Peach Pedal 2013

7.13.13

Just 6 days after the Mayor's Tri was the Peach Pedal.  This ride was held in Weatherford and had a max distance of 70 miles.  

Prior to this ride, I had been contemplating new wheels for the bike.  I pulled the trigger on a set of Bontrager X Lite wheels the day before the ride, and was eager to test them out. 

I arrived early, and quickly realized that it was going to be a hot day. 

I got off to a relatively fast start, and averaged about 19mph for the first 20 miles+. The new wheels were rolling great!  As expected, it began to get hot, and the course had some hills on the last half of the ride, which slowed my pace drastically.  However, no cramping and only slight leg fatigue. 

I stopped at the last rest stop to fill up my water bottles and was told that we were 9.2 miles from the finish. Not long after leaving the rest stop, I experienced a rear tire flat.  I pulled over in the shade and began to change tubes.  The RBM van pulled up and helped me complete the job.  Soon, I was on my way to the finish. 

Here's the stats:  71.3 miles in 4:23:21. 16.2 mph and 4782 calories burned. 

The Mayor's Tri 2013

7.7.13

As mentioned in a previous post, the 1st annual Mayor's Triathlon was held at my Y on July 7.  I committed to participating, and, as outlined in previous posts, have been training.  My weakest area, by far, was the swimming portion. However, with lots of encouragement, some practice, and a competitive spirit, I knew I was ready.  Because this event was at my Y, I worked closely with the race coordinator and the mayor's office leading up to the event. This included 2 television appearances, numerous meetings, etc. When race day came, I knew it would be a great event. 

Having never completed a sprint Tri before, I was unsure what to expect related to completion time, transitions, etc.  Initially, I estimated that I needed to finish in less than 2 hours. The week prior to the event, I whittled that down to 1:45.  Just a few days before the event, I set a target time of 1:30. Ambitious for a 1st timer.  

I was excited about this event for a number of reasons, including the anticipation of my 1st Tri, the fact that it was a highly visible event due to the Mayor's presence and the location, and that several of my friends and colleagues were also participating. 

I arrived early to make sure that the Y was ready to go, and set up my transition area.  After a quick TV interview, it was time to get ready for the swim.  

I had friends on either side of me in the swim line, which was fun.  As expected, the swim was tough. After my 1st 100m, I was winded.  The pool was really congested, and I found myself walking much of the "swim" as it was too crowded to swim.  Total swim time was 7:12, which was faster than I expected.  

Off to transition. One of my friends mentioned that I may be a bit disoriented in transition. She was right.  I ran right past my bike and had to double back. My 1st transition time was slow (>3 minutes), but, then, I was off to the bike. I expected the cycling to be the most comfortable portion for me, and, I was right.  While my bike kept me from being one of the faster cyclists, I made good time, and finished the 15 miles in 47 minutes. My 2nd transition was a bit faster, and, off to the run.  By this point, I was pretty wiped.  I hoped for 9 minute miles, but, my tired legs were not having it.  I did get a chance to run with a couple of friends briefly, which was nice.  

I pushed hard towards the finished and completed the course in 1:31. Not bad!  

Immediately, I began to think about ways that I could shave time for the next one.  If I can get down to about 1:20, I will be pleased.  A few things that must improve: my swim time (lots of practice needed), my run time,  my bike (will need a carbon Tri bike eventually). 

I'm looking at some fall events, and suspect that I will complete 1-2 more Tri's by the end of the calendar year.  

Streaked.

Runners World initiated a running streak, encouraging runners to run a minimum of 1 mile a day from Memorial Day to Independence Day. Now, for me, the idea of running for 39 straight days was far from appealing, but, I also like a good challenge.  I'm pleased to report that in 39 days, I ran each day, and, completed over 92 miles. All of this while training for my first sprint triathlon, so a healthy dose of swimming and cycling occurred over the 39 day span as well.  I must admit that this challenge was beneficial, as my average time per mile decreased drastically,  I completed the longest run that I can remember, and my running stamina improved.  The days of struggling through 5k's are over. I will seek out 10k distances, and will target a half marathon soon.  Thanks Runners World!