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!

Post Triathlon (OCCC Sprint Tri) Thoughts…

Now that I’ve completed my second triathalon, the OCCC Super Sprint, I did better in some areas than my last tri, the Route 66 Sprint Tri, but in others I did worse. I know why though, which is good. I fell into the trap that I am sure that most newbie triathletes fall in; working too hard in one event to get your best time in it, and not thinking of the whole. Basically the sum of the whole did not come into my mind, I wanted to beat my PR in swimming (which I did) but was winded bad going into the bike, then had nothing left for the run!

Now that I have had a few days to sit and stew on it, and look at my times and compare them to my last tri, I need to work on…

Swim (500 meters), 13:25

I did much better in the swim this time, I am not sure if that is because it was pool, or not. I felt VERY confident in the water and my stroke felt awesome! Good and bad came of that, in the last 100 meters I went all out as fast as I could. I don’t think I was breathing enough and just exhausted myself.

• DO NOT go all out like that again, least not without more endurance training.
• Remember to start watch timer so if time keeping company has another computer problem you will at least know your time.
• Remember to take GU before race.

Transition #1, 2:31

Shaved :45 seconds off previous tri, tried a new technique, wear my bike shorts to swim in so I did not have to take time to put them on in the transition, it worked.

• Remember to wash feet off before putting socks and shoes on, more on this in run portion.
• Take less time putting on shirt; might look into buying a Tri-OKC top and pants that you wear for all events and this will help even more on time.

Bike (12 miles), 46:20 

Time wise this was about the same as the last tri (which was 1 mile longer). Although I was winded from swim I felt pretty good the first half, the second half is when I faltered (uphill mostly into the wind).

• Need a new bike, my mountain bike (Specialized Hardrock, with street tires, not mountain bike tires) is not going to cut it if I want to get more competitive in tri’s
• Get bike shoes, this will help to push harder.

Transition #2, 0:50

Took off :07 seconds from last tri!

• Not a ton to work on here, just do that again!

Run (5k), 40:29

Here is where I died. I had ABSOLUTELY nothing left in me. My feet hurt (because I did not rinse my feet from the little rocks/sand that was in the transition area and they were rubbing raw) and I got a stomach cramp and side stiches.

Running is typically my worst event, but this was the worst I’ve ever done. I pulled away from the running training because, stupidly, I thought, “I’ve done a half marathon, I’m covered” WRONG. Still need to work on that, and get better about “bricking” (running right after riding a bike).

• 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.

Overall

My time was better in this tri, but worked out to be about the same time as the first (since the bike was 1 mile shorter). I felt worse at the end of this race tho, I felt GREAT after the first one, this one I was tired and winded.

I did way better on somethings but ultimately worse on others, was that due to pushing too hard? was it just an off day? I don’t know, but I intend to work harder in training, work on the things above, and I could stand to lose a few pounds (which will help overall).

I don’t have another triathlon scheduled till August 2nd (I have a duathlon in July however, so that will help with running!)

Post Triathlon (Route 66 Tri) Thoughts…

I did my very first sprint triathlon this past weekend, the Route 66 Tri. I did great, I am very happy with my result for my first ever try. I gave myself the goal of less than 2 hours, and the ultimate goal of less than 1:45. I did it in 1:44:32, so I did what I wanted and more!

Now that I have had a few days to sit and stew on it, and look at my times, I need to work on…

Swim (500 meters), 16:57

• Being more confident in the water, this was my first ever open water swim. I did well, but need to calm down some. I got a charlie horse in my left calf halfway thru the swim, which caused me to turn to my back and back stroke for a while.
• I am also going to spend some time in the pool doing push and pull drills to help out, just to help my speed a little.

Transition #1, 3:15

• Have my stuff setup in a more organized fashion.
• Run in and run out, I hesitated a bit too much, mostly because I was not sure I was doing it all correctly, next time I’ll know.

Bike (20K), 49:04 

• Push harder, push thru the pain more.
• Need a new bike, my mountain bike (Specialized Hardrock, with street tires, not mountain bike tires) is not going to cut it if I want to get more competitive in tri’s
• Get bike shoes, this will help to push harder.

Transition #2, 0:57

• Not a ton to work on here, just do that again!

Run (5k), 34:17

• Most work needed here, which is kind of strange to me, being that I’ve run a half marathon. But, I petered out on the run, which explains my time.
• I paced myself in the run too much, and ended up walking a few times cause I was beat. In training I am going to do sprint drills and hills to get my run cardio up higher.

My next tri is scheduled for Jun3 13th, it’s a sprint as well, so I have two weeks to get some additional training to fine tune my output.

All-in-all tho, I am already addicted to tri’s … it was SOOOO much fun. I honestly enjoy it more than I do just running, or just biking… it must bode well with my A.D.D.

I still want to do a full marathon, but I think after that I am going to fully concentrate all my efforts on becoming a much better triathlete.