Time for a long overdue blog update. I have been so busy with work and training the last few weeks that I have neglected blogging about my training and racing exploits. The last month has been a bit of a grind and I have been both mentally and physically tired. I have been in a strange cycle where I get exhausted just thinking about the days upcoming workout(s) but as soon as I get started my body has responded extremely well. I have had very few poor workouts over the last month and despite how tired I feel, I seem to be getting stronger with each passing day and week. This is the backdrop for my most recent race. I signed up for the Powersprint Tri the week of the race. This is a race that I have done several times over the last five years and I like to use it as a barometer since it is a course that I have done 1-2x per year since 2007. That being said, I have spent approximately zero point zero hours doing speed work to prepare me for sprint triathlons. With my "A" race being Ironman Louisville, my training is obviously targeted at the long stuff.
The race takes place at the Shady Grove YMCA. It is a 300 meter pool swim followed by a 20k bike and a 5K run. The swim is a time trial start beginning at 7:00 a.m. We are ranked by 300 time and there is a 15 second gap between each person. The bike course is fairly flat and fast. There is some minor elevation but nothing serious. The run is an out and back with a little bit of elevation. There is a decent size hill leading up to the turn around.
Pre-Race
I arrived at the race at about 5:45 for the 7:00 start. I was out of town the day before the race and unable to pick up my race packet. Therefore I had to do race morning packet pick up which precluded me from being able to warm up. After getting my packet, I got body marked, put my numbers on my helmet and bike, and got my transition area set up and headed over to the swim start. The morning felt brisk and I was concerned that I would be cold on the bike. As it turned out the weather would end up being perfect.
Swim- 3:46.30
My seed time had me starting as the 4th swimmer. I have been swimming more regularly this year with Peluso Open Water Masters Program. I am pleased with my swim and I have been able to swim comparable times with much less effort and impact on my bike and run. The swim felt comfortable and relaxed. I passed the third ranked swimmer within the first 75 meters and came close to catching the second swimmer. Mostly I had open water and was able to swim comfortably and without interruption. At the end of the swim there is a pretty long run around the building to the transition area.
T1-1:18
Typical Danny Transition (slow). I just don't spend much time concentrating on my transitions because it isn't that critical in long distance triathlon. The transition was fairly uneventful. Sunglasses, helmet, race number, bike shoes and I was off. I missed clipping in after the bike mount line and cost myself a few seconds trying to get clipped in. After my typical struggle to get moving I was off and hammering on the bike course.
I was racing on tired legs and knew the bike would hurt. My plan was just to be aggressive and hammer the course. I was able to pass the two people in front of me very quickly and by the end of the second mile I was out front. This was the first time that I have ever actually been leading the race and it was cool to have the pace car out in front of me for the whole bike course. I zoned out and hammered away. My goal was not to have any of the super fast riders catch up to me and I half expected for some of the big boys to catch me at some point on the bike course. However, with each turn I looked over my shoulder and saw that the coast was clear. I ended up getting into transition first and was the first one out on the run course. Overall, this was a very successful bike split. It was pretty painful but more than a minute faster than I have ever been on the bike for this course. I was pretty psyched to get into transition first and be the first one out on the run course.
My T2 was definitely slower than it could have been because I had to waste my time tying my shoes. Somehow I have managed to lose all of my speed laces and was stuck having to tie my shoes coming off the bike. I forgot how ridiculously hard it is to bend over and tie your shoes when your heart is beating out of your throat. My hands were shaking and I fumbled around trying to get my shoes tied. After what seemed like an eternity, I got them knotted put on my visor and sprinted out on the run.
Run- 19:16, 6:13/mile
The run is where I have made my biggest strides this year. Thanks to my coach Bob Flanigan at CVE, I have shown consistent improvement and my confidence in my run abilities has grown. Despite my improvements, there are a lot of really fast runners in our area and I knew I would have to run my butt off to hold off the bad asses. I immediately felt great out on the run and can tell that my bike volume has me well prepared to run off the bike. My running was smooth and powerful and I felt great. I ended up averaging 6:13/mile and ran my 5K PR (including open run races). I am really excited about this. I never imagined that I would be running my 5K PR in a triathlon with minimal speed work. It just goes to show that Coach Bob has my fitness at an unreal level. I am really excited about where I am this early in the season. I ended up crossing the finish line first but due to the staggered swim start I actually finished third overall. This is by far my best finish at this race and I was able to win the age group. My race was a huge success. I went in with extremely low expectations and came out with a PR that was nearly two minutes faster than my previous best on this course. I am very excited about my training and racing and can't wait for my next opportunity to race. Year of the Dragon Baby!!!!
