05/23/10 - Memphis in May Olympic Race

Sunday was the main event for Memphis in May Triathlon and it was going to be a very hot and humid day. I woke early and got my bike ready and into transition from our campsite at 5:45 or so and there were already a few bikes on our rack as transition opened at 5:30. I dropped off my gear and headed back to camp for breakfast and coffee. It was really nice to watch everyone head into transition while sitting back relaxing before the race start at 7:00.

They made the announcement that the water temp was 77 degrees so wetsuits were legal for this race. I was still debating on wearing it though as the sun was out today and not overcast.
I went down to transition around 6:30, got everything setup, stretched, put on my wetsuit, and lined up as this race was a time trial start every three seconds. I was 497 out of 1200 or so. Everyone was cooking at the swim start I had my wetsuit on my legs only and my cap off until right before the start and was still hot.

When my number was up I was off into the water, the swim was uneventful, a little sun in the eyes after the first turn and a bunch of people to swim around throughout the course. I do wish I opted for no wetsuit though as I was hot in a full suit with the sun beating down. I exited the water at 15:56, which was 12 sec back from the fastest swim of the day by Bill Bishop whom I swam in high school against.
T2 was the same as the day before and I choose to put my bike shoes on in transition and run in them rather than on the bike. It worked out best with the slight uphill out of transition. The bike I felt fast but tried to keep the watts down slightly since I knew the run was going to hurt in this heat. It is a relatively flat course, with one water stop, which I dumped all through my tiny vents in my black helmet. This seemed to have helped as I felt better, I think I need to get a white helmet soon for these hot races. I did not get passed the entire bike, so I knew I was doing pretty good at this point. My computer said 23.54 miles in 55:44, 25.27 avg mph, and 296 avg watts, this was about where I wanted to be. I rode right by our campsite with my family cheering me on at the end of the bike. I knew the end of the course from the day before and was ready this time with my shoes off.

T2 was fast and I even remembered to tighten my shoes this time before heading off on the run. The sun was out now in full effect and there was minimal shade on the run course. The first 5k I felt pretty slow going uphills, but I was still passing people. Each water station I grabbed two cups one to take a sip from and the rest on the head. A few had ice which was great, I remember thinking about how much each one helped until you would heat up again. I was still not feeling fast through out the run, but the last 1.2K I tried to kick it up a little bit as I still had no idea where I stood in the race since it was a time trial start. I hurdled a dog in the way on the final stretch and finished, really not feeling that bad for doing two races back to back in the heat.  Ended up with a 39:19 10k at 6:20 per mile, not that great for me but it was slow for everyone due to the heat. The lake sure felt cool now when during the start of the race it was feeling hot.

After the race I again swam with my girls, watched the pros start, and got some good bar-b-q from the food tent.  Results were not posed for a few hours so I did not know where I placed until then. I was a little surprised that that the majority of security at this race including the guy checking wristbands at the food tent all had Beretta's strapped to their sides. I guess they had problems with people getting seconds last year. Maybe they were just off duty officers volunteering, the race was ran very well. Plenty of bathrooms, free camping, and someone at every turn on the bike. Though this was the last year at this venue, as they announced it would be in Tunica Mississippi next year. I am not too sure they will allow cheap athletes like me to camp at the casino.
We had to wait around until 2:00 in the afternoon for awards which gave us way more than enough time to take down camp, swim, and talk to folks about the race.

I received my trophy from who else but the king himself for first overall and $400 for first in the amateur challenge, apparently I beat all of the pro field at this race as well.
Now for the drive home about 4-5 hours for us, we had to stop for ice cream for the kiddos and myself of course.  Overall a great weekend with the family and at the races. 

Swim - 15:56 
T1 - 1:12
Bike - 55:00  25.6
T2 - 0:55
Run - 39:19  6:20
Total - 1:52:21

5/22/10 - Memphis in May sprint race

I just signed up for this race a few weeks ago and decided to do the sprint on sat and the Olympic race on Sunday. The whole family wanted to go so we packed up all the camping gear and headed for Memphis. They were forecasting a hot and humid weekend, so i was still not sure camping was the best thing to do. But I am racing cheap this year. We got to Memphis, picked up my race packets, and set up camp. There were a few other folks camping as well but not too many. We got to camp a few hundred feet from transition so that was really nice.
The sprint race had about 400 people in it and started at 8am, it was nice to be able to have some coffee and breakfast overlooking the transition. I signed up for an amateur challenge (thanks Thomas), which combined the times from the sprint and Olympic races and paid 15 deep men and women. But I soon found out I was not the only one.
I got my transition setup and really should of come down earlier, it was open racking and I did not get the best spot. The race ended up starting at about 8:15 since it was so humid and foggy. I was debating wearing my full wetsuit or not since the water was not cold 77, but in the end decided to wear it anyway.

I started close to the front as it was a time trial start by age group every 3 sec. The swim seemed short but it was a sprint so it was and I was not too hot. I got out at 4:42, a decent T1 and was on the bike. I had to run in my bike shoes through T1 since the bike out was uphill and decided to not clip my shoes on the bike. It was the better choice I think. The bike felt good I tried to keep my power around 320 watts the whole time, but still not going to hard still thinking about the race on Sunday which was more important than the sprint. It was hot and humid out but the sun was not beating down yet so it was bearable. The end of the bike came up really fast and I had to get my shoes off quickly. My bike of my computer was 30.07 for 12.9 miles, 25.6 avg mph and 317 avg watts. T2 was quick, but that was probably because I did not pull my shoe laces tight.

The run I really enjoyed it was all grass or single-track dirt path. I did stop to tighten my shoes down the first trail out of sight from the spectators. I think the run was slower on grass and dirt but nicer on the joints for sure. But you did have to lookout for the holes in the grass and dirt since it was not flat at all. Anyway the run was hot but I felt good, at the last mile I could see the leader of the race and knew I had to catch him even though it was a time trial start and it did not matter. So I pushed a little bit at the end and overtook him with a few hundred meters to go. I crossed the line first at 53:21, only beating 2nd place by 3 sec and third by 6 sec which I would not know for a little while longer. My run was 16:59 for a 5:40 pace.

After the race the sun came out and it started to get really hot, all I could think about was the Sunday race now. We swam with the kids for a little while after the race.
After awards since it was so hot we took the kids to see Shrek 3 in the AC then out to dinner before getting in the hot tent for the night.
So now I just had to keep my lead in the Olympic race Sunday to win the amateur challenge.

Swim - 4:42 

T1 - 1:10   

Bike - 29:40  24.3 

T2 - 0:52   

Run - 16:59  5:40  

Total - 53:21

 

TriZou Race report - Sprint 5/2/10

This is a little late as the race was over two weeks ago, but I just got started with my blog. 
The TriZou race is held at the University of Missouri in Columbia.  Since I was only a few hours away I decided to drive the morning of the race.  This made for an early race day, I left at about 3 AM Sunday morning 5/2 for my first race of the 2010 season.  This would be the first triathlon I have done in a pool, I have always tried to stay away from the pool triathlons as I like the open water swimming.  But this race was a very large pool race and a beautiful 50 meter indoor pool, it has been years since I have been in a 50m indoor pool.
I arrived at the race site a little after 5, checked in and got my bike racked.  The race was elite/pro and age groups, I found my bike next to none other than Pip Taylor.  She seemed very nice and since we both ride for Kestrel it seemed appropriate.  The transition was set all around an outdoor running track with our rack next to the bike exit opposite the run exit.  I walked around, found the pool, and made sure I knew where everything was situated in transition, and got ready to head to the pool for a warm up.
There were so many people I was still wondering how they were going to get all of them through the pool in an orderly fashion, the 400m was to be swam snake style going under the lane lines.  I got in and swam 300m or so warm up and admired the nice facility. As it turns out they were going to have the elite group swim the 400m in two per lane,  and start age group after.  Andy Starykowicz had number one as he won the 2009 race, I somehow received number 2 and was in the second lane with Joe Company from Columbia MO.  I spoke with Joe before and after the race, he was a really nice guy and kicked my butt too.
On to the race, the start was running a little late and started about 7:15 I think.  I thought I had the swim in the bag, but little did I know a guy a few lanes over Ben Kanute would pull away from me no problem.  I felt okay during the swim, maybe a little more effort then it should have been.  Andy was also right on my toes the whole swim.  I was out of the water 2nd to Ben, and headed to transition ran around the track to my bike.  Andy beat me out of the transition onto the bike.  On the bike it was a technical hilly 14 mile course of two loops and the roads were still wet from an overnight rain.  I felt okay on the bike again a little more effort then it should have been.  I think I was passed by two others on the bike. Heading back in to transition to start the run, got my bike racked and shoes on.  As I went through the run out is when the problem started, I asked where the run started and a volunteer said to follow the yellow rope so I did all the way up a hill into a construction area of a dorm.  This was completely wrong and I was supposed to run pretty much straight out of T2.  I turned back got to the run exit and asked again, finally found where I was supposed to go and started my run.  I only lost between 30-40 secs but in that time two more passed me, not good in a sprint.  I was not that mad though it was my own fault I should of known.  Anyway had an uneventful run keeping 5th place in sight the whole time and no one passing me.  Run felt good and I think I was on track with my speed about 5:35 miles, if you take out my dorm visit. Which is where I want to be coming off my 2nd metatarsal break last season.
Overall I was not too pleased with where I placed in this race as it paid out through 5th place and I ended up 6th, of course.  I had a rest week prior to this race, and painted my entire basement the day before the race, but really have no excuse other than I did not feel really in race shape yet.
After the race I took a run around the campus which was beautiful, with Joe Company who showed me around.  I do think this race was very well organized and had a ton of volunteers and would definitely do it again next year.   I stayed for a little while spoke with a few folks, grabbed a bunch of pizza, and then headed home early to pick up my girls from a friends house since my wife was out in San Diego for 5 days.

bib number:	2
overall place:	6 out of 666
division place:	6 out of 11
gender place:	6 out of 416
time:	1:01:20
pace:	0:
swim:	5:50
t1:	1:19
bike:	35:33:00
t2:	1:21
run:	17:17
penalty:	0:

First post

It is a rainy day and I am wasting time having an open house. Thought I would create one of these blogs for my racing. Rode the trainer this morning and skipped my usual Sunday 70 mile group ride. Going to do the long run tonight. Yesterday swam in the lake for the first time this year, felt great but it was raining then too. Wanted to have a big training weekend, before Memphis next weekend but the weather is not cooperating.