2008 Key Biscayne Sprint Triathlon Bonus Round
.25 mile (400m) swim – 10 mile (16km) bike – 3.1 mile (5km) run
Total Time: 1:12:10
Swim: 11:59
T1: 1:08
Bike: 30:26
T2: 1:19
Run: 27:18
Overall Place: 216
Gender Place: 46
Category Place: 13
Today’s race was uneventful compared to last week’s. The location was different, which was good since I wasn’t too crazy about last week’s course. I was really nervous last night and this morning because of some pain I’ve had around my right kidney since Wednesday. It seems to get worse with movement, specifically exercise. I was a bit concerned, but decided to do the race anyway because I had already signed up and I was prepared to ease back if the pain got out of control. Luckily, the pain was mostly bearable and I was able to get through the race without any major hiccups.
The Swim
The ocean was calm this morning. It must have been Geoffrey’s soothing energy. My wave didn’t start until 7:47 so we got to see all the other waves rocket past the buoys all the way to the end, some faster than others. I wasn’t so afraid of the water this time and felt a bit more confident but I still struggled to get my rhythm and breathing right. Hence, my head was above the water more than it needed to be which cost me a bunch of time. However, I did actually enjoy the swim today and I didn’t feel like it got the best of me despite the fact that my time was only seconds faster than last week’s.
Coming out of the water.
The Bike
By now you know this is my favorite part. I wanted to break 30 minutes, but I just couldn’t today. It was a good day to do so because we had some tailwind on the way out and part of the way back was sheltered enough to avoid some of the headwind, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t completely blow the run like last week. So I just focused on doing my normal speed and having fun. I was very strong climbing up the big bridge at the turn around point which made me very happy.
Finishing the bike leg.
The Run
I managed to get through the run without tossing my green smoothie. It was hard to find a comfortable pace where the pain was just bearable, but I did a good job overall. I had enough juice left for the last 200 yards when I threw caution to the wind and sprinted to the end. Shortly after that, the pain set in with full force and Geoffrey had to drive to breakfast while I rested on the passenger seat.
Sprinting to the finish line.
Clearly, I wasn’t trying to set any course records today but it was a good race. I don’t feel nearly as crappy about it as I did last week even though the numbers weren’t too far off.
It was nice to have Geoffrey back in town for this one. He always manages to calm me down and supports me no matter what, like a good partner.
“I managed to get through the run without tossing my green smoothie.”
Ahh, spoken like a true rawish vegan!!!
Congrats on a great race! I think ultimately the races aren’t about the numbers anyway, but how we feel about what we’re doing. Sounds like you had a strong day all around. And I really hope your kidney pain subsides soon–that sounds awfully unpleasant.
Nice!
Good job! It’s so weird seeing people in water with out wet suits.
Jen: Thanks ! I totally agree. I felt much better about this race. The swim pretty much determines my “race mood” and the ocean was absolutely wonderful to swim in yesterday, so I felt good throughout the race. My back feels much better today, by the way. I did a lot of resting over the weekend. Also, it was really nice to see your post in my reader this morning. I tried to leave a comment, but got an error. Anyway, thanks for posting the tofu recipe. It sounds wonderful and awesome job on the 55 mile bike ride !
Ian: I understand because most tri magazines have pictures of the swim start with people in wetsuits and it always seems bizarre to me.
I always wear a wetsuit. In fact, people not wearing wetsuits really stand out here. Of course the water temperature is like 60 – 75, depending which lake you swim in (the bigger/deeper the lake, the colder the water). The added buoyancy on a 1500 m swim is nice. The extra time to strip it in transition however, is not.
You looked great though – I love your red swimsuit. I have to focus on the things I understand because I could not even sprint to the mailbox. I applaud your determination.