take 2.
This would be my 3rd Tri of the year, and 1st with DAR. As mentioned in previous posts, they do a really nice job with their events. I suspect that I will race in most of their upcoming Tri's this season.
With a bike rally yesterday, insomnia, and some ongoing stomach issues, I was unsure as to what I should expect today. I slept a little better last night, but, was up a 3 a.m. and never went back to sleep. I was planning on getting up at 4:15 and getting out the door by 4:45. Transition was open 5:30 - 6:30, and the race was scheduled to start at 6:45.
I arrived in Denton with no delays, got my gear ready and headed into transition to set up. I got a prime spot on the bike rack nearest the pathway that led to bike and run legs.
I ran into my new buddy Johnny, and, it just so happened that he and I were next to each other in the swim line. As a result, we were able to visit up until our turn to hit the water.
Swim: 200 yards. I was in the water and in good shape through the 1st 50 or so. We then got jammed behind a swimmer that was slower than the rest of us. That led to about 50 yards of breast stroke, as we were bunched up. We finally passed him and finished up. 4:20. 27 seconds better than last year. My work in the pool is paying off. I would have been faster had it not been for the traffic jam in the pool.
Bike: 16.1 miles. This was a familiar route, as it is similar to the Old College Tri, Monster Denton and Best of the Best route. As a matter of fact, it was much of the same route that I ran last week for the Wildfire Half. I got out fast on the bike, with splits north of 20 mph. It did take a couple of miles for me to get warmed up...for a moment I was questioning my decision to ride in the Goatneck yesterday. I passed lots of cyclists on the route, and was determined to mash the pedals hard in an effort to have a fast bike time. Things slowed after the turnaround, as we had some hills to deal with, but, all in all, I felt good. 52:56 on the bike, or, 18.2 mph. Much better than my 56:26, or 17.1 mph last year.
I thought I might feel the effects of the bike ride on the run, and, I was correct. It took some time for my legs to recover. However, I found a good rhythm soon and paced comfortably for the run. While it had begun to get hot out, I pushed through the 5k. I picked it up down the finishing chute for a strong finish. 28:48, or, 9:17 per mile. An improvement over my 30:09 (9:44 / mile) from last year.
I felt good about my day. I had the chance to visit with several of my Tri buddies post-race. I like that I'm building a network of racing friends.
2014: 1:36:11
2015: 1:30:42
moving in the right direction...
almost a 6% improvement yr over yr - Id say that's a win. Congrats - proud of you - big stud!
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