speedvegan

.25 mile swim – 16 mile bike – 3.1 mile run

Cool plaque !

Total Time: 1:30:03
Swim: 12:51
T1: 1:40
Bike: 47:11
T2: 1:02
Run: 27:21
Gender Place: 6 out of 63
Category Place: 2 out of 9

I debated up until the registration cut-off about whether to do this event’s Sprint or Olympic distance. In the end, I opted for the shorter distance for a few reasons: 1) although I’ve made significant improvement in my overall swimming technique, I still don’t feel confident in my ability to complete an Olympic distance open water swim and be happy with my results, 2) I’m still not feeling 100% better after my recent cold, and 3) it’s hotter than hell in FL right now and I didn’t want to suffer unnecessarily. What finally threw me over the fence was the last minute change of venues. As a result, the bike course for the sprint was extended and that being my favorite discipline, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity of getting to ride 16 miles after a measly quarter mile swim.

The Swim
Quarter mile, my ass. I’m willing to bet the swim course was at least 500 meters, perhaps more. I didn’t feel as good in the water as I did in the last Tri, but got into a rhythm towards the end which felt nice. We swam in the bay which was amazing. I loved it.

The Bike
After a somewhat quick transition and losing a bit of skin off my feet (the asphalt was very rough), I mounted my bike for what I thought was going to be a killer ride. Well, it didn’t totally suck, but it certainly didn’t meet my expectations. It was very windy this morning and the two-loop course included the biggest bridge in all of South Florida. The first time wasn’t so bad, but having to fight the nasty headwind on the way back made the second climb feel like Everest. I should have been able to go faster, but my legs and lungs just didn’t have it today.

The Run
This was the pivotal distapointment of my performance today. My runs have been atrocious lately and today’s race was no exception. I couldn’t control the wind conditions out on the bike course, but what happened during the run was complete and utter failure on my part. I know it’s partly because of my recent cold. I’m still feeling out of breath, especially during training. However, what bothers me the most is that I missed a third overall finish time by 33 seconds and I know exactly where I lost that time – the run. It’s a hard thing to get over, but I’m trying to focus on the my overall achievement today. Really.

In general, I really enjoyed this race and I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year. It’s very well organized and it’s for a good cause with all profits going to the Huntington’s Disease Society.

I was happy to have Geoff there as usual, cheering me on, taking photos and being generally supportive. He’s a truly wonderful partner and I’d be punishing myself right now if he wasn’t here to shine a light on my recent accomplishments.