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July 7, 2006
Triathlon #2 Coming Right Up
My second triathlon of the season is coming up tomorrow!! It seems strange that it is. I was so focused and nervous for the first one, and then relieved that it went well, that I've forgotten that I have about 5 more planned over the next 10 weeks. What the heck?! :)
The tri I'm doing tomorrow is at a state park north of where we live. Because I've never done any of these races before, I don't know what to expect, but I'm guessing tomorrow's race is going to be relatively small. It's also short, the shortest one I'm going to be doing this summer (1/4 mile swim, 7 mile bike, 5K run). I'm still really excited for it and starting to get nervous! I usually don't like to race a lot (running races, tris or otherwise) because racing is stressful but I need all the experience and practice I can get when it comes to stuff like transitions, open water swimming, etc... So I say - the more tris this summer, the merrier! :)
I'm not sure what my goals are going to be for tomorrow. It's so hard to say with these sprint races because the distances aren't standard and I certainly don't know the competition well enough to aim for "winning my age group" or "placing in the top 5 overall", etc... Since it's a 5K like my last tri, I could aim for a faster run split (21:30) but I hear the course is hilly (bike and run) and so I'm not sure... I think I'm just going to have to see what the day provides and make pre-race or mid-race goals! :) One thing I am going to do is wear my wetsuit, which I didn't do in the last race. Coach J scolded me for not wearing it last time. I still maintain that the amount of time it will take me to get it off in transition is not worth the amount of time it will save me in the swim but he insists that if you are allowed, YOU ALWAYS WEAR YOUR WETSUIT! I know it's a good thing to get used to for when I start to race longer distances and will really benefit from the buoyancy they provide.
ANYWAY, today when I got home from work it was glorious outside! I got my gear on and went out for a ride on my tri bike. I haven't ridden from home for so long I nearly forgot how to navigate my favorite ride! (okay, not really, but it has been a while since I've ridden from home...) I rode at a moderate pace, spun up some hills and went a little harder up others. I rode 17.2 miles total and averaged 18.94 MPH. That in and of itself gives me confidence that all this riding with the cycling group and doing the crits is making me a stronger rider. I've never averaged a ride that fast on that route and today I was holding myself back some. Yeah for seeing a benefit from training hard! :)
And so now it's time for a shower and some stretching and then the arduous task of packing up the car for tomorrow. Packing the car for a tri is MUCH worse than for a running race. Running race items include (1) racing flats and (2) water bottle. Tri race items include (1) bike (duh!), (2) bike pump, (3) helmet, (4) cycling shoes, (5) water bottles for bike, (6) goggles, (7) wetsuit, (8) swim cap, (9) Body Glide (so your wetsuit doesn't attack you), (10) running shoes, (11) and the list goes on and on and on and on.... :)
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Posted by beth at July 7, 2006 6:29 PM
Comments
I HATE packing for tris! I think the more experience triers have checklists. Maybe I will make my own for the next race or next season.
Good luck tomorrow!
Posted by: Audrey at July 7, 2006 8:39 PM
go beth, go!!! :)
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at July 8, 2006 3:25 AM
Don't forget to pack your husband/tire pumper for the race!
Posted by: O at July 8, 2006 2:44 PM