What's not nice is the level of triathlon training I've been doing this year. That's pitiful. I've done 1 brick, and biking just isn't regular. So my plan for this race was just to go out, have fun, and see what happens.
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| Before the start and ready to go! |
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| Long lines |
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| Swim in, Run out |
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| Big transition area this year! There is a big Bike Out sign somewhere over there. |
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| all those bikes |
This was really strange. In 2014 I nailed a 1:28 pace, but this time it got weird. This pair of goggles has been fogging up for a while, but I think the suntan lotion got involved somehow to make it much worse. And the first row didn't have a black line, so I had no idea when the wall was coming up so I smashed my arm against it. Felt like that first length was pretty smooth, but after I missed my first flip turn my entire mental game was off. And I know that threw off my form. The estimated time I entered was only 3:15 so to finish almost a minute slower is really tough. I just couldn't see well, couldn't breathe cleanly, and couldn't find the walls. A bit frustrating. I even got passed by the guy who started behind me.
T1: 1:17
Win! Anything under 90 seconds is pretty smooth.
Bike 14 miles: 45:25, 18.5 mph, 18/27 ag, 139/339 o
This bike course never disappoints. Kind of challenging on the way out, but it still felt good to be riding outside again. The bike is always the worst sport for me, and I did get passed a lot. At one point 3 guys from my age group all passed me in practically drafting mode. It was a short time out there, I went hard. After I saw the mile 12 marker, I took a gel. Next thing I knew I was back in T2.
T2: 1:05
Win! Again!
Run 5k: 24:44, 7:58 m/m, 13/27 ag, 72/339 o
The run course is flat and shaded. I haven't raced a 5k in so long I've just about forgotten how. I turned the legs over as fast as I could and tried to keep my heart rate up so I couldn't talk. Zone 3 or 4 should do the trick, but I don't think I got there. I was out there having fun.
Finish: 1:16:40, 15/28 men 40-44, 88/339 overall
The age group breaks down into 3 real groups. The actual fast people finished in 1:05 - 1:09, the midpackers finished from 1:14 to 1:16, then the bottom range went from 1:22 to 1:29. Every now and then a midpacker like me has a good day and ends up in front of that 1:14, and sometimes we have a tough day and end up in the back of this pack. This was my tough day.
In my first 3 Little Pigs, I passed 2 people on the water. Last time was an even seeding, I didn't pass anybody, nobody passed me. This time I got passed. This time was the first time I've been slower than 20 mph on the bike in this race. This was also the first time I've taken longer than 24 minutes to finish a 5k in about 4 years.
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| Finished! a medal for a sprint? |
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| finish line festivities |
This might also be a swan song for me. Triathlon and tri training just doesn't have the appeal that it did a few years ago. Originally I wanted to load up the calendar with a bunch of tri's this year, finishing with the Lake Logan half again, so I went ahead and registered for that one and paid the annual USAT membership again. Now I'm leaning more towards skipping the trip to Asheville in August so I don't have to do all of that bike training. Running and swimming hold so much more appeal right now.
And I'm trying to pull together something that will be really fun for this winter. It's a logistical nightmare, but lots of fun.
2 comments:
With a 24 min 5K of the bike and out of the water I would consider you speedy and not a mid-packer, but I guess it is all in how you view it. To me you are FAST! Sorry this race was not as good as the past 2 years.
I think that you did well when you take into consideration that you weren't really training for this race and were out there to have fun and see what you could do. That said, it's good to figure out what your priorities are for fitness because training is time consuming, so if your heart isn't in it (for biking, in particular), then you are better off focusing on something that you are more excited about!
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