 12:00 AM
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 2011-11-08 1:42 PM |
Master  1696     Surprise, Arizona |  Subject: Amica 19.7 Phoenix - Sprint Course |
| 2011-11-08 4:59 PM in reply to: #3894434 |
Expert 1224 | Subject: RE: Amica 19.7 Phoenix - Sprint Course It was nice seeing you out there Brian. Don't be so hard yourself. You did great considering you've done some serious cross-training the past few months and spent less time with SBR. Nice catching up with you... its been a while! |
| 2011-11-09 10:12 AM in reply to: #3894434 |
Elite 2645 Phoenix, AZ | Subject: RE: Amica 19.7 Phoenix - Sprint Course It was nice catching up with you at the race, Brian. I'm not going to lie, this race report is depressing! |
| General Discussion-> Race Reports! |
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It was a long, strange road to get to Chandler on November 6. It started as two events - one, the Firebird Tri, was originally scheduled in February, but was postponed due to cold weather. The second, Amica, was originally going to be at Lake Pleasant. I wanted to do each for different reasons. Firebird (in February) because my father would still be in town to watch the race and I could compare myself against the same course I had raced in March of '10. Amica since I wanted to do a Lake Pleasant race (for convenience and affection for the course). As time moved on, they combined the two so that I was left with a slightly different course, at Firebird, in November. Basically, a merging of the less desirable aspects of each race. Ladies and Gentlemen, the bastard child of my 2011 race calendar.
With what was, for me, an anticlimactic end to the race season, I went into off-season mode early, starting a total body conditioning program almost two months before this race. I just didn't want to continue my regular swim, bike, and run training with nothing left on the calendar but a sprint on a flat course. I would shift my focus, show up on race day, and let the chips fall where they may. I expected to pay for the decision, but at this point, I should be able to fake my way through a sprint without difficulty and just limp toward the season's end.
To further dampen my enthusiasm, the weather forecast was calling for chilly morning temperatures and the possibility of rain. The prospect of a cold swim and 50 degreee temperatures when getting on the bike were less than appealing. All things considered, I thought about not even making the trip to Chandler. However, as I was packing my transition bag the day before, I started to feel better about things, the rain was taken out of the forecast, and I knew I wouldn't take a DNS unless I was injured.
Due to illness and the cold forecast, Jenna decided to stay home. I couldn't blame her - the season wears on her, too, she wasn't feeling well and standing outside in chilly weather all morning would have made her worse. I would be doing this one solo. She wished me well and I headed to the lake.
When I arrived and parked the car, the first person I saw was Chad. We chatted as we walked to the transition area. I also got a chance to say hello to Elliot when we got to transition. We all racked our bikes on the same rack and got to catch up for a bit. Seeing friends made things feel a little less solitary, even though they were doing the Olympic and are much faster than I am anyway - for people of their ability, it's a different race entirely.
I was pleasantly surprised by the race packet. It included some samples, a uniquely colored shirt, and no waste.
I had a long wait until the sprint start, so I took my time in getting my wetsuit on and heading to the water. I wanted to get started - the sooner it got underway, the sooner I could adapt to the chill and get through it.