Toyota Desert Triathlon (OLY Distance) April 20th

3rd AG/9 116th/430 OA

Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Total
19:32.5 1:58.4 1:04:02.6 2:06.4 47:26.5 2:15:06.6

My times for this race last year were:
Swim Bike Run Total
0:19:32 1:14:59 0:49:05 2:23:36

Last year’s race was my new personal best but I knew there was room for a lot of improvement. Coming into this weekend I had been battling a cold/flu for a week and wasn’t feeling the most confident but wanting to do my best. My girlfriend also was doing her first race in the sprint distance and did great; winning her age group (I am very proud of her).

I started off by getting a good parking spot, ha, and getting my girlfriend set and taking some photos of her start, which was an hour prior to the start of my race. I took some photos of her coming out of the water and cheered her on back to transition. I then went on a quick 5 minute jog and set up my transition. I felt more relaxed and was trying to not put so much pressure on myself. I got my wetsuit and went down to the grass by the start and relaxed there and stretched for about 15-20 minutes, getting in the water and swimming and floating about 10 minutes prior to my start.

One thing I started off badly with was my selection of clear goggles (only goggles I have) for the race. It starts directly into the sun and the sunrise is right above the first buoy. The bright desert sun with clear goggles is not a good combo. But I tried to be positive and started the race well. I wanted to pace myself in the swim because last year I felt I went to hard and the first part of my bike leg suffered. The swim went well with a few crazy people zigzagging and causing a domino effect sort with their inability to sight the bouys and just stopping and going every 100 yards or so. I stayed relaxed and got out of the water and into transition, actually chatting with another racer about us having to call our numbers out as we ran over the timing mats (he couldn’t remember his number) as we ran into the racking area.

I got started on the bike and was feeling good, having a slight downhill the first half mile or so let me get settled and on a good pace, passing someone in my age group already I was feeling great, and completed the first loop of the two loop course in around 32 minutes I was averaging 23 mph on my garmin. My first race on my Cervelo P2C, with new aero helmet was turning out great, and my hed aerobars were amazing on their first run too. I was in the aerobars 95% of the time which is also a first and felt really comfortable. Also, just got a new one piece Louis Garneau suit which all felt great, the pad seam did bother me a bit and I found myself adjusting it a few time on the bike . I was having fun and really finding a good pace. Best bike split and funnest of any road triathlon I have done. I had also slowly drunk about 16 oz of efuel on the bike which definitely felt like it was helping. I took little sips every couple miles or so and that worked well I think. It was a very flat course and was perfect confidence booster for my HIM later this season, as I have always felt I have never performed to what I am capable of considering the training, etc. that I have done. I have done some centuries and a lot more riding this off season and I think it finally payed off as you can see from my bike split. My average speed on the bike ended up being 22.7 mph. I finished on pace for a solid race and transition went a little slow as I wanted to put on socks because the race has a lot of dirt/sand sections.

The run started off well and I carried a gel in my hand and was planning on having that at about the 5k mark of the race. About .5 mile into the race I was holding a 7:15/mi pace and I started to get a cramp in the top of my abs and tried to stretch it out a little, stopping for about 5-10 seconds, not doing anything I just started running again and trying to tough it out. After about 1.5 miles it was going away and I ran the first 5k in about a 7:45/mi pace. It is another two loop course and going through the finish area out to my next lap I was scared to take in any more fluids on the run for fear of getting the cramping back. I sipped on some water and took a little of the gel. I really think that holding a gel the whole race or something in my hands helps me so I didn’t finish it all. The last 5k was a bit tougher and I was just trying to tough it out to the end. I didn’t have much of a final kick at the end but I felt really good finally running into the finish chute area. I ended up running the last 5k rather slowly at about a 8:30/mile pace and was happy with my new PR finish and my girlfriend there at the finish.

Everything worked great and the weather couldn’t have been better. I got a little sunburned but had an awesome time. We stayed for my girlfriend to get her award (a ceramic tile with the race logo and first place printed on it) and stand on the podium. Kind of a different trophy but cool, after that we left so we could beat traffic back to the coast. I didn’t know until this morning I got third in my AG and would have gotten a trophy but whatever, it’s all about the memories.

Hope this is an alright race report, I am not used to doing them but want to get in the habit of recording my races and such.