Year 2.
Lots to report on this one...
1st tri of the year...I hadn't been in the pool since November until a week ago. Although I'm swimming with a pool buoy, I've felt good in the water.
My cycling has been incredibly inconsistent, mostly due to the crazy rain we have experienced lately (more on that later). However, I've been able to get out a few times over the last few weeks. I put new tires on the bike Friday...I was eager to see how they rolled.
While I've been running a fair amount, no runs for speed and my pace has been slow compared to a year ago.
Last year, I raced heavy all year, as my beer consumption was high and my diet was poor. I've committed to racing in the 190's this year. As a result, Lindsi and I started a 30 day cleanse on Tuesday. No alcohol, lower caloric intake, etc. I was interested to see how I would feel racing, as I haven't taken in as much fuel this week as normal.
The "normal" route for this event changed due to the high water levels around the lake. Both the bike and swim courses were affected. The bike course was changed to a 2 mile loop that was to be completed 5 times. A timing mat was put in place to count laps. The bike course had 2 hairpin turnarounds, which brought cyclists to a stop at each end. It led for an interesting "interval" type bike course. Additionally, one spot on the course had water on almost all of the road, with two way traffic. That made for some interesting passing...and a few crashes.
So...to the race.
I was definitely too far back in the swim line...I'll need to adjust my times for upcoming races. I got off to a comfortable start, but, found myself jammed behind 3 swimmers at about the 75 meter mark. That led to breaststroke the rest of the way. Frustrating. 300 meters in 7:25.
Off to an uneventful transition and onto the bike. The new tires were rolling great. While the bike course was hairy at times for the aforementioned reasons, I felt good. My lack of bike time has me a little unsure of my bike handling skills...as a result, I unclipped each time I got to the sharpest hairpin turn. Strava showed 10.3 miles at 16.1 mph. The official results show me at 15.9 mph.
Another uneventful transition, and, off to the run. I got out quick start and ran my 1st mile in 8:58. I knew that pace would not last. 2nd lap: 10:18, 3rd lap: 10:15. Strava shows me at at a 9:48 overall pace for 3.2 miles, the results show me at 9:40.
Overall time: 1:20:48.
I went to check the results, and was surprised to see that I was listed as a Clydesdale. The weight threshold for Clydesdale increased to 220 a couple of years ago. I was 203 this morning. Clearly, I didn't register for Clydesdale. When I registered for the race, I noticed that it listed Clydesdale at 200. I let Tarp know, and he admitted that it was a mistake. He said that he would get it changed. As a matter of fact, all of his races are showing Clydesdale at 200 on the registration page which is not consistent with USAT rules. As a result of the Clydesdale field being small, I took 2nd. I let Tarp know that it was incorrect, and he said don't worry about it. I felt a bad taking the award, as it isn't legit, but, Tarp said go ahead. For what its worth, Bill took 1st in the division, and, he isn't 220 either.
It felt GREAT to race again today. So good, in fact, that, this afternoon, I changed my flight to DC on the 28th to a later time so I could race that morning. OWS no less.
The weather was perfect today...I hope this sticks for bit, to allow for increased training.
good day!
