Happy Anniversary to me. (Tri Anniversary that is) A Report

It's that time again. Another year since I first got my feet wet (literally) in the wonderful life of being a mediocre triathlete. Five years since I took the first steps toward changing things. Whereas most triathletes come from some form of active background, I came straight from the school of binge drinking and playing video games. (actually MMORPGs... an endurance event themselves)

Yep... celebrating my athletic background... circa 2008, 220ish lbs.

And so here we are, 5 years later. Racing the West Side YMCA super sprint for the 5th time. I'm not normally a sentimental guy, but I admit that this race holds a special place in my heart. Despite it being a non-USAT super sprint, I always want to do well here. (Which is kind of silly even to type... I always want to do well everywhere I race...) After my so-so percentage of starts to finishes this year, just crossing the line was goal #1. Anyways, on to the enchanting race report.

Pre-Race:

I actually slept the night before! I'm not sure why that has become a big deal for me the last year, but for some reason I have been having trouble getting a good nights sleep pre-race since the beginning of the season. Not this time... I slept like a baby.

The morning of I had my final check over the bike, watched some stage reviews of the tour and had breakfast. For those who care about nutrition (~5:15a.m.)

- 1cup Oats (1/4c milk)

- 2 Eggs (whole)

- 1 Corn Tortilla shell

- 2 Cups Coffee (milk/splenda)

- 32oz Water (spread out the morning)

Which is my go-to meal every day including races.

After loading the car and giving my helmet yet another "last look" it was off to the Y.

Arriving I realized I was a little late, as most of the "premium" spots in transition were taken. I grab a spot I deem acceptable and get checked in/marked. I saw my buddy Joe (who's been fighting injury and random mishaps all season) and we wished each other luck. It's been a pretty tough week of training so I have to say I wasn't feeling "race ready" by any means. The idea was to have a longer than normal warmup to try to get the body humming and so it was off on the bike to have a once-over on the course and then a long'ish (probably a little under 2 miles) run with a couple of strides thrown in. Checking the watch it was closing in on start time so I made my way to the pool and met up with the family and after getting a couple of laps in, got in line and waited for the start.

- 1 GU (hey, it was free in my packet) 15' before start.

Swimming: (200yards / 3:05)

Rocking the kit matching TYR goggles too. It's all about color coordination.

Not a whole lot to say here. I seeded myself basically perfectly, and had absolutely no contact on either side for the entire (well... It was only 200y) swim. I felt like I had it paced pretty well for my fitness level swimming at the time. It's a bit slower than last year (I had been swimming a lot due to leg injuries) but not a concerning amount. Before I knew it I was out of the water and running towards transition!

Transition 1: (1:08)

Much faster transition than last year, although I can't imagine how. I ran hard through the gravel pavement (sweeping would have been a swell idea) and nearly dropped my sunglasses fiddling around but still managed to make it out on the bike in a reasonable time considering the long run from the pool to the parking lot. Hopped on the bike and it was time to go!

Biking: (7.46mi / 18:07)

Coming out of t1 to start the ride

The secret is out... I've been really enjoying riding my Cannondale Caad8 with clip on bars in these short sprints. It is a little bit slower (from past results) than my tri bikes, but not much and I feel a lot better climbing (and navigating through slower riders on the second lap) on it... so I've been happy (well... accepting anyways) being a little slower and a lot more assured on the bike, especially since a lot of this year has been spent on my road bike. (compared to the last year or two that I spent almost exclusively on my tri bike) Second fastest split of the day is hard to complain about as well, I'll certainly take it and move on. The ride itself was pretty uneventful, which I'm afraid makes for tough writing but good feelings... I'm sick of having to write about something bad happening on the bike. Before long it was shoes unstrapped and heading down the long hill to transition. I spot two racers (one entering and one exiting transition) get into a little tumble so I have to swerve far out to miss them. As entering t2 is uphill, I actually had to stop and hop off as opposed to swinging my leg over. Looks silly, but not as silly as me ending up face first in the pavement.

Transition 2: (:29)

T2 was just how you want it to be... fast. I'm not sure there's much more I could do to speed it up other than run faster with the bike. Always room for improvement I suppose.

Running: (2.48mi / 13:54)

Starting the run out of t2. My form is obviously amazing...

First off, the run has to be vanity measured. The distance/time above puts me at running 5:20 min/miles, which just isn't reality, or anything near it. I'd guess the run closer to two miles tops. That said, I felt like I had a fairly good run... I was passed early on by somebody (never found out who or where/how they got ahead of me) but never let them out of my sights. The only times I saw Alan or Joe is when we were approaching turnarounds. I knew both of them had a pretty sick lead on me even if I did start down from them in the TT swim. I was kind of unsure of everyone else, but figured it was best to not take any chances and try to get done ASAP. I hit the second turnaround and try to make a kick to pass the fellow I had been tailing, but he seemingly notices and has more in the tank/legs than I do. He pours on the heat and dusts me, and I'm left sprinting across the line alone. I take a minute or two to catch my breath, and then the waiting begins.

Total Time: (36:42)

Well, I was about 20 seconds faster than last year despite having a bit slower bike ride and swim (but a faster run and faster transitions) so at a short distance like this, I was very happy. I knew I was somewhere in the top 5 finishers, but due to the TT start I wasn't quite sure exactly where. I get a drink, change clothes and wait for the initial results to get posted. Checking... third place overall! I was a solid :40 behind Joe (who finished second) and nearly 4 minutes(!) behind Alan, who crushed the course record. He actually did run sub 5:30's for the duration... which is beastly. (Which is an understatement.)

This picture really shows that I'm not a tall fellow... and that I'm still a big nerd with my Transformers t shirt.

And so we congratulate each other, pick up our prizes and depart. I spent the rest of my day cleaning out the garage and then having dinner and a few shots of Sake to celebrate my anniversary and podium finish :) 

Some things never change :D

Well, a big thanks to everyone reading for...well... reading I guess. I really appreciate you taking the time to check out my random blathering.

 

This weekend it's a 1mi open water swim race (hoping to be a little under 30 minutes if I don't get lost) and continued increased bike mileage as I ramp up for the Oak Ridge Velo Omnium at the end of the month.

 

Until next time, adios.

 

- Christopher Morelock