Introduction
My second Olympic distance tri of the year (or thereabouts) and my first time at this particular race. I'd heard mixed reports going into the race, of it being a large competitive field but also a lot of first-timers and a crowded bike course. Since my last tri about a month ago I've reduced training volume to around 8 hours per week and competed in a couple of mountain bike races - both of which I had significantly improved results and times. I felt strong and well rested going into the race but a little voice in the back of my mind kept saying I'd lost race fitness. We would see ...
Pre-Race
Arrived nice and early for the race, probably a little too early as I had been warned of parking issues. Didn't turn out to be a problem at all. I like to be early anyway. Settles my nerves and lets me get my mind ready. Got my transition set up done, had a walk around the race ins and outs. Water looked calm and official temperature was 78F - perfect for a non-wetsuit swim. After cramping exiting the swim in my last race I decided to use Sportlegs to help fight any cramping, four capsules 1hr before race start. Also my customary Gu Energy gel (orange) 20 mins before wave start time.
Nutrition and Hydration
I used my normal nutrition strategy of water, a Gu Energy Gel (Orange) pre-swim and two on the bike and two Saltstick tabs on the bike. I also added four Sportlegs tabs an hour before the race to fight cramping. I used my awesome Speedfil hydration system which takes 40oz of water and drank most of it during the hour on the bike. On the run I sipped water and poured cups over my head to aid cooling and had one Gatorade at about half way. All seemed to work fine in the increased heat and I could skip the final aid station. Also, had to pee desperately when I finished so I was pretty well hydrated after all that.
Swim
I got into a decent position prior to the off, not the front line but somewhere I could settle into mid-pack. I'm settled to the fact I'm not going to break any swim speed records this year - I'm very one-paced - so for me it's a matter of trying to find a draft and swimming a tight course without any unnecessary yards. I managed that, hugging the wall around Lake Carolyn on the Y-shaped course. I lost my draft around one buoy so the last third I swam alone.
1500m swim time: 36:45
Nearly two minutes slower than my last 1500m but without a wetsuit this time. This is my first 1500m non-wetsuit swim so to get through it without problem or panics I was happy.
T1: 2:14
I still ride and run in socks so I sacrifice a little time in T1 to get them on, carefully so not to induce a calf cramp. All worked ok. I was a little confused at bike exit because the race organizers hadn't been clear on exactly where the bike mount-dismount line was. Looks like it got sprayed on the floor after race start because I couldn't find it before. I didn't want to get a DQ for mounting in the wrong place so I double checked I was OK as I got on the bike. Few seconds wasted but not a huge issue.
Mental note: if I'm not clear on the mount/dismount line ... ASK before the race.
Bike
So .. I felt good. No cramps. Fast concrete course. Not much wind. So today was the day to let my bike legs loose and see what we could do. It was a three-lap course so I planned to push my pace on the first two then make sure I backed off a little on the last lap so I could start the run well.
It all went well. I remember to sit up on the hills, easy gear and a 100+ cadence. Amazes me to see people struggling in aero up hill at 15mph as I zip past sat up. As soon as I reach the top, it's back into aero with fresh legs to power me along. Almost got caught out by an unmarked timing strip just before a corner on the first lap. Organizers could have put up more of a warning of this as it was hard to spot with the low morning sun and shadows.
Loop 1 (7.2 miles): 18:59 @ 22.6mph
Loop 2: 18:57 @ 22.7mph
Second time over the timing strip, bunny-hopped it. Lots of riders were being very slow in the many corners but the course was laid out great with wide space available in every corner on the course. So I would yell at slow riders ahead that I was coming in fast and they got out of the way while I powered through the corners pedaling hard. Also had the pleasure of whizzing past my family and supporters at full tilt (24mph) which was really exciting to show them my bike speed close up. As planned I back off on the last half of the final loop.
Loop 3: 19:13 @ 22.3mph
22 mile bike time: 0:59:17 (22.3mph)
T2: 1:38
No problems in transition. Small run to far end of transition to the run exit.
Run
I caught my Team Zoot team mate Kris just as we started the run. He'd started in the wave ahead of mine which was supposed to be a four minute gap (apparently it was more like 7) but he's a faster swimmer than me and pretty quick on the bike, so to catch him there I knew I was on for a good time so far. The run was four loops so I mentally said easy on the first loop, steady on the middle two and if there's any gas left, push it home for the last loop. There was a very slight breeze but all that meant was on the out leg of each lap it felt like there was no wind at all, uphill. It got hot fast.
Loop 1: 12:35
Loop 2: 13:02
Loop 3: 13:34
Loop 4: 12:44
From the last turn down to the finish I upped my pace steadily from 9:00 to 7:30 and crossed the line strong. Prior to that I'd be worried how the heat was affecting me. In reality there was plenty of juice left in my legs. I'm learning to trust my legs with every race
10K run time: 0:53:49
Although this wasn't a PR, considering how hard I went on the bike and that I had some juice left at the end I was really pleased with it.
Official Race Time: 2:33:18
Place: 7th of 18 in 45-49M age group.
Although this race is a little shorter than a full Olympic, taking that distance into account this was a PR at Olympic/International distance for me. This is clearly a fast course with a fast surface to ride on in particular. The course was excellently marked throughout with plenty of well-organized traffic control by the local PD. There were some issue with the online live race results but it was a creditable effort by RunFar to get results up as quickly as possible and I'm sure they'll iron out their issues. I think I'll seriously consider going back to this race next year.
