The Best of the Best Triathlon was an invite only event in which you must have finished in the Top 10 at a Dallas Athletes Racing event during the 2011 or 2012 season to qualify. There were a total of 196 competitors (69 female/127 male) and the competition was rather stiff. With the forecasted high exceeding 100 degrees, the start of the race was moved up to 6:45 AM.
This was a 250 meter pool swim at the Denton Aquatic Center (indoor 25m pool). I estimated my swim time to be 3:30 so I was a little nervous when I saw my bib number was 22. The swim was rather uneventful as I did not pass anyone and only one person passed me (who happened to have the fastest swim of the day 3:17). I came out of the water in 4:00 flat (1:36/100m), my estimated time was assuming this to be a 50m pool in which you can take advantage of the draft. I had the 3rd fastest swim in my AG and 23rd Overall. I could have pushed it harder on the swim and flip-turns would have shaved a few more seconds as well.
Running out of the natatorium toward T1, I was pleasantly surprised to see/hear Kylie, Avery & Kirby cheering me on. I always manage to push myself harder when my family attends...something about accountability and the fear of letting them down.
That said, I was in and out of T1 in :56, much of this was attributable to the location of my bike rack being within 10 feet of the 'Bike Out' (benefit of low bib number). I did the flying mount again, but struggled to get my shoes on. I completely forgot to grab the heel tab and was trying to do it by only using my foot. This cost me some precious seconds as the folks I passed in T1 flew by me as I had to slow down to slide my feet in my shoes.
Once strapped in, I started hammering to make up for lost time. The bike course was one of the best I've ridden yet as it was a simple out and back on FM428 with some rolling hills and no turns other than the turnaround at Aubrey Middle School. The highway itself was rough (chip-seal), but the shoulder was butter smooth (asphalt) and one lane wide which gave plenty of room for racing. I was soon passed by the eventual Overall winner, Benjamin Drezek, who happened to be the 2010 NCAA National Sprint Triathlon Champion!
I wound up riding the majority of the bike leg with a group of five (5) other guys. It was rather nerve wracking and difficult to get in a rhythm as there was a ton of passing and jockeying for position. I knew we were walking the line with regard to "drafting" so I was not too shocked or disappointed when I saw I was assessed with a 2:00 penalty. What did surprise me was that only myself and one other guy in the group was penalized when all six (6) were guilty at one point or another.
DRAFTING
Drafting - Keep at least three (3) bike lengths of clear space between you and the cyclist in front. If you move into the zone, you must pass within 15 seconds.
Position - Keep to the right hand side of the lane of travel unless passing.
Blocking - Riding on the left side of the lane without passing anyone and interfering with other cyclists attempting to pass.
Overtaken - Once passed, you must immediately exit the draft zone from the rear, before attempting to pass again.
Based on the timing of when the referee pulled up next to us on the motorcycle, I assume he nailed me for either Blocking or not completing a pass within 15 seconds. Oh well, I'll chalk this up to experience.
Once the Aquatic Center was insight, I backed off a touch to take in some fluids, catch my breath and let my heartrate recover before the run. I still do not have a computer on my tri-bike so I was unaware of our speed out on the course. My goal time for the bike was 45:00 (21.5 MPH) so I knew we were flying as I hit my lap timer crossing into T2 at 41:56 which was right at 23 MPH...like I said, we were FLYING!!! I had the fastest bike split in my AG and 5th Overall. The only thing that kept me from having the fastest Overall bike split is about $4,000!!!
I benefited again from the bike rack location and was out of T2 in :41. My legs felt squeamish and I gave Kylie a "I'm not sure about this" look as I ran by them exiting T2. The run was a flat and fast 2-loop course which circled the Denton ISD football stadium and then finished in the stadium with the final sprint down the middle of the football field. I kept the lead pack in sight and managed to overcome one of them and did not get passed on the run which is a first! I had a good rhythm going and felt strong but had no clue what pace I was clipping along at hoping for low 7:00's. Nearing the end of the second lap, I glanced at my watch and noticed I had a chance to finish in less than 21:00 so I picked up the pace and then sprinted the length of the football field across the finish line (oh the glory days!) finishing the run in 20:25 (6:48 min/mile) which was only good enough for 7th in my AG and 34th Overall.
My goal time was 01:12:35 and I crushed it by over 4:00 finishing in 01:08:00 and I was only :25 seconds behind the winner of my AG and 5:10 behind the Overall winner. Even with the 2:00 penalty I still managed to come in 2nd in my AG, but it dropped me from 7th to 16th Overall. I'll take these results any day of the week!
Considering my first sprint triathlon was a little over two (2) years ago, Gatorbait Memorial Triathlon August 2010, where my splits were 1:44/100m swim; 17MPH bike; 10:07 min/mile run, I'd say I've come a long way.....and to think, I thought I was in shape back then!
Going forward, I have officially registered for my first half IRONMAN 70.3 in Austin on October 28th. My parents have already booked their tickets and we have reserved a condo downtown on 6th street for the weekend.
Kylie also registered US for the Dallas Marathon...yes, the full 26.2 miles....on December 9th. This is a goal of her's and I want to help her achieve it (I'm second guessing this decision)!
Up next is the Disco Triathlon X-50 (1-mile swim; 40-mile bike; 9-mile run) which will be my first true endurance test and my longest race to date. I only have three (3) weeks to train, one of which we are on vacation at the lake, so I will need to remain true to course and take advantage of the challenging terrain in Southwest Missouri.
Wish me luck!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
TexasMan Triathlon
The weather finally cooperated for my first Olympic distance triathlon of the season. Conditions were low 70's and partly cloudy with a 10 MPH wind at race time. This was a 1-mile (1,609 meters) open water swim in Lake Ray Roberts. This was a beach start which was a first and there were two (2) waves (39 and under; 40 and over). The wind played a factor on the swim out as it create 1-foot rollers which made it difficult to find your stroke rhythm. About half way out I popped my head up to take a breather and felt a panic attack coming on so I immediately rolled over to my back until my heart rate came back down. I met a guy after the race who actually stripped his wetsuit on the way out and handed it to one of the kayakers! Once you made the final turn and headed to shore, you could almost body surf on the rollers which helped make up a lot of time.
I finished the swim in 24 minutes even (1:36/100 meters) which was 4th in my AG and 44th overall (192 men). I felt good coming out of the water and took advantage of the wetsuit strippers. I then ran to T1, grabbed my bike and took off. This was the first time I preclipped my shoes and did a semi-flying mount which saved a ton of time. My time for T1 was 2:10 which was above average, the overall winner's T1 time was 2:08.
The bike leg was on chip-seal roads with some Texas hills. About the 6 mile mark, the Olympic distance separated from the Sprint and X-50 and turned right for a four (4) mile out and back. After I made the turn, I fully expected to see the leaders on the way back but no one was in sight. I finally came across the leader about a 1/2 mile from the turnaround. I couldn't help but count the number of riders in front of me and I was riding in 19th place at the time (39 and under). That was enough to fuel the fire as I began picking them off one at a time. I eventually climbed up to 15th until I was passed by the guys who finished 1st and 2nd overall.
I had the fastest bike split in my AG at 1:06:30 (21.7 MPG) and 18th overall. Unfortunately, that performance may have done me in on the run!
It got a little squirrelly at the dismount as I had slipped my feet out of my shoes and attempted a flying dismount which I bailed out on before it turned ugly! Kylie was quick to point this out afterwards. I was in and out of T2 in :54 and could have been a little quicker as I took the time to stuff some GU Chomps in my top and take a Saltstick cap. I also chose to run sockless, which also hindered my run.
My legs felt good coming out of T2, but I knew it was going to be a long 6.2 miles. This was a two (2) loop run on concrete sidewalks throughout the parks and was mostly shaded which was appreciated.
I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to my splits or time elapsed until I hit the halfway point of the run when I realized that I had just eclipsed the 2:00 mark and could shatter my goal of 2:45. I tried to pick up the pace on the second loop, but my tank was running on empty and I had to stop and walk several times to let my heart rate recover. Once I knew I had achieved my goal, I then got more aggressive and wanted to finish in under 2:30. Once I heard the announcer, I dropped the hammer and flew across the line finishing in 2:26:54. This was a :28 minute improvement from last year!
The run continues to be my achilles heel as I finished it in 53:18 (8:36 min/mile). I somehow need to find a way to shave a minute off my pace to be more competitive.
I checked the unofficial results and to my surprise, I was 3rd in my AG! I was a little skeptical as I always seem to drop a few places once the official results are posted. The official results were posted to nolimitstiming.com (https://www.nolimitstiming.com/results/default.aspx?event=12423) and I did indeed finish 3rd in my AG, however, there were only 17 competitors in my AG. I also finished 36th overall out of 192 men.
All in all, I am totally pumped about my performance today, especially knowing I have plenty of room for improvement on the run. Kylie, Avery and Kirby were there to cheer me on as I came out of the water, dismounted the bike and as I crossed the finish line. Trying to contain Avery and Kirby is a chore in itself and I think Kylie may be more worn out than I am!
My next race is The Best of the Best sprint triathlon in Denton. This is an invite only event from Dallas Athletes Racing and competitors must have one (1) top 10 finish in a Dallas Athletes event within the last year. Needless to say, the competition will be stiff and I'll need to PR on the run to even compete.
I have a reminder on my calendar this Tuesday to register for the IRONMAN Austin 70.3 in October. I was a little skeptical during the run today as I couldn't fathom running another 7-miles. Now that things have sunk in, I guess I'll roll the dice and see what I'm worth!
Dallas Athletes Racing has an X-50 distance (1-mile swim; 40-mile bike; 9-mile run) on July 15th I may do to help me prepare.
Until next time.......
I finished the swim in 24 minutes even (1:36/100 meters) which was 4th in my AG and 44th overall (192 men). I felt good coming out of the water and took advantage of the wetsuit strippers. I then ran to T1, grabbed my bike and took off. This was the first time I preclipped my shoes and did a semi-flying mount which saved a ton of time. My time for T1 was 2:10 which was above average, the overall winner's T1 time was 2:08.
The bike leg was on chip-seal roads with some Texas hills. About the 6 mile mark, the Olympic distance separated from the Sprint and X-50 and turned right for a four (4) mile out and back. After I made the turn, I fully expected to see the leaders on the way back but no one was in sight. I finally came across the leader about a 1/2 mile from the turnaround. I couldn't help but count the number of riders in front of me and I was riding in 19th place at the time (39 and under). That was enough to fuel the fire as I began picking them off one at a time. I eventually climbed up to 15th until I was passed by the guys who finished 1st and 2nd overall.
I had the fastest bike split in my AG at 1:06:30 (21.7 MPG) and 18th overall. Unfortunately, that performance may have done me in on the run!
It got a little squirrelly at the dismount as I had slipped my feet out of my shoes and attempted a flying dismount which I bailed out on before it turned ugly! Kylie was quick to point this out afterwards. I was in and out of T2 in :54 and could have been a little quicker as I took the time to stuff some GU Chomps in my top and take a Saltstick cap. I also chose to run sockless, which also hindered my run.
My legs felt good coming out of T2, but I knew it was going to be a long 6.2 miles. This was a two (2) loop run on concrete sidewalks throughout the parks and was mostly shaded which was appreciated.
I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to my splits or time elapsed until I hit the halfway point of the run when I realized that I had just eclipsed the 2:00 mark and could shatter my goal of 2:45. I tried to pick up the pace on the second loop, but my tank was running on empty and I had to stop and walk several times to let my heart rate recover. Once I knew I had achieved my goal, I then got more aggressive and wanted to finish in under 2:30. Once I heard the announcer, I dropped the hammer and flew across the line finishing in 2:26:54. This was a :28 minute improvement from last year!
The run continues to be my achilles heel as I finished it in 53:18 (8:36 min/mile). I somehow need to find a way to shave a minute off my pace to be more competitive.
I checked the unofficial results and to my surprise, I was 3rd in my AG! I was a little skeptical as I always seem to drop a few places once the official results are posted. The official results were posted to nolimitstiming.com (https://www.nolimitstiming.com/results/default.aspx?event=12423) and I did indeed finish 3rd in my AG, however, there were only 17 competitors in my AG. I also finished 36th overall out of 192 men.
All in all, I am totally pumped about my performance today, especially knowing I have plenty of room for improvement on the run. Kylie, Avery and Kirby were there to cheer me on as I came out of the water, dismounted the bike and as I crossed the finish line. Trying to contain Avery and Kirby is a chore in itself and I think Kylie may be more worn out than I am!
My next race is The Best of the Best sprint triathlon in Denton. This is an invite only event from Dallas Athletes Racing and competitors must have one (1) top 10 finish in a Dallas Athletes event within the last year. Needless to say, the competition will be stiff and I'll need to PR on the run to even compete.
I have a reminder on my calendar this Tuesday to register for the IRONMAN Austin 70.3 in October. I was a little skeptical during the run today as I couldn't fathom running another 7-miles. Now that things have sunk in, I guess I'll roll the dice and see what I'm worth!
Dallas Athletes Racing has an X-50 distance (1-mile swim; 40-mile bike; 9-mile run) on July 15th I may do to help me prepare.
Until next time.......
Monday, April 16, 2012
King Tut Triathlon
Once again, inclement weather reared it's head so the sprint distance triathlon was shortend to the 'My First Tri' distance of a 300 meter swim, 6 mile bike and 2 mile run.
This was my first OWS in my new Aquaman Racer wetsuit so I was a little concerned about my history of panic attacks. To make matters worse, it was an in water start and all men ages 20 - 39 started at once. I started on the inside about three (3) rows deep which gave me plenty of room to flip over and backstroke if a panic attack set in. I started off extremely slow breathing every stroke, and much to my surprise....no panic attack! I think some of this can be attributed to how differently this wetsuit fits compared to the Orca Sonar worn last year (high and tight around the neck). My left goggle took in water the entire swim which was frustrating, but I continued to "take it easy" on the swim and came out of the water in 3:35 (first third).
There was a long uphill run to T1 and I was rather slow removing the wetsuit.
The bike course was rectangular with only a few Texas hills mixed in. The course was wet so only having to navigate a handful of turns was good. I was only passed by one (1) rider on the bike who just happened to be in my AG, although I kept him in range. I averaged 21.5 MPH on the bike which is a new PR and had the 18th fastest split out of 165 total men.
I managed to make it in and out of T2 in only :26 seconds which was an improvement. I lost my water bottle on the bike so I took a second to hydrate before heading out on the run.
The run course was an out-and-back on residential sidewalks. I new I was a little slow on the way out and hit the turn around at an 8:00 pace so I picked up the pace on the way back. I finished the run in 15:41 (7:50 pace) which was way slower than the 7:14 pace I ran the race prior.
In the end, I finished 5th out of 17 in my AG and 33rd out of 165 men overall (20%) so another good outing.
My next race will be the TexasMan Olympic Triathlon on May 20th so I need to start focusing a little more on my training, especially the 10k run.
This was my first OWS in my new Aquaman Racer wetsuit so I was a little concerned about my history of panic attacks. To make matters worse, it was an in water start and all men ages 20 - 39 started at once. I started on the inside about three (3) rows deep which gave me plenty of room to flip over and backstroke if a panic attack set in. I started off extremely slow breathing every stroke, and much to my surprise....no panic attack! I think some of this can be attributed to how differently this wetsuit fits compared to the Orca Sonar worn last year (high and tight around the neck). My left goggle took in water the entire swim which was frustrating, but I continued to "take it easy" on the swim and came out of the water in 3:35 (first third).
There was a long uphill run to T1 and I was rather slow removing the wetsuit.
The bike course was rectangular with only a few Texas hills mixed in. The course was wet so only having to navigate a handful of turns was good. I was only passed by one (1) rider on the bike who just happened to be in my AG, although I kept him in range. I averaged 21.5 MPH on the bike which is a new PR and had the 18th fastest split out of 165 total men.
I managed to make it in and out of T2 in only :26 seconds which was an improvement. I lost my water bottle on the bike so I took a second to hydrate before heading out on the run.
The run course was an out-and-back on residential sidewalks. I new I was a little slow on the way out and hit the turn around at an 8:00 pace so I picked up the pace on the way back. I finished the run in 15:41 (7:50 pace) which was way slower than the 7:14 pace I ran the race prior.
In the end, I finished 5th out of 17 in my AG and 33rd out of 165 men overall (20%) so another good outing.
My next race will be the TexasMan Olympic Triathlon on May 20th so I need to start focusing a little more on my training, especially the 10k run.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
St. Patrick's Day Sprint Triathlon
My first triathlon of the year was this past Sunday in rainy/wet 45 degree weather! The swim was indoors with an 82 degree water temp, I was conservative on the swim as I did not want to overly tax myself for the remainder of the race. I’m obviously leaner than I was a year ago because my tri top fit loose around the torso and acted as a parachute through the water. I managed to pass a couple people and only got passed by one (1) person who happened to be a female. At the end of last season I was swimming 300 meters in under 5:00 minutes so I could easily shave a minute off my time from yesterday.
My body nearly went into shock running out the door to T1! I had a thermal long sleeve jersey and wind vest with me to put on for the bike, but no one else was taking the time to do so, so I jumped on and froze for the first mile or so. The bike leg was cut short to one (1) loop (6.4 miles) due to the rainy conditions. I had the 20th fastest bike split overall at 20.3 MPH which was only 1 MPH slower than the guys that won the overall, not bad considering I’m still rolling the stock Shimano R-501’s while their wheelsets cost more than my entire bike! I probably could have averaged around 22 MPH in dry conditions, but I did not get passed on the bike so I knew I must have pushed it pretty hard. That was my first time riding in the rain which is quite nerve racking…I took some chances on a few corners!
I then managed to set a new PR on the 5k run finishing in 22:26 (7:14 min/mile) and feel as though I left something on the course.
To my surprise, I finished in 4th place in my Age Group (out of 38) and 39th overall out of 381 men. I was only 11 seconds behind 3rd place who happened to beat me by :42 seconds in transition alone. If only I'd have known I was that competitive, I may have hurried along a little quicker through transition.
Overall, I’m extremely pleased with my results for the inaugural race of the season and have identified several opportunities for improvement (ie. transitions).
My next race is in a month and is an open water swim requiring wetsuits….let the panic attacks begin!
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