CLOCK TIME: 2:30:40 (2008: 2:33:57)
GARMIN TIME: 2:29:52
Overall: Between 3-4 minutes off last years time.
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SWIM: (1100 yd): 29:44 (2008: 28:53)
I went into this race thinking a 2:20 overall was completely possible (based on training and racing paces) and it would have been if my swim had not been so crappy. I don't know where my form was yesterday but it was not with me, at all. And I spent a lot of time trying desperately to get "away" from other women who were either on my feet (literally) or using me as a navigation beacon and practically swimming on top of me. It was truly my worst swim performance without a wet suit ever. My goal for the swim was under 25:00 so I'll try again next summer and "just keep swimming" and working on my form.
The best thing I ever did was NOT LOOK AT MY WATCH once I got out of the water because I know myself well and if I had, I would have lost all momentum & motivation right then and there.
T1: 4:00 seems to be my magic number for SPRINT and OLY distance- odd since there was no wet suit but I was in the back of transition so that might have been a longer T1 with a wetsuit to struggle with...
BIKE: (17.5m): 1:12:18 - 14.6 mph pace (2008: 1:14:49)
This is a hilly and challenging SPRINT course on the bike and follows most of the Columbia Triathlon (OLY course) with the exception of a "shortcut" UP Mt Albert Rd. Knowing the course and knowing that there were alot of nice easy descents where I could gain overall pace and place on the bike - I was confident that I could manage this course in 1:10 or less. And I would have - if I hadn't made a rookie move and dropped my chain (ARG!) on a relatively easy climb because I just wasn't paying attention to what gear I was in. That cost my 2 minutes. I spent most of the run hopscotching with another Athena - age 40 - who was a better climber than I was but not as good a confident in her descents. Every time she passed me on a climb she would say "We have to stop meeting like this!" LOL Since she wasn't really my competition, I just used her to keep me motivated and passed her in T2, giving her a pat on the back as I went by - saying "Good Work on the Bike!"
T2: 1:53 - better but I want to get this under 1:00 for SPRINT and OLY distance races
RUN: (3.4m) 41:47:58 (43.47)
Another hilly leg but not nearly as bad as Columbia Tri OLY race. Just once big climb as you head to the back of the park to go over twice which also means a two nice downhills to make up time. My goal on the run was just that - RUN with as few walk breaks (at water stops only) as possible. My mile splits tell the story best but I came away from this race knowing that I REALLY NEED TO WORK ON MY MENTAL GAME on the run because I consistently have a problem running when others around me start walking. My motivation this time was to repeat - "Remember why you are FIGHTING!" and "Ali, Ali, Ali" and remind myself that my friend Ali, who was at this race last year to cheer us on, had talked about racing this year after she recovered from her latest rounds of cancer surgery. I told myself "You better run because Ali would give ANYTHING to be out here racing today instead of currently taking 20 pills a day and struggling to get enough oxygen to breath."
Mile 1: 11:59 - included a moment to stop and fix my shoe
Mile 2: 12:50 - I was struggling with the "Gatoraid Wall" and walked the steepest part of the climb
Mile 3: 12:18 - Brief walk up the other side of the "Wall" and then ran the rest of the course
Mile 3.4: 5:30 (average pace of 11:03) - Just goes to show me that when I just RUN - I do just fine once I have a few miles under my belt...
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I STILL REALLY REALLY have to work HARDER on both the physical and mental parts of running off the bike since that is where I tend to get complacent during the race and keep up the work in the pool to improve my swim technique. The rest is just "time on the bike and time on the run" and really focusing on taking off the extra weight (although most of the "weight loss" will have to wait until post B2B.) While I still think that 2:20-2:25 should have happened - even with a lousy swim, I was on the RUN course at 1:48 so it was the *walking* that took away time - I am happy to have taken nearly 4 minutes off my 2008 time and THRILLED to see myself place in the top 13 and just 2 minutes off of 12th place. (14th place was 8 minutes behind).
It definite PROGRESS made this season!
Life is GOOD! LiveSTRONG!
1 comment:
Awesome job! I lose my swim form a lot when I get people all over me too. No worries - you finished, had fun, and even bettered your time! Go you!
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