Post Triathlon (Hillapalooza Sprint Tri) Thoughts…

My fourth triathlon now under my belt. I’m getting better in some areas, but I notice this tri I went absent minded in other areas I thought I had under control, namely the transitions.

The Hillapalooza Triathlon was a tough one! As the name rightly implies, it was at a very hilly location Lake Arcadia in Edmond, Oklahoma. I know Oklahoma is not known for being very hilly … but this is one of the few places that is. Add on top of the hills 20-30mph wind, and you have yourself one hell-of-a tough event!

Swim (400 meters), 12:09

This was only my 2nd open water triathlon swim. It’s still very very tough. The water was slightly choppy and it was packed, even though I started towards the back of the heat.

  • WARM UP! I need to get in the water 15 mins before the start and get some laps in, get my heart rate up. I can kinda “jump” right into the other events, but for some reason, swimming the first 50-100 meters is tough on me and my lungs.
  • Straight lines please. I caught myself after turning on the second bouy of going too far to the right, so I had to double back over to the left. I am not sure exactly how much time this cost me, but I’d bet 1 or 2 mins.

Transition #1, 1:58

I got stuck with a crappy rack spot (they were preassigned). It was in the middle of everything and as far off the center lane as possible.

  • Shirt? Need to look into getting a tri outfit so I don’t feel like I have to put a shirt on over my swim gear. (I feel I have to do that due to all the excess skin on my midsection from years of being obese)
  • Shoes on bike? Need to practice already having my shoes clipped to my bike and putting them on while I’m on the bike.

Bike (12 miles), 43:21 

With my new bike things have been going really well on the bike. I’ve finally learned how to use the bike in a fast, yet, efficient manner.

  • Hills! Ok, The way this tri went it was a down and back, on the way to the halfway point was mostly uphill and into the 20mph, gusts up to 30mph, wind. Since there are not any places close to me with these kind of hills I have very little/no sustained hill training. Need to work on this!
  • Passing. On the way back after turn around it was mostly downhill and the wind was not at my back. I am a bigger target (broad) so the wind LOVES me when it’s at my back. I was passing guys on tri bikes and hit 40.3 mph at top speed. I did have an issue with passing a few times, I went to go pass a lady who was passing another person and got locked up, had to slow down. It was not that major, but things that that happened a few times, and those seconds add up fast.
  • CARS! Arrrrrrgggg! So a truck got stuck in front of me. He’s riding right in the middle of the road with bikers passing him on the left and on the right. Well, when I wanted to go around him someone was stuck not passing him on the right (with another person behind them) and I could not go around his left due to the people still headed to the turn around. So again, had to slow and wait till I could pass. Another time I was burning thru time that I should not have had.
  • Speed! I was loving going fast. I was pretty damn good at it. My bigger stronger legs, although bad at hills are perfect for sprinting and going fast. I can duck down to fight the wind pretty well (though, I do need aerobars now). Just have to work on the uphills.

Transition #2, 1:28

  • Ooops! Since I had a shit position for my rack spot I missed my spot on the way back in! I went into the wrong lane, all the way to where I thought my bike was, nope, had to run back out and to my lane. This again, cost precious seconds.
  • Just like learning to put my shoes on on the bike, I also need to learn to take them off on the bike right before transition.
  • Stretching. I need to start doing some stretches in the last couple hundred meters before getting off the bike.

Run (2 miles), 24:07

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I SUCK AT RUNNING! Which means, I need to train at running more than I do.

  • Focus on run training and bricking.
  • Work on endurance, specifically work on running after another workout to run while tired. I think my form is breaking down when I get tired which is making it even harder to run.
  • Stop hating the run. I think the mental aspect of hating running is affecting my run as well.
  • Relaxing. I need to relax more on the run, I feel myself all tense which is burning energy that I don’t need to burn.

Overall, 1:23:04

As you would think I have gotten better in Tri’s, since this is my 4th sprint. I just have to work on keeping my head in the game. I still love doing a tri as much as when I did the first one. Just need to start putting all the little peices together for it now.

Training is going to get tougher so I can start to excel more than I have been.

My next tri will be my first Olympic Tri, the Redman on Sept 20th. 1500 meter swim, 40k bike, 10k run. I know I can do all the parts alone, but together? I have 32 days from the date of this post to train my ass off!