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.......
