My legs are toast after this weekend. 80 miles on the bike Saturday with either 8600 or 10300 feet of climbing. Up up up. The Auburn Tri course race director is nuts. Oh wait, he is a former pro triathlete. I don't even know how I'm supposed to race the course... it's more like it will be a test of staying upright and on my bike. Then a short just under 4 mile run in 90plus degree temperatures with little shade in my friend's neighborhood. I stopped halfway up the big hill and bent over and stuck my head in between my legs. I spent the entire time running up the hill looking for possible places to puke in the neatly manicured, really green grass. Sunday was a 14 mile run on the Auburn tri course with little shade and over 2000 ft of ascent. Finished the weekend up with a makeup swim in what felt like a bathtub.
This weekend of course was preceded with strength training and an "easy" bike ride on Friday. I think I've been in a constant state of soreness since Friday. BUT I have to say, I had a fantastic time the entire weekend. I really enjoy riding and running with the friends I have made here.
And lastly, congrats to Jocelyn who finally got her pro card!!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Wildflower Olympic 2009
Race season began yesterday with the Avia Wildflower Olympic Triathlon at Lake San Antonio in central California. Despite feeling that I was going to do poorly, I somehow pulled off 3rd place in the 20-24 age group with a 2:46:36.
Overall: 3rd place in age group (20-24) @ 2hr46min36sec
Swim: 18th in age group @ 27min50sec
T1: 5min1sec (SLOW!!)
Bike: 2nd in age group @ 1hr25min8sec (17.5 mph average)
T2: 1min27sec
Run: 1st in age group @ 45min56sec (7:24 min/mile)
I think that is a PR for me, which is surprising considering the hilly course. I felt strong through the entire race though. The training must be paying off! Especially for the run. I didn't know I could run that fast. Or that I'd ever swim a sub-30 minute 1500 meters.
Jocelyn and I went down to camp on Thursday and brought one of her teammates along. We set up camp on Thursday night, did a longer bike ride than expected on Friday, and met up with some people she had met. It also rained on Friday. Let's just say I am not a fan of camping and rain makes it worse. Saturday we did a run and tested out the water with the wetsuits. The water wasn't as cold as I would have expected. Then I got gelato twice while watching the long course race.
I went into the swim telling myself not to panic. I waded in slowly, avoiding the mass and started swimming. I spent most of the swim sighting and thinking about technique. That and reminding myself to kick so that my feet would not go numb. I ran into T1 to look for my sunglasses. I searched my sweatshirt, my towel, my bag before even trying to get my wetsuit off. Couldn't find the glasses so ate a gel and took off (5 minutes later). Since I had biked the course on Friday with Jocelyn, I was semi-familiar with what the hills were like, except the first hill. That was just long and annoying. But I mostly passed people on the way up and it continued like that. I think I wasn't passed by more than 5 or 6 people the entire time. Looking back I realized I probably could have pushed harder but I didn't want to blow up on the run. So into T2, another gel, and out. Put on my orange Avia visor from Jocelyn since I didn't know where my glasses were and took off. I did not get passed by anyone on the run. It was excellent. I didn't even feel like I was running that hard, and when I was coming down the last hill (the same hill I biked up and later down) I was like damn, I could keep running! Into the finish chute and I was finished with my first race of the season.
Overall I will say I had a very good race. I didn't expect much going in, especially since I figured there would be a very competitive field here. So I am especially pleased with the result. The hills weren't even that horrible compared to what I have done around here and in Sonoma County. And thanks to my coach for making me do speedwork on the run! Congrats to Jocelyn for a great race and to Soda for sticking it out.
And overall the weekend was a fun time. I still don't really like camping but it wasn't as awful as I expected it to be. The people I met were all nice and I even got a free pair of shoes for hanging out in the Avia tent. That and I found my sunglasses at the end, thank goodness.
I will say when I ever go back to Wildflower, I'm bringing an RV and doing long course.
Overall: 3rd place in age group (20-24) @ 2hr46min36sec
Swim: 18th in age group @ 27min50sec
T1: 5min1sec (SLOW!!)
Bike: 2nd in age group @ 1hr25min8sec (17.5 mph average)
T2: 1min27sec
Run: 1st in age group @ 45min56sec (7:24 min/mile)
I think that is a PR for me, which is surprising considering the hilly course. I felt strong through the entire race though. The training must be paying off! Especially for the run. I didn't know I could run that fast. Or that I'd ever swim a sub-30 minute 1500 meters.
Jocelyn and I went down to camp on Thursday and brought one of her teammates along. We set up camp on Thursday night, did a longer bike ride than expected on Friday, and met up with some people she had met. It also rained on Friday. Let's just say I am not a fan of camping and rain makes it worse. Saturday we did a run and tested out the water with the wetsuits. The water wasn't as cold as I would have expected. Then I got gelato twice while watching the long course race.
I went into the swim telling myself not to panic. I waded in slowly, avoiding the mass and started swimming. I spent most of the swim sighting and thinking about technique. That and reminding myself to kick so that my feet would not go numb. I ran into T1 to look for my sunglasses. I searched my sweatshirt, my towel, my bag before even trying to get my wetsuit off. Couldn't find the glasses so ate a gel and took off (5 minutes later). Since I had biked the course on Friday with Jocelyn, I was semi-familiar with what the hills were like, except the first hill. That was just long and annoying. But I mostly passed people on the way up and it continued like that. I think I wasn't passed by more than 5 or 6 people the entire time. Looking back I realized I probably could have pushed harder but I didn't want to blow up on the run. So into T2, another gel, and out. Put on my orange Avia visor from Jocelyn since I didn't know where my glasses were and took off. I did not get passed by anyone on the run. It was excellent. I didn't even feel like I was running that hard, and when I was coming down the last hill (the same hill I biked up and later down) I was like damn, I could keep running! Into the finish chute and I was finished with my first race of the season.
Overall I will say I had a very good race. I didn't expect much going in, especially since I figured there would be a very competitive field here. So I am especially pleased with the result. The hills weren't even that horrible compared to what I have done around here and in Sonoma County. And thanks to my coach for making me do speedwork on the run! Congrats to Jocelyn for a great race and to Soda for sticking it out.
And overall the weekend was a fun time. I still don't really like camping but it wasn't as awful as I expected it to be. The people I met were all nice and I even got a free pair of shoes for hanging out in the Avia tent. That and I found my sunglasses at the end, thank goodness.
I will say when I ever go back to Wildflower, I'm bringing an RV and doing long course.
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