The moment you realize the next step isn’t going to kill you, and the next step is the first step to evolving, to growing, and to becoming the best version of yourself, there is nothing that can stop you from reaching any goal you set for yourself.
I competed in my third triathlon yesterday, and my second half Ironman distance event at the 2018 Bayshore 70.4. This is a local community, grass roots event and serves as a nice warm-up before my attempt at finishing my first full Ironman in under 11hrs in May. This was also the perfect opportunity to try out all the lessons learned and all the training I have put in over the past 4 months. I’m a numbers guy, so ill let the table below tell the story on how much things have changed since running the same race last year.
More than my overall time, I felt the biggest difference between this year and last years race was how much fun I had. Everything fell into place just right, owing much to the changes I have made over the last few months (nutrition, bike fit, swim mechanics, etc.). I even enjoyed the constant rain throughout the race. Just like last year, I learned a lot of great new lessons this time around that I will look to implement in the 140.6mile event in May.
First off, thanks to my greater swimming confidence, I was not afraid to start at the front of the pack at the swim start (a running start into the water), and I subsequently peeled off with a faster front group, giving me more space faster to focus on proper technique versus the initial rush to get in front.
There is still plenty of room for improvement in my Transition game, as some folks nailed a sub 90second T1. Last year I wore a tri-suit underneath my wetsuit, this year I just wore my bike shorts and opted for a bike jersey for the bike and run portion, principally because of the large back pockets where I could store all my nutrition for the bike. This meant I had to put on an extra shirt with cold/shaking hands, some area for improvement there.
The bike portion was fast. For the majority of the 28mile first leg I rode in a group of 3 riders averaging about 21mph. I was surprised at first and afraid I was blowing out my legs, but thanks to my power meter I saw I was averaging about 185W, which was within my comfort zone. We took turns leading all the way until the turn-around and it was a fun experience. We started the second leg much the same, but after about 2 miles the average speed dropped to 18.5mph and I took the lead trying to increase the pace again. There was a headwind for most of the return leg, so I held it around 19.5-20mph and again floating around the 185W mark. I lost my companions and started tracking down some other folks in front of me. Since it is a social grass-roots event, the bike course was not closed and there were some tricky portions to navigate (including having stopped at a red-light for almost a minute).
I know I had biked smartly when I got off the bike at T2 and my legs felt good. T2 was fast, just popped on my pre-tied shoes, running belt, and hat. The hat came in handy as I could use it as a bucket to collect ice at the aid-station. Distributing the ice between my running clothes and skin helped keep my body temperature under control. Although I had forgotten my running bottles (for my fancy new running belt) at home, I had brought a few extra Gatorade bottles with Fluid Performance electrolyte mix (30oz of water, 400 calories, and 500mg sodium per bottle) and ended up hand-carrying one like I have done in training over the last 4 months.
Though the bike was fast and fun, the run ended up being my favorite discipline of the day. I was able to keep a solid pace throughout the race and ended up passing quiet a few folks that smoked me on the bike. In my opinion, the triathlon does not start until the run, where mental fitness as much as physical fitness plays a deciding role in your performance. I am targeting an 8min/mile; 3h30min marathon during my full IM in May, so with a little extra training, the performance yesterday gives me extra confidence in my ability to meet that goal.
Overall my nutrition was disciplined and on point. I ended up expending roughly 4000calories and took in 2800 calories throughout the race, in addition to 3000mg of sodium electrolytes and just under 4L of fluids. I did not experience any muscle cramping this year, so my electrolyte intake was good. I am now 2 months out from my Full, and will be getting back into training slowly tomorrow. Training numbers for this week (including the race) are below.
A fun photo exiting T1.
