Race Morning
Early roll call...oof. As you know most of my weekends are spent helping time/do set up for the many local races Race Day Events is involved with. We had to be on site early to complete course set up so I was up at 3:15. Having had an early wake up the previous day for another race and not getting to bed until past 11, I was a bit concerned about not having rested enough. To preface that, Saturday night before the race I had a slight panic attack. My tri shorts were no where to be found! I knew I had packed them, I specifically remembered putting them right next to my Wattie tri top. After a frantic phone to my roommate Sean, he said he would drive another pair of shorts my way. Talk about a good friend...thankfully, I found the shorts and he didn't have to make the drive. They were stuck to a blanket I used to protect my bike for the drive to Lake Mills.
Once on site, I helped my coworker Sam set the run course. Not that I don't mind the work/race/work that goes along with working and racing the same event, but this was a learning experience for me. Very stressful to say the least. Even though I was the first bike racked, I was one of the last people out of transition. I need to be more effective with my time for future events I'm working/racing. I got to the swim start with barely enough time to get wet before the gun.
Swim & T1 (5:58 & 1:08)
This was a rough swim. I don't think it was so much the chop alone, it was the combination that goes along with the thrashing in the elite wave. Everyone was gunning for the front, which made for another moment of panic. I took a swift kick to the face which completely knocked my goggles off (a first for me). That combined with having to swim tarzan style into some really choppy waves made for an unpleasant experience. I had gulped probably close to a pint of nasty lake water at this point. Yuck. I have worked a lot on my swim and its coming along, but I felt like a novice all over again. Once I got past the first buoy I was able to get into a good rhythm and settle down. Although this felt like an eternity I managed to swim 12 seconds faster than last yr...an improvement. I'll take that. T1 went flawlessly. I sprinted past a few guys on the way to my bike and my Blueseventy Helix popped off with ease. I think I had the 3rd fastest T1! This wetsuit is incredibly comfy and super easy to remove. So glad they are supporting the W this year!
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| Running to T1 |
Right off the bat I was feeling strong. I closed the gap to about 5 riders in front of me by mile 1. Normally, I would use my adrenaline to ride past them, which is a mistake. This always ends in me not being to sustain a strong effort throughout. Instead, I hung back once I caught the group and decided to make a move past the group after I was able to get warmed up. Once again, I got caught by Mike Wolfgram about half way through the ride. However, this time I told myself I was going to keep him in my sights. The wind was howling the entire ride and I started to really hurt after about 25 minutes, but I was able to keep him within eyesight. I ended up riding the same exact time as last year but in much harder conditions. Another improvement! I must say, the Adamo Racing II saddle has made for more comfortable training and racing. Definitely makes a noticeable difference. I clocked the 7th fastest ride of the day. I'm still training/racing without power but have decided I really need to start. If you or anyone you know is selling a used hub please let me know!
T2 was somewhat quick. My feet were so numb I had a hard time getting my Kswiss K-Ruuz on because I kept losing balance. Once I was able to focus, they slipped right on and I was off! Man these shoes are light, comfortable, and FAST! I really wanted a good run today, one I could be proud of...so I was bustin it.
Run (17:45)
Finally! I say that because I knew I had this in my legs. Last year I kept finding myself getting complacent with my run effort. I would end up having a decent run, but always ended feeling like I hadn't pushed enough. Today I completely surpassed the 18's and cracked it by 15 seconds (6th fastest run)! And the funny thing was I felt fairly comfortable doing it. My legs never really hurt and my breathing was controlled, so I know I can push more here. This might be a stretch but I'm publicly stating my goal is to break 17 min in a 5k by the end of the year, hopefully off the bike. Got to aim high...
Anyway, running up towards the front was a new experience for me and was really fun. Heading towards mile 1 I caught up with Mike W. and made a quick pass. I knew he was running strong as well because I could hear him for the rest of the run. Fellow Wattie Ink teammate Pat Brady caught me shortly after and eventually moved up to 2nd with a monster bike/run. Also, friend and winner Mark Hering came into view shortly after that. He had a crazy fast bike/run and also threw down a great swim. Look out for him! Unofficially, I ran my way into 4th but ended up 5th because the swim/T1 times were scrapped due to the swim conditions. After 4 waves everyone was sent out TT style onto the bike. A little unfair but what else were we to do? It is what it is. Fellow friend/athlete Bill Martin also had a great race but got even more screwed because he's a great swimmer. Still 3rd overall in my book. Congrats Bill and to everyone else who raced (too many to name). Many solid races on the day with lots of PR's.
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| Finish, feeling strong |
Just a couple more shout outs to Wattie Ink Elite Team sponsors:
Powerbar - great training/racing nutrition products! Had a double caffeinated latte gel beforehand with one of the new energy blends. Never had a drop in energy from start/finish.
Speedfil A2 - have not raced with this yet but looking forward to it. Awesome product. I can rehydrate climbing, descending, whenever I'm on the aero bars.
Fuelbelt Revenge - love this for my long runs. Fits just enough water/fuel for 2+ hours of running. And I forget its there, which is the most important thing for me.
Check out the side of my blog for the other great team sponsors! Next up is Pleasant Prairie oly. Finally going to meet some other Wattie's!
Great job again, Andrew! You were super impressive out there and have obviously been putting the work in over the winter. Any time you need a buddy and I have a chance of keeping up, let me know! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Summer...you as well! Missed out on the win by a sliver and had an awesome run. Yes we definitely need to get out and train, one of my goals this year is to stop being a hermit haha.
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