Today was my fifth triathlon of the year. This race took place in Oldham County, Kentucky. It was a short mini-sprint (400m Swim, 8 mi Bike, 3k Run), but it was fun. This race was special because last year it was the first triathlon I had ever participated in.
The swim was in a 25m pool, so each participant had to swim up and back in each of the eight lanes. The start was staggered, so someone started every 30 seconds. The swimmers were seeded based upon their estimated swim time. For some reason I put that it would take me around 10 minutes to complete the swim. This meant I had to stand around for an hour before starting. By the time I got in the water it was 8:20 am, the first people in the water had finished the race. I felt very good on the swim and finished in 8:36.
The bike course was very hilly which is pretty normal for this part of Kentucky. Even though it was only an eight mile bike, it was pretty tough. Especially since I was pushing myself because it was such a short race. A lot of people do this race that have never done a tri before, so you see all kinds of bikes (I rode my mountain bike last year). They also have a team event, so a lot of families participated which is pretty cool. I finished the bike ride in 27:53.
The swim was in a 25m pool, so each participant had to swim up and back in each of the eight lanes. The start was staggered, so someone started every 30 seconds. The swimmers were seeded based upon their estimated swim time. For some reason I put that it would take me around 10 minutes to complete the swim. This meant I had to stand around for an hour before starting. By the time I got in the water it was 8:20 am, the first people in the water had finished the race. I felt very good on the swim and finished in 8:36.
The bike course was very hilly which is pretty normal for this part of Kentucky. Even though it was only an eight mile bike, it was pretty tough. Especially since I was pushing myself because it was such a short race. A lot of people do this race that have never done a tri before, so you see all kinds of bikes (I rode my mountain bike last year). They also have a team event, so a lot of families participated which is pretty cool. I finished the bike ride in 27:53.
The run was on a short cross country course full of pot holes and plenty of other places to turn your ankles. Fortunately, they had the bad spots marked with spray point, so I managed the run unscathed. My heart rate monitor had slipped down around my stomach, so I don't know if I was getting an accurate reading or not. I was going pretty hard, but I don't think my heart rate was at 95% of max. The last 100 yards or so I went as hard as I could and finished the run in 17:02. As soon as I crossed the finished line, I ducked behind a tree and threw up. The picture below shows me right after that pleasant episode.
My total time for the day was 55:31. This is more than 10 minutes better than my time a year ago. It is amazing what can be accomplished and the improvements that can be made if you just stick to it and put forth the effort.
1 comment:
I am proud of my OLD big brother :) Thanks for the reminder that discipline and hard-work do pay off! I need some of your discipline with my schoolwork!
Anywho....way to go! I am once again impressed and proud of you!
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