It was very much different from previous years. Last year, Jackie and I volunteered, we were on the bike course, and the wind was so bad they cut the swim for the age groupers in half. I heard a lot of people quit before they started or quit during the swim.
The year before, 2008, the wind was bad and the water was rough. I had a terrible swim, one of my worst ever.
This year the air was still and the water was almost glass. Nearly perfect swim conditions. Nearly perfect triathlon conditions. The only complaint one could make was that the air was humid and too still for the humidity.
I had a slower than expected swim (fatigue?), but nothing I can really complain about.
I went through T1 without much issue.
I went out on the bike easier, partly planned, partly because getting out of T1 is all uphill and the rollers for awhile until you are out of town. It felt like a pretty good bike. My average speed was basically identical to two years ago. Two years ago the bike was 4 miles longer due to construction. I don't remember much specific from the bike, except passing a lot of traffic and feeling pretty good. It was not a flat course, nor was it incredibly hilly. There were some pretty good climbs. It was a good mix, I would prefer more flat, but it is what it is.
I got off the bike feeling some fatigue. I left transition slower than usual, basically because I had, what amounted to, a 1 mile uphill run out of transition. Then run was pretty hellish, it was humid, luckily cloudy, and the run is all hills, very little flat. I thought I would go faster, but after thinking about it, I am pretty happy with my time. There were points in the run I wanted to stop and walk, and I did not. I got through a mental hurdle during the race and I am really happy with that.
Of note, my former manager, now coworker, made this his very first triathlon. In the weeks leading up he asked me various questions (do you know where I can get a good used road bike?what should I wear? should I get slicks for my mountain bike? etc). He setup next to me and looked good, but nervous. He had a tough swim, due to lack of sufficient swim training beforehand, but made it through the bike and the run. Made it through well enough that he is going to be doing another tri in July in Chaska. Good to see, and assist, another person take a liking to triathlon.
I feel pretty good about this race. Swim was slower than I would have liked, but still good (10th in AG), bike was a pleasant surprise (9th in AG), run was good. Overall, happy.
In my last post I put my 2008 times. The bike in 2008 was 24 miles instead of 20 miles, and the swim was all heavy chop.
Swim (880 yards) - 15:04 (1:43/100yards)
T1 - 1:43
Bike (20 miles) - 54:20 (22.1 MPH)
T2 - 1:46
Run (4 miles) - 34:21 (8:36 min/mi)
Total Time - 1:47:10
Overall - 129/361
AG - 12/30 (Hooray, not 13th)
This weekend is MinneMan. In 2008 it was, and is, my only podium finish. I barely got 3rd. I already put some thought into the possibility of another podium finish. I need to put that thought I out of my mind and just think about racing my own race at this point. I need to go out there and leave it all, all, out there. It is a short, fast course, and if I race my best, it is possible. Again, more importantly, I need to think about the race, not the finish.
My times from 2008
Swim (587 yards) - 10:19 (1:58 /100 yards)
T1 - 2:27
Bike (13 miles) - 35:01 (22.3 MPH)
T2 - 1:16
Run (3 miles) - 22:32 (7:31 min/mi)
Total Time - 1:11:46
Overall - 35/350
AG - 3/30
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