Yesterday I did an OLY called the Houston Triathlon. I felt great throughout the whole race. Strong physically and confident that I was putting it all out there. My wave was last to start (of course), The start time was about 30 min late, and as a result, the finish was in 95 degrees. It was very windy, there were 4 180 degree turns on the bike, and TA was 1/4mi run barefoot from the lake. So there are my "excuses" right off the bat.
I did have a blast though. It was a fun race and I can tell you, that ONE upside of being in the last wave was that I passed at least 150 men. It was GREAT! And the whole time on the run I kept looking back to see when the fast runner girls would catch me like they always do, but I was literally only passed twice.
I also finished 3rd in my AG, which had me flying all day, till I saw the splits. What a letdown. I felt like the fast girls didn't show up to the race. (I know I need therapy)
So here are the splits:
Swim 32:32 8/29
T1:5:26 16/29
bike: 1:10:34 2/29
T2 1:31 7/29
run 55:20 (8:55 pace) 9/29
Total 2:45:25
I know I can swim and run faster than that, but I really felt like I was going as hard as I could for the distance. I was surprised and deflated by the times, cuz I felt like I was going faster.
All in all, it was a fun day and a GREAT race. I had so much fun, and, honestly, I am surprised at my disappointment, but I have really worked so hard on my run, I thought it would have been faster.
I too am suprised at your
I too am suprised at your disappointment. Let me give you a dose of reality from that course (it was great to see you by the way).
Swim: You may have been ok since you were in the last wave, but the tight two loop swim course was a massive pain in that you had to swim through other groups, twice. and get pulled out of the water while sinking into the mud, twice.
T-1: You already mentioned the 1/4 mile run to transition. kills the time, and elevates the HR before you start riding.
Bike: Yup, the 4 180s within four miles are a killer on the bike split. Plus the wind was getting pretty strong at the end. I swear I thought I was racing in Dubai on the backside when the sand and dirt was getting blown across the course at 20 mph.
Run: that course SUCKS for trying to run fast. There are more 90+ degree corners than I can count, hops up and down curbs, and (my personal favorite) running up three ramps in the HS football stadium, and then back down the other side.
It's a fun race, and well organized, but not exactly a course for speed. My bike split was close to 1mph slower than a normal OLY, and my run was probably 20-30 seconds per mile slower (don't know how much of that was course vs. conditions vs. performance, but my run split was slow as well).
Again, great job for a podium finish, and it was great to spend some time with you.
um you passed 150 men!!!
um you passed 150 men!!! Woohooo!! Sadly, the IAAF won't count your times now. Paula is starting a support group though...
I hear ya on times, but sometimes you gotta put it next to everyone else who raced in your conditions. It sounds like a crazy tough run. It's nice to see the times, but I have had personal bests and not been top three. It's about leaving it all out there on the course. If you raced well (sounds like it) and pushed to your max, it's a quality day no matter the paper results. Good job!
Passing 150+ men is all you
Passing 150+ men is all you needed to post for this race Sharon! Superb job!
Sometimes on the run, things just don't click like we want them to. Sometimes the weather (heat and wind) play a role, and somtimes the course sucks (like DK said). I would look more at rank in each event instead of pace/ time. You did pretty darn well!
What she didn't include in
What she didn't include in her report, which I'm happy to share with the group, is how she was frustrated that the results for her age group had not been posted so she headed out for another run to get her distance in, and then returned to check and see about her podium finish.
That point was neglected when asking if some therapy might be needed!
podiums are not easy to come
podiums are not easy to come by...congratulations!!
as for therapy, i suggest a post race rub down by the spouse of your choice ;)
thank you DK, for putting it
thank you DK, for putting it all in perspective :)
It was nice hanging out with you too...I love that race, but you're right, there are some obstacles to speed on the run....and the bike....and the swim (on my first loop, I actually took a few steps in the mud mid swim!)
thanks y'all for the words of support, I can't "complain" about this stuff to my non-triathlete friends who think I am a nut regardless, I am sure they wouldn't get it at all!
No therapy needed Sharon.
No therapy needed Sharon. This is all part of your journey to find out just how good you can be. By your results the answer is that you are excellent. Congratulations on your podium finish.
I think the real question we
I think the real question we need to ask here is how was your taper??? Maybe that's the issue!! Maybe you didn't follow your own taper advice or something...I am currently tapering for the same marathon as my partner, so needless to say I have reread all your posts on tapering. Sharon, you are my mentor!!
Way to go Sharon! Way to
Way to go Sharon! Way to bring the Trifuel team strong!
SueR wrote:I think the real
[quote=SueR]I think the real question we need to ask here is how was your taper??? Maybe that's the issue!! Maybe you didn't follow your own taper advice or something...I am currently tapering for the same marathon as my partner, so needless to say I have reread all your posts on tapering. Sharon, you are my mentor!![/quote]
ya, I'm definitely gonna have work more on the taper. I didn't taper much for this one because it's just a work up race for my 1/2 Iron in November....hmmmm- that's definitely a good theory. Maybe working on the swim, bike and run should just be a "side thing" for the next 5 weeks. I think I should focus on the taper, keeping flexibility, strength and stamina in mind. :)
Congrats on your race,
Congrats on your race, Sharon. And remember: every taper can't be a PR (although it pays to try)
SueR - tag-team tapering with a partner? That's pushing the paradigm. In a good way. Please file a RR after that event (or a TR after the tapering) so we can all learn from your example ;)
I love this site.
Congrats on the strong race
Congrats on the strong race and podium finish. Don't discount the effects of heat either! Most race times slow proportional to heat, even if you live and train in a hot place there's simply no way to run as fast in 95 degrees as there is in 67 degrees. It sounds like you put together a very solid race and should be set for your 1/2 IM. I am jealous as the race season is definitively OVER here (it's cold and raining here as I type).