So I was confident, yet nervous for my first race of the season -- Red Hills Triathlon. I was late getting back from the hospital Friday night, and slept pretty poorly. But, good news is that I woke up on my own accord at 4:25 Sat am. I always function better when I wake up on my own as opposed to waking up to an alarm clark.
Got up, showered, dressed, cofee, Gatoraid Pro series 1 (prime) bar and drink, and an bananna. Woke up the Sizzler, packed the truck and off we went. Arrived at the park about 5:20, and we had to hoof-it about half a mile or so from the parking lot to Transition.
I always love the Red Hills walk from the parking lot to transition. The anticipation of getting to transition, knowing the next time you are on this path it will be during the run. It 90% pitch dark, so you better bring a flashlight or something. Finally get to the transition area, but before I can drop my bike off, I gotta get a little temporary body tat.
Number 263. Write that down. The transition area is the parking lot right by the lake. No real light to speak of, so you have to keep using your flashlight to set up your transition area.
It is too dark to see the lake at first, but the kayaks are plenty visible.
As the sun starts to rise, you see a magnificent view of the lake. On the left is the swim entrance, and the right (the boat ramp) is the swim exit.
One of the great things about Red Hills is that it is in Tallahassee and you can catch up with a lot of friends.
Of course, then you have your game face on and get ready for bid-ness. But first... getting the wetsuit. Oh yeah, that Cat 5 is tight (as in physically tight and cool) - -and no, that is not my game face.
Then it is time to warm up and get ready for the gun. The swim started off very good. I didn't hang in the back of the pack like I traditionally do. I tried to swim strong from the get-go and focus on my technique. This year, I have been swimming longer distance workouts than before (1500 m compared to 3k m), and I could really tell the difference. I hit the first turn when the horn sounded for the wave behind me. Congested at the turn, almost kicked a guy who was riding my ass. Backstretch went pretty quickly, hit the turn and then started the long leg home. The last 200 or so yards sucked (form went out the window), I was getting petty overheated and breathing hard. But I swam 2:30 faster than last year, so I was very happy with my swim.
Transition was transition. Try to be quick, don't give away any free time. Take off the wetsuit quickly and aggressively, fast helment, shades, and go!
I was happy with my bike leg. There were a couple of times my legs felt dead (could tell I was still not 100% from last weekend), but I spun up the hills and hammered on the flats and down hill. My goal was to keep my hr between 170 and 175, and... mission accomplished. I also cut 3 or so minutes off the bike. One thing I was happy about, was that this was the first year at Red Hills that I didn't get chicked on the bike. In all honesty only 5-6 guys passed me. So that made me happy.
Coming back into T2, I tried to get my HR a touch low so I wouldn't pop right out of the gate on the run. However, the entry to T2 is downhill, so I was hauling ass when I did my flying dismount. I was 50/50 on landing it, and pulled it off spectacularly. Even Roger with Higher Ground pointed out that I did a great job (and he didn't know how I didn't bust my ass at that speed). Quick feet.
And the run? Well, I was absolutely thrilled. I started out with a my hr at 177, so I knew I didn't have much room (I go anerobic at 185). So when I left T2 and started up the hill I just hauled ass down... both of my calves started cramping. That was when I realized it was warm, humid, and I had forgotten to take my Salt Stick pills before the race. I was getting a little worried, so I decided to pace myself the first mile and let the run come to me. Smart move. The first mile clicked in, and I ended up clocking it at 8:00 flat. Didn't even get passed by Tony, Sean and Jeff until right before the 1st mile marker (yes they started in later waives, but traditionally pass me sooner). Re hitting the first mile in 8 flat, I was suprised, happy, and a little worried that I went out too hard. However, my hr was still 177, so I was below my threshold and knew that I could run at this hr for more than a 5k. I am finally learning to trust my heart rate and have faith that I can run in certain zones for a certain length of time (with fluids and nutrition if necessary) -- man that is a good feeling and a great confidence booster.
So I kept at it. During the run I started getting passed by 8 or so guys -- a couple in my age group -- but I held off chasing after them to avoid blowing up. They were just in better shape than me, and I needed to run my race -- not theirs.. The second mile was on a trail, which I expected to be slower, but I clocked it at 7:58. Holy shit! I negative split the second mile, and my hr was still at 177.
The start of the third mile was still a trail and a little uphill, so I honestly struggled and laid-off the pace a bit. Got some gatoraid and water and picked the pace back up. I focused on my improved (well, improving) running pace, quick steps and run using my glutes/hammies. The third mile just melted away, and the next thing I knew I was on the last short hill before the turn back down to the transition/finish area. I pushed it up the hill some, hit the mile three marker, and bam -- 7:53! So I negative split all three miles. I have never done that in a triathlon before. I was so jacked up that I hammered down the last .1, sprinting to the finish line. Good thing I did b/c otherwise the guy behind me may have caught me (and for the record, take three minutes off that time b/c I was in the second wave). And... I still didn't get chicked.
Give me my medal!
So I checked the leaderboard, and came in 6th in my age group, 44th overall. As happy as I am with my race, I know I have a long way to go. Two things to focus on -- cut sweets, and portion control. And high intensity bike training. And start running more. And swim harder in practice.
This is my third triathlon season, and Red Hills kicks off each season. .33 mile swim, 16 miles of biking hills, and 5k run. My times the past three years are:
09 Swim 11:26, T1 1:46, Bike 52:34, T2 1:17, Run 30:07, Total 1:37:04, 202 lbs, 112 out of 286 overall, 4th out of 10 in my cyldesdale division.
10 Swim 11:30, T1, 1:36, Bike 48:11, T2 :51, Run 25:42, Total 1:27:47 193 lbs. 72 out of 276 overall, 6 out of 21 in my age group (35-39).
11 Swim 9:00, T1 1:02, Bike 45:33, T2 :39, Run 24:21, Total 1:20:33 196 lbs. 44 out of 267 overall, 6 out of 20 in my age group (35-39).
Getting better. Next up, Beach Blast (maybe), and Gulf Coast 70.3 relay (bike). Then take it easy for a little while and start training for Augustat 70.3 and Ironman Florida. Will mix in some sprints and olys during the summer though.
In sum, I am thrilled today. This is the first race where I felt that I put all three legs together, had good transition times, and raced hard at a consistent heart rate. Know and trust thyself. Today it worked. Good start of the year, and motivation to keep training for the rest of the season.
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