Mansfield Tiki Tri 2014

5.18.14

This was a new event for Trident. The event was held at Hawaiian Falls, with the swim taking place in the lazy river...with the current. 😊. The format was 289M swim, 11.5 mile bike and 3.1 mike run. 

We arrived to a cool morning, and, were quickly told that the water temp was in the 70's. The race director even mentioned that the swim would be wetsuit legal. After some pre race instructions, we filed into the park and lined up by swim time.  

Due to the themed nature of this event, there were 2 girls in Hawaiian garb sending each athlete into the water.  Nice touch. 

The water, although cold, was not too bad.  There were a few "open water" elements of this swim, such as running into the water, the lack of  a "straight" swim path, etc.  Although the swim was incredibly short, I did find myself pulling my head out of the water to get oriented from time to time.  Clearly, I have a lot to learn about OWS.  

I was in the water only 4 minutes, and then, off to the bike. The route was a two loop route.  The 1st half was relatively fast, but, the second half contained some hills and a strong headwind.  While I felt ok with my 17 mph pace, I am still much slower than other cyclists.  Quite simply, if I were 3-4 mph faster on the bike, I'd be competitive. 

The run was a quick out and back. No real issues there. 

Total time: 1:19:28. Not terrible, but, far from competitive.  

Run and Ride the Chisholm Trail Parkway 2014

5.10.14

The Chisholm Trail Parkway has been under construction for quite some time, and ultimately, will connect downtown ft worth to Johnson county.  As a signature event leading up to the opening of the tollway, a run and ride event was scheduled.  

5k and 13.1 runs were planned, as well as rides of 12, 33 and 48 miles. 

The plan, for many of us, was to run the 13.1, and follow that with the 48 mile ride.  The schedule allowed for this, as the 13.1 began at 7 and the rides began at 10:30. 

To the frustration of many, the bike rides and half marathon sold out early. It was never advertised that races would be capped.  Social media was full of complaints and frustrated racers who missed the opportunity to race desired distances.  I, too, was on that list.  By the time I registered, only the 5k was open.  

It had been 4 months since I had raced at that distance, so, figured I would attempt to run for speed and set a PR.  If I was going to be limited to a short race, I hoped to at least accomplish a new PR. 

The 5k was an out and back route, on the parkway.  I moved towards the front and took off quickly.  My 1st mile was 7:43, the fastest to date. The 1st half of the run was uphill into a headwind. Tough, but, manageable.   I slowed a little on the remainder of the run, and missed my target of 25 minutes, but, did, in fact, set a PR at 26.23. 

Several PR's set on this one, as evidenced by my Strava post:  http://www.strava.com/activities/139507793

It appears that I extended my run by almost .1 miles, which also increased my total time.  

While happy with my result, I left a bit unsatisfied, as a few of my colleagues were gearing up for the ride when I left.  

Shiner GASP 2014

5.3.14

After much discussion with Hider, we finally committed to this event. Due to lack of saddle time, we opted for the 1/2 GASP. 

The plan was to drive to north SA on Friday, as Hider  found a good hotel deal, drive to the starting line Saturday morning, catch the bus back post-event, head back to hotel Saturday night, and head home Sunday.  

This would be the Jeep's 1st road trip for me. I had a hitch receiver installed the day prior. 

All went to plan on Friday, although we left slightly later than expected.  We made decent time to SA, and identified a bar / restaurant to eat and watch the Mavs / Spurs game. We were able to connect with Greg, which was awesome.  

After a few beers and a Mavs win, we headed back to the hotel, as Saturday morning would come early.  

We departed the hotel about 6:30 for an 8:30 start.  The drive from SA was scheduled to be a little over an hour. Next year, it may make some sense to find a hotel in New Braunfels, as it is slightly closer. 

As was the case last year, packet pick up was slow. We got through it and began to get our gear ready. 

We got off to a quick start, and landed at the 14 mile mark rest stop in a hurry.  Considering the lack of saddle time, I felt great. 

As the day went on, we encountered a hilly, very windy course.  It was a tough day due to the wind. However, all things considered, I felt really good.  No cramping, no significant fatigue.  While 100 miles would have been too much, this distance was perfect.  

Only a few "complaints" on this one.  Traffic control was lacking at a few intersections, and, several stretches of the course were two lane highways with rough shoulders.  There were a few moments when the roads felt a little tight as trucks passed cyclists.  

But, the after party makes it all worth it. Cold shiner beer, food, and live music. 

We showered, loaded up our bikes, and caught the bus back to the starting line (4:30 bus). We stopped into Whizzerville Hall for some food and beer upon our return. 

56.7 miles in 3:42. http://www.strava.com/activities/136976780

I had forgotten how much I love riding the bike. I'm looking forward to increasing my saddle time this spring and summer.  

Great day!  Looking forward to 2015.