Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Steelhead 70.3

Race 1 - Decatur Triathlon - 1st Place
Race 2 - Lifetime Fitness Triathlon - 10th Place
Race 3 - Evergreen Triathlon - 1st Place
Race 4 - New York City Triathlon - 6th Place
Race 5 - Steelhead 70.3 - 2nd Place

Saturday morning was another 3:00am CST morning. Head over to race sight, not a cloud in the sky & Lake Michigan was flat. As I walk jogged the 1.2 miles to the race start in loose sand I went over the plan in my head (as I would during warmup of any workout). Plan the work, work the plan. I would run up to the start chute as the National Anthym was finishing (the oh shit I am late feeling). I ended up having 3 minutes to spare. I nudged a good starting location...Then "GO". Go? No cannon, gun, air horn, whistle..but GO? I think that thought went through my head at the same time my body was hurling ankle, knee, waste deep in water. I was in the lead for the first 200m or so. RACE the swim. Then I started swimming for Wisconsin, I sighted a boat (swimming straight into the rising sun) instead of the bouy. There went Potts, Kenny, and Doe. I decided to chase Remaly for most of the swim. I think we both swam 1.3 miles looking for the next bouy in the sun. As I exited the water I heard Keith or Chris yell, "Your sixth." T1 was a long run...but I just relaxed a cruised through it.

I hopped on the bike, I cruised hard through T1, my HR was way high. It took me a mile or three to get strapped down and settled in...Then I started rolling. Fifth, Fourth, Third...At mile 22 I caught Doe and Potts. It took me 6 miles to shell them, doing some interval work...Then it was down to business. Roll those pedals over. The new shoes from The Bike Shop were stiff and somehow I set them perfect (my second ride on them). The straightline speed of the Orbea was to the point of rediculous into the wind putting nearly 4 minutes into Potts & Doe in the final 12 miles. Coming off the bike I did not know the size of my lead...I learned after the race it was 5.5 minutes.

I got out on the run and felt great through 5K. Just a little cramping. Then my body said...WHOA, the longest I have worked out in the last 4 months in 3 hours (and that was easy)...You are at that point. I would have to focus really hard to hold my form the final 10 miles. At 8.5 miles into the run, Potts joined me for 100m. A few words of encouragement, then he set sail for victory. It was when he passed me that I found out that as long as I did not catastrophically blow up I will finish second (I had 4 minutes on 3rd, Doe). I still ran paranoid. Finally I could see the start of the chute (which was 600m long). Then it started to set in, wow, great workout. I just wish Bob Duncan, Chris Marks, Charlie Kern, my family, my friends, anybody was there to see it.

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