I haven't had a lot of time to write in this Blog here. I have been pretty busy for the past two weeks with work, traveling to Pittsburgh and then racing this past weekend (Born to Tri in Asbury Park, NJ). I have not been a good writer in the least.
Born to Tri Race Report
Swim (.3 miles): 9:55 - 91 out of 279
The sky was a bit overcast, but the sun was peeking through. I was able to wear my wetsuit which was a good thing since I hadn't swum in two weeks. The swim was in the ocean which was also a good thing. Nothing spectacular here, it was over pretty quickly; however, the toughest part was the long run to transition.
T1: 1:05
Bike (12 miles): 34:14 (21.0MPH) - 76 out of 279
I was so beat the entire bike, I just couldn't get my legs going. In the past I easily could have maintained 22 or 23 MPH on such a flat course, but not on this day. I did the best that I could and that is all that I could ask.
T2: :46
Run (3.1 miles): 24:01 (7:37/mile) - 116 out of 279
Ugh, again I was just not feeling all that great. I just kept my feet moving, one in front of the other. It was a a beautiful day and I was just going to try to enjoy the run as much as possible. Each mile was a little faster than the last, and I enjoyed running along the Asbury Park boardwalk.
Total: 1:10:02 - 84 out of 279
I wasn't especially happy with my performance but then again what can I expect for the amount of training that I have been doing and the lack of focus when actually in the water or on the road. I'm not sure if I'll do any more races this season, it has been such a funky season for me. The "new" job, family "stuff" and everything else that is going on means that I just can't train like I want too.
I'll have another post later on today or tomorrow....I have to write about my birthday... yeah, I turned 40. Cheers!
My NEW journey to compete in Ironman Arizona...and hopefully KONA!
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Friday, October 15, 2010
RR: Hunterdon Half Iron Distance Triathlon
5:30AM, Sunday, October 10, 2010 - I open my garage door and step outside. I am hit with a blast of cold air that makes me think that an October triathlon may not have been the best decision. I can see my breathe drift away from my face. I think of my wife sleeping soundly in our warm bed; it would be so easy to shut the garage door and go back upstairs. No one ever said that training for and Ironman would be easy. Damn! I get in the car and drive off to Round Valley Reservoir where I would be taking part in the Hunterdon Half Iron Distance Triathlon.
That is how my day started, with a lot of second thoughts and reservations. I knew no matter I was what that I was racing that day because I paid for it (I am cheap) and I needed to do a half iron distance triathlon since my training plan said so (I have to stick to the plan). So around 6:15AM, with the sky still filled with stars and the temperature hoovering around 38F, I pulled into a parking spot and made my way to transition.
I spent the better part of the hour and a half leading up to the race discussing (and joking) with other racers as to what we would all be wearing on the bike portion since the temps weren't going to hit 50F for a while. It was a good way to pass the time and get in a few laughs. I probably should have been lounging around, resting my legs for the long day ahead. Finally around, 7:30AM the sun rose over the mountains and warmed up the air around us to the mid-40s (Thank God!!!). Race time was nearly upon us!
Swim
I was a nervous being one of only a handful of racers to be wearing a sleeveless wetsuit, until word trickled down that the water temps was in the low-70s. We all waded in and waited for the start. BANG! We were off, all 90 of us (small race), swimming in the surprisingly crystal clear waters of the reservoir. I couldn't get over how clean that water was and how I was able to follow the feet ahead of me. It made the swim so much easier than other races I have done. Not much to really say about the first mile of the swim other than it went pretty quickly, just putting one arm, pulling and then doing the same with the other arm. The last 400m or so my legs started to feel a bit off, so I started to do a bit of more kicking, trying to get the blood flowing down there. I remembered hearing Dave Scott say once (in an on-line video) that as you approach the swim exit you should bring your toes up towards your shins to stretch out your calves...so I did that, and it seemed to help. I approached the exit ramp, happy to see land, one more stroke and I hit pavement so I stood up. OH NO! My calves cramped up, both hamstrings cramped up and my left groin muscle cramped. What the heck! I did my best to waddle and shuffle my way up the 300m to T1, but it was tough. I had to stretch a bit to stop the cramps. 34:09; 1:46/100m
T1
Holy cow, it took me forever to get my wetsuit off because every time I bent a leg, a muscle would cramp. Oh how I would have loved to have a wetsuit stripper. After an agonizing long time getting my wetsuit off and trying to get some feeling into my freezing feet I managed to grab my bike and head out. 5:32
Bike
It started out cold, very cold. Thank God I had arm warmers (i.e. soccer socks with the toes cut out) to keep me moderately warm. My feet on the other hand were ice cubes for the entire ride. The first mile was uphill which didn't help my recently cramped leg muscles. I pushed on and did my best to get into a good rhythm and high cadence. The bike route is a bear, mostly rolling, some brief flats, and three substantial climbs that are spread out evenly over the entire 56 miles. Mile two there is a great downhill, then a little flat section, then a long steady uphill that sapped everything. At this point we are only about 15 miles into the race and finally a steady downhill portion that isn't entire all downhill, but I was able to recover. I played leap frog with another cyclist for the first 20 miles before finally passing him for good as we neared a mile long downhill to the Delaware River. The it was 8 mile stretch along the river that rises gradually but not too bad, before you hit the climb up and away from the river.
That climb was tough, but not as bad as I had thought it would be. My legs seemed to have recovered from the cramping, and I was able to grind it out . Once at the top it was just a normal ride, but I just couldn't get where I felt really good. I was riding slower than my typical 80 - 90 mile training rides, I just couldn't figure it out. I guess the swim took a lot out of me. I kept on truckin' and tried to find some folks to pass, but there just wasn't racers ahead of me, just recreational cyclists that I was able to "target" to pass....I needed something. Finally I had a nice long downhill and neared the end of the ride. There was one last hill to climb, a mere two miles from T2, the same one that I was able to bomb down earlier in the race (hit 45 MPH). Holy cow, that climb hurt! My leg cramps returned, groin and quads, so I tried to find a way to work through them. Finally, I reached the high ground and just cruised back to T2, making sure to finish off my third bottle of Gatorade and last three Clif Shot Bloks (ate three sleeves on the ride). 3:02:28, 18.4 MPH (Note: I rode this same course a two weeks prior and did it in 2:55:00, 19.2 MPH)
T2
I was quick through transition, happy to be running and hoping the cramps would be gone. 1:22
Run
The race organizer mentioned that the first mile or so of the run course would be on trails along the reservoir, which sounded great. The scenery was amazing, no doubt; however, the trails were rolling and rooted. What a tough mile to run after a tough bike. I usually love running on trails, but not after 56 miles of torture. I finally hit pavement and was happy...never thought I would say that. A little note here, I really had to pee right after leaving T2, but figured I could take care of it in the woods or at a port-a-potty soon thereafter. The next two miles were pretty much downhill and I was able to cruise a good pace. Then the rolling hills started and the turn around came, which meant more rolling hills and then a long uphill. It was a tough first six miles, run with a super full bladder. There was another turn around and down that lovely hill which now was killing my quads, but at least it was downhill. For the next three miles all I wanted to do was pee and I was looking for a place to go. Then I saw it, right there at a water stop at mile nine. I passed it twice already without noticing. What followed was the longest pee of my life, a solid 1.5 to 2 minutes of extreme relief.
I emerged like Superman out of a telephone booth, feeling a couple pounds lighter and ready to kill the next four miles. The only problem was that my legs weren't on board with the plan. Oh well, I did my best to maintain a good pace, good form, good spirits. Finally there was a mile to go and I was able to pass two people, both of whom shouted words of encouragement, not able to stick with me. I saw the finish line and just coasted through, happy that my day was done. 1:51:02, 8:29/mile (shame the pee break counts in my time)
Total: 5:34:34 (16th Overall out of 59)
Swim: 34:09 (23rd out of 59)
T1: 5:32
Bike: 3:02:28 (19th out of 59)
T2: 1:22
Run: 1:52:02 (18th out of 59)
Final Thoughts
This was my first half iron distance triathlon in two years, and only the second one I have ever done. The course was very similar to my first one and I had a huge PR (around 32 minutes faster). I don't know what happened with the cramping out of the swim, hopefully it is something that I can fix nutritionally, e.g. eat some banana's pre-race, do some more stretching, done mull about so much pre-race (try to sit and relax more) etc. I think if I had come out of the water with out the cramps I could have cut a significant amount of time off of my 5:34:34, I would guess close to 20 minutes or more...of course it is easy to say that in hindsight. I am happy with my result, it was on a very touch course and I think it will only make me stronger for Ironman Arizona!
Peace out!
That is how my day started, with a lot of second thoughts and reservations. I knew no matter I was what that I was racing that day because I paid for it (I am cheap) and I needed to do a half iron distance triathlon since my training plan said so (I have to stick to the plan). So around 6:15AM, with the sky still filled with stars and the temperature hoovering around 38F, I pulled into a parking spot and made my way to transition.
I spent the better part of the hour and a half leading up to the race discussing (and joking) with other racers as to what we would all be wearing on the bike portion since the temps weren't going to hit 50F for a while. It was a good way to pass the time and get in a few laughs. I probably should have been lounging around, resting my legs for the long day ahead. Finally around, 7:30AM the sun rose over the mountains and warmed up the air around us to the mid-40s (Thank God!!!). Race time was nearly upon us!
Swim
I was a nervous being one of only a handful of racers to be wearing a sleeveless wetsuit, until word trickled down that the water temps was in the low-70s. We all waded in and waited for the start. BANG! We were off, all 90 of us (small race), swimming in the surprisingly crystal clear waters of the reservoir. I couldn't get over how clean that water was and how I was able to follow the feet ahead of me. It made the swim so much easier than other races I have done. Not much to really say about the first mile of the swim other than it went pretty quickly, just putting one arm, pulling and then doing the same with the other arm. The last 400m or so my legs started to feel a bit off, so I started to do a bit of more kicking, trying to get the blood flowing down there. I remembered hearing Dave Scott say once (in an on-line video) that as you approach the swim exit you should bring your toes up towards your shins to stretch out your calves...so I did that, and it seemed to help. I approached the exit ramp, happy to see land, one more stroke and I hit pavement so I stood up. OH NO! My calves cramped up, both hamstrings cramped up and my left groin muscle cramped. What the heck! I did my best to waddle and shuffle my way up the 300m to T1, but it was tough. I had to stretch a bit to stop the cramps. 34:09; 1:46/100m
T1
Holy cow, it took me forever to get my wetsuit off because every time I bent a leg, a muscle would cramp. Oh how I would have loved to have a wetsuit stripper. After an agonizing long time getting my wetsuit off and trying to get some feeling into my freezing feet I managed to grab my bike and head out. 5:32
Bike
It started out cold, very cold. Thank God I had arm warmers (i.e. soccer socks with the toes cut out) to keep me moderately warm. My feet on the other hand were ice cubes for the entire ride. The first mile was uphill which didn't help my recently cramped leg muscles. I pushed on and did my best to get into a good rhythm and high cadence. The bike route is a bear, mostly rolling, some brief flats, and three substantial climbs that are spread out evenly over the entire 56 miles. Mile two there is a great downhill, then a little flat section, then a long steady uphill that sapped everything. At this point we are only about 15 miles into the race and finally a steady downhill portion that isn't entire all downhill, but I was able to recover. I played leap frog with another cyclist for the first 20 miles before finally passing him for good as we neared a mile long downhill to the Delaware River. The it was 8 mile stretch along the river that rises gradually but not too bad, before you hit the climb up and away from the river.
That climb was tough, but not as bad as I had thought it would be. My legs seemed to have recovered from the cramping, and I was able to grind it out . Once at the top it was just a normal ride, but I just couldn't get where I felt really good. I was riding slower than my typical 80 - 90 mile training rides, I just couldn't figure it out. I guess the swim took a lot out of me. I kept on truckin' and tried to find some folks to pass, but there just wasn't racers ahead of me, just recreational cyclists that I was able to "target" to pass....I needed something. Finally I had a nice long downhill and neared the end of the ride. There was one last hill to climb, a mere two miles from T2, the same one that I was able to bomb down earlier in the race (hit 45 MPH). Holy cow, that climb hurt! My leg cramps returned, groin and quads, so I tried to find a way to work through them. Finally, I reached the high ground and just cruised back to T2, making sure to finish off my third bottle of Gatorade and last three Clif Shot Bloks (ate three sleeves on the ride). 3:02:28, 18.4 MPH (Note: I rode this same course a two weeks prior and did it in 2:55:00, 19.2 MPH)
T2
I was quick through transition, happy to be running and hoping the cramps would be gone. 1:22
Run
The race organizer mentioned that the first mile or so of the run course would be on trails along the reservoir, which sounded great. The scenery was amazing, no doubt; however, the trails were rolling and rooted. What a tough mile to run after a tough bike. I usually love running on trails, but not after 56 miles of torture. I finally hit pavement and was happy...never thought I would say that. A little note here, I really had to pee right after leaving T2, but figured I could take care of it in the woods or at a port-a-potty soon thereafter. The next two miles were pretty much downhill and I was able to cruise a good pace. Then the rolling hills started and the turn around came, which meant more rolling hills and then a long uphill. It was a tough first six miles, run with a super full bladder. There was another turn around and down that lovely hill which now was killing my quads, but at least it was downhill. For the next three miles all I wanted to do was pee and I was looking for a place to go. Then I saw it, right there at a water stop at mile nine. I passed it twice already without noticing. What followed was the longest pee of my life, a solid 1.5 to 2 minutes of extreme relief.
I emerged like Superman out of a telephone booth, feeling a couple pounds lighter and ready to kill the next four miles. The only problem was that my legs weren't on board with the plan. Oh well, I did my best to maintain a good pace, good form, good spirits. Finally there was a mile to go and I was able to pass two people, both of whom shouted words of encouragement, not able to stick with me. I saw the finish line and just coasted through, happy that my day was done. 1:51:02, 8:29/mile (shame the pee break counts in my time)
Total: 5:34:34 (16th Overall out of 59)
Swim: 34:09 (23rd out of 59)
T1: 5:32
Bike: 3:02:28 (19th out of 59)
T2: 1:22
Run: 1:52:02 (18th out of 59)
Final Thoughts
This was my first half iron distance triathlon in two years, and only the second one I have ever done. The course was very similar to my first one and I had a huge PR (around 32 minutes faster). I don't know what happened with the cramping out of the swim, hopefully it is something that I can fix nutritionally, e.g. eat some banana's pre-race, do some more stretching, done mull about so much pre-race (try to sit and relax more) etc. I think if I had come out of the water with out the cramps I could have cut a significant amount of time off of my 5:34:34, I would guess close to 20 minutes or more...of course it is easy to say that in hindsight. I am happy with my result, it was on a very touch course and I think it will only make me stronger for Ironman Arizona!
Peace out!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Race Report: Steelman Olympic Triathlon
I have been a competitive athlete for my entire life, well for as long as I can remember. When I was 6 years old playing on an in town soccer team I would cry if we lost. When I played baseball as an 11 year old I would be upset if I got thrown out (I thought I could out run any throw). When I played lacrosse at Rutgers and we lost to Army my senior year, I didn't speak to anyone following the game...for about 6 hours. I don't do well with disappointment. I have gotten better as I have gotten older, but I have to work at it. Sunday was one of those days where I had to struggle to find a ray of sunshine in an otherwise very stormy day (literally).
I awoke at 4:10AM on Sunday morning to the sound of my alarm clock. Then I heard the dreaded sound of rain drops hitting the windows of my bedroom. I figured that it was merely a passing rain shower and that by the time I got to the race site it would stop. I got dressed, ate some Pop-Tarts, drank some Gatorade and then headed out the door. As I drove the 15 miles or so up to Lake Nockamixon the rain continued to fall, sometime lightly, other times very heavily. I stayed positive, thinking to myself that it would surely stop soon.
I arrived in parking lot around 5:00AM, unloaded my gear and made my way to transition. By this point it was pouring out; I made a point of bringing my umbrella with me. To quickly sum up the next hour or so, I racked my bike, put my bad in a garbage bag and put my umbrella over my bike and bag. I then went back to my car to stay dry and warm until around 6:15AM. It was then time to face the fact that it wasn't going to stop raining.
Swim - 1,500M
The water temp was 78.4F, just a bit too warm for wetsuits. This made me very sad. I waded into the water, did a quick 200 yd warm up and then waited for the gun to sound. After getting pushed, poked and prodded for the first 300 yds or so, I managed to get into a bit of a rhythm where I felt pretty good. I made it to the first turn (the course was a long rectangle, swam counter-clockwise) and was feeling alright. Around 500 meters in, the second wave began to catch up to me and hoped I wouldn't be beaten up by too many other racers. It was about this point that I started to feel a bit sore in my legs, which is odd since I usually don't kick all that much during a race except to try to stay as horizontal as possible. I didn't think much of it and just kept plugging along. Well, it seemed like forever that I was swimming when I finally came to the last buoy and made the turn for the home stretch. It was here that I was sucker punched in the right shoulder and took on a bit of water. I spit it out and just tried to make to dry land. I made my way up the ramp to the timing mat I hit the split button on my watch and it read 38:14. What the hell? I couldn't believe that I swam that slowly. After the race I talked with some of my rack mates and they all thought that the swim was long, possibly by as much as 250 meters. After looking at the fasted times from last year as compared to last year, I think they were right. 38:14 - OA - 245/345
T1
I hustled as best as I could and made it out of there relatively quickly. I would have like to have done it in around one minute, but it was tough running over the pavement. 1:25
Bike - 40K
My goal for the bike was to average around 20MPH and I thought that it was a very realistic goal based on how I have been riding lately. The climb out of transition to the main road is a pain in the ass. The fact that it was simply pouring at this point didn't make it any easier. My quads were sore, my left groin muscle that I hurt a couple months ago was screaming and I was just flat out beat from the swim. Once at the top it is a nice long gradual down hill where I was able to grab some time back and get my legs moving. The next hour plus of the ride was miserable. It rained the entire ride...actually it poured the entire ride. I was able to really fly on the flat and the down hills but I didn't having anything on the climbs. My quads were just shot. I definitely passed more than passed me, and I actually felt OK with my ride but know I could have ridden faster. 1:18:06 (18.9MPH) - OA - 131/345
T2
This is where I always lose time. I should be able to get out of here in less than one minute, but I just couldn't. I had to put on socks because of some blisters on my feet and I just seemed to be stumbling around. 1:19
Run - 10K
I think I was in transition when the rain finally stopped. Yippee! Anyway, I trotted out of transition and tried to get my legs moving, but it just wasn't happening. I was hoping to run the 10K in under 8:00/mile pace, really closer to 7:45. It just wasn't going to happen, my legs felt like they had sand bags handing off of them. No matter how hard I tried to pick up the pace my legs and lungs weren't going to allow it. It was at this point that I came to the realization that it just wasn't my day and that my goal was to just finish strong and to not get passed by too many people. I also figured that I would see if I could find anyone I might know. I saw my daughters friends mom (she did the Sprint), and we chatted for all of 20 seconds before she blew by me. I saw blogger from NJ Yasi running the other way...she had no clue who I was until the second time I saw her (I think).
The only real bright spot of my run was about 40 yards from the finish when I saw a fellow age grouper in front of me and I decided that I would pass him before the finish. With a last burst of speed, my hamstrings stretched to their limit, I flew past him. It was great to hear the crowd cheering us on as we both sprinted for the finish line. 50:55 (8:13/mile) - OA - 175/345
Post-Race Analysis
Swim (500m) – 38:14 - 245th Overall
T1 – 1:25
Bike (40K) – 1:18:06 (18.9 mph), 131st Overall
T2 – 1:30
Run (3.1 mi.) – 50:55 (8:13/mile), 175th Overall
Total Time: 2:49:57
Overall: 159 out of 345
Age Group (35–39): 19/29
Gender (Men): 128/226
I was pretty disappointed with my race. I don't know why I felt so off through out the race. It was like the wheels fell off in swim and from there I just couldn't get it back. I did read a blog entry from Chrissie Wellington yesterday in which she talks about a bad race she had back in May 2009 at the Columbia Triathlon. It went south for her in the swim and she just couldn't get it back. I guess where I am going with this is that even some of the best athletes in the world have off days. And despite the experience they are able to learn something from it; turning a negative into a positive. As Chrissie says, "The world won’t stop turning just because I have a bad race. If anything it will make me even more determined to improve. So I will learn, bank it, move on…with even more fire in my belly!"
Next race: Tentatively the Skylands Triathon, September 13th.
I awoke at 4:10AM on Sunday morning to the sound of my alarm clock. Then I heard the dreaded sound of rain drops hitting the windows of my bedroom. I figured that it was merely a passing rain shower and that by the time I got to the race site it would stop. I got dressed, ate some Pop-Tarts, drank some Gatorade and then headed out the door. As I drove the 15 miles or so up to Lake Nockamixon the rain continued to fall, sometime lightly, other times very heavily. I stayed positive, thinking to myself that it would surely stop soon.
I arrived in parking lot around 5:00AM, unloaded my gear and made my way to transition. By this point it was pouring out; I made a point of bringing my umbrella with me. To quickly sum up the next hour or so, I racked my bike, put my bad in a garbage bag and put my umbrella over my bike and bag. I then went back to my car to stay dry and warm until around 6:15AM. It was then time to face the fact that it wasn't going to stop raining.
Swim - 1,500M
The water temp was 78.4F, just a bit too warm for wetsuits. This made me very sad. I waded into the water, did a quick 200 yd warm up and then waited for the gun to sound. After getting pushed, poked and prodded for the first 300 yds or so, I managed to get into a bit of a rhythm where I felt pretty good. I made it to the first turn (the course was a long rectangle, swam counter-clockwise) and was feeling alright. Around 500 meters in, the second wave began to catch up to me and hoped I wouldn't be beaten up by too many other racers. It was about this point that I started to feel a bit sore in my legs, which is odd since I usually don't kick all that much during a race except to try to stay as horizontal as possible. I didn't think much of it and just kept plugging along. Well, it seemed like forever that I was swimming when I finally came to the last buoy and made the turn for the home stretch. It was here that I was sucker punched in the right shoulder and took on a bit of water. I spit it out and just tried to make to dry land. I made my way up the ramp to the timing mat I hit the split button on my watch and it read 38:14. What the hell? I couldn't believe that I swam that slowly. After the race I talked with some of my rack mates and they all thought that the swim was long, possibly by as much as 250 meters. After looking at the fasted times from last year as compared to last year, I think they were right. 38:14 - OA - 245/345
T1
I hustled as best as I could and made it out of there relatively quickly. I would have like to have done it in around one minute, but it was tough running over the pavement. 1:25
Bike - 40K
My goal for the bike was to average around 20MPH and I thought that it was a very realistic goal based on how I have been riding lately. The climb out of transition to the main road is a pain in the ass. The fact that it was simply pouring at this point didn't make it any easier. My quads were sore, my left groin muscle that I hurt a couple months ago was screaming and I was just flat out beat from the swim. Once at the top it is a nice long gradual down hill where I was able to grab some time back and get my legs moving. The next hour plus of the ride was miserable. It rained the entire ride...actually it poured the entire ride. I was able to really fly on the flat and the down hills but I didn't having anything on the climbs. My quads were just shot. I definitely passed more than passed me, and I actually felt OK with my ride but know I could have ridden faster. 1:18:06 (18.9MPH) - OA - 131/345
T2
This is where I always lose time. I should be able to get out of here in less than one minute, but I just couldn't. I had to put on socks because of some blisters on my feet and I just seemed to be stumbling around. 1:19
Run - 10K
I think I was in transition when the rain finally stopped. Yippee! Anyway, I trotted out of transition and tried to get my legs moving, but it just wasn't happening. I was hoping to run the 10K in under 8:00/mile pace, really closer to 7:45. It just wasn't going to happen, my legs felt like they had sand bags handing off of them. No matter how hard I tried to pick up the pace my legs and lungs weren't going to allow it. It was at this point that I came to the realization that it just wasn't my day and that my goal was to just finish strong and to not get passed by too many people. I also figured that I would see if I could find anyone I might know. I saw my daughters friends mom (she did the Sprint), and we chatted for all of 20 seconds before she blew by me. I saw blogger from NJ Yasi running the other way...she had no clue who I was until the second time I saw her (I think).
The only real bright spot of my run was about 40 yards from the finish when I saw a fellow age grouper in front of me and I decided that I would pass him before the finish. With a last burst of speed, my hamstrings stretched to their limit, I flew past him. It was great to hear the crowd cheering us on as we both sprinted for the finish line. 50:55 (8:13/mile) - OA - 175/345
Post-Race Analysis
Swim (500m) – 38:14 - 245th Overall
T1 – 1:25
Bike (40K) – 1:18:06 (18.9 mph), 131st Overall
T2 – 1:30
Run (3.1 mi.) – 50:55 (8:13/mile), 175th Overall
Total Time: 2:49:57
Overall: 159 out of 345
Age Group (35–39): 19/29
Gender (Men): 128/226
I was pretty disappointed with my race. I don't know why I felt so off through out the race. It was like the wheels fell off in swim and from there I just couldn't get it back. I did read a blog entry from Chrissie Wellington yesterday in which she talks about a bad race she had back in May 2009 at the Columbia Triathlon. It went south for her in the swim and she just couldn't get it back. I guess where I am going with this is that even some of the best athletes in the world have off days. And despite the experience they are able to learn something from it; turning a negative into a positive. As Chrissie says, "The world won’t stop turning just because I have a bad race. If anything it will make me even more determined to improve. So I will learn, bank it, move on…with even more fire in my belly!"
Next race: Tentatively the Skylands Triathon, September 13th.
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