I saw Alex running along beside me at about this point, so I smiled and waved...and she caught it :)
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Funny pic from Welly
My last post didn't elaborate too much on the event itself. What a fantastic location for a race, and props to the powers that be in Wellington for shutting down a big chunk of their beautiful downtown waterfront area just for us. The bike course was accurate and mostly flat, albeit with some sketchy road surfaces and somewhat tight & congested lanes in some parts, but coupled with dead flat run this course should set up nicely for PBs. The swim in the inner harbour was very cool (yes, bad pun!) with a deep water start and the last few legs swimming right alongside the pier...awesome for spectators, they were within spitting distance.
I saw Alex running along beside me at about this point, so I smiled and waved...and she caught it :)
I saw Alex running along beside me at about this point, so I smiled and waved...and she caught it :)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
RR: Contact Tri Series Wellington
(aka NZ oly distance nats)
I’ll keep this brief.
This was a really unusual event for me. Typically when I have an important high stakes race on the schedule I have the whole thing from early prep to post-race recovery plotted out well in advance, and the mental fortitude to knuckle down and get whatever I need to get done done…but this build was different. I won’t make excuses, ‘cos I don’t have any to offer. My approach was unfocused & haphazard and my swim, bike & run performed precisely as well as my swim, bike & run training would’ve predicted. Here are the numbers:
Swim: 21:10
Bike: 1:07:28
Run: 38:46
Total: 2:07:24
8th in AG, 49th overall
(results here)
It was an odd feeling racing a tri for the first time since last year’s PoT Half…yes, it was that long ago. I made lots of silly rookie mistakes, but I’m actually pretty satisfied at the weekend's result. I did what I came to do and picked up a slot for this year’s world champs here in Auckland, so the sole objective of the trip was achieved. I felt terribly unfit going in, but much better coming out. Now I’ve got something to work on over winter…the competitive fire always burns a little brighter after these reality checks.
I’ll keep this brief.
This was a really unusual event for me. Typically when I have an important high stakes race on the schedule I have the whole thing from early prep to post-race recovery plotted out well in advance, and the mental fortitude to knuckle down and get whatever I need to get done done…but this build was different. I won’t make excuses, ‘cos I don’t have any to offer. My approach was unfocused & haphazard and my swim, bike & run performed precisely as well as my swim, bike & run training would’ve predicted. Here are the numbers:
Swim: 21:10
Bike: 1:07:28
Run: 38:46
Total: 2:07:24
8th in AG, 49th overall
(results here)
It was an odd feeling racing a tri for the first time since last year’s PoT Half…yes, it was that long ago. I made lots of silly rookie mistakes, but I’m actually pretty satisfied at the weekend's result. I did what I came to do and picked up a slot for this year’s world champs here in Auckland, so the sole objective of the trip was achieved. I felt terribly unfit going in, but much better coming out. Now I’ve got something to work on over winter…the competitive fire always burns a little brighter after these reality checks.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Want. Bad.
I often think I was born in the wrong era.
Plastic bikes with deep aero tubes, smooth junctions and integrated this' & that's do nothing for me. While today's carbon creations are undoubtedly faster, lighter, stiffer and let's face it, "better", metal frames still have a unique allure and, to my eye, a classic unmatched aesthetic. Welds & lugs are hot, full stop.
I can't help it, call me old school.
My trusty alloy P2-SL still puts a smile on my dial every time I ride and leaves me wanting for nothing. To part with this bike will mean prying it from my cold, dead hands. With fast wheels & tyres, close attention to cable routing & bottle/spare placement, good fitting apparel and a dialled in position this 90s-era frame (albeit tweaked with minor advancements over the years) still gets the job done.
Like anyone who rides I waste far too many hours thinking bikes and fantasize about some day owning a lightweight ti Baum, or a rugged & purposeful Ira Ryan, an exquisitely detailed Vanilla, a beautifully painted Signal, or a custom fabrication from the master himself Richard Sachs. These are all up there in the dream bike realm, but if I were to buy a roadie right now I'd want a modest & understated workhorse for training in all weather, fast group rides & races, the odd commute or even some light touring. In other words, I'd get a Cielo Sportif:
Since the 2012 colours were released a few months ago I've been imagining a build featuring an oyster white frame with orange details, retro Mavic open pros and black 105 components on mango coloured Chris King spinning bits, a full Ritchey classic finishing kit with a black leather saddle & tape combo leaning against the garage wall. Throw on some full length fenders over winter, or my stealth blacked-out HED Jet 6/9s for road races.
(big sigh)
Better get a garage first though...
Plastic bikes with deep aero tubes, smooth junctions and integrated this' & that's do nothing for me. While today's carbon creations are undoubtedly faster, lighter, stiffer and let's face it, "better", metal frames still have a unique allure and, to my eye, a classic unmatched aesthetic. Welds & lugs are hot, full stop.
I can't help it, call me old school.
My trusty alloy P2-SL still puts a smile on my dial every time I ride and leaves me wanting for nothing. To part with this bike will mean prying it from my cold, dead hands. With fast wheels & tyres, close attention to cable routing & bottle/spare placement, good fitting apparel and a dialled in position this 90s-era frame (albeit tweaked with minor advancements over the years) still gets the job done.
Like anyone who rides I waste far too many hours thinking bikes and fantasize about some day owning a lightweight ti Baum, or a rugged & purposeful Ira Ryan, an exquisitely detailed Vanilla, a beautifully painted Signal, or a custom fabrication from the master himself Richard Sachs. These are all up there in the dream bike realm, but if I were to buy a roadie right now I'd want a modest & understated workhorse for training in all weather, fast group rides & races, the odd commute or even some light touring. In other words, I'd get a Cielo Sportif:
Since the 2012 colours were released a few months ago I've been imagining a build featuring an oyster white frame with orange details, retro Mavic open pros and black 105 components on mango coloured Chris King spinning bits, a full Ritchey classic finishing kit with a black leather saddle & tape combo leaning against the garage wall. Throw on some full length fenders over winter, or my stealth blacked-out HED Jet 6/9s for road races. (big sigh)
Better get a garage first though...
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Schedule change
Well at least one of you reads my blog and noticed I’d taken the NP Half off my calendar next month...there’s a couple of reasons for the change, notably:
1) I’m creeping up the Wellington waitlist faster than I thought I would. At the time of my last post I was down at #30something on the list and didn’t give myself much of a chance to get there hence the scheduling of the NP & Auckland HIMs to fill out the rest of the season, but the list is moving faster than I anticipated so there’s a very real possibility I’ll make the start line. This is the key race I need to focus on to secure a slot for ITU Worlds in Auckland and avoid the lottery of "selector's discretion".
2) I’m just not ready. The thought of racing a HIM in <3 weeks is laughable to me right now, such is my level of fitness. But perhaps even more of an influencer is the logistics/travel/$$$ of doing the event on Feb 12th, coming home for a few days in the office, then heading back for our wedding (in NP) 6 days later! It sounded doable in theory a few months ago but now that it’s upon us I just don’t think I can make it work, or at least not without some unnecessary added stress.
So unfortunately it’s off the calendar and my focus shifts to Wellington standard distance nats and the Orbea Auckland Half Ironman two weeks later. I like the lead times of 7 & 9 weeks respectively. The latter fits perfectly with my usual HIM build schedule, albeit this one will be slightly disrupted with a bike-free wedding long weekend, and a hard olympic distance race two weeks prior, but I think I can manage.
Speaking of the latter again, as ridiculous as it sounds this is still the only annual non-drafting triathlon in the greater Auckland area so I try and make an effort each year to support my favourite local race. If you’re currently sitting on the fence for this one but like the idea of racing a tough course with great triathlon history & mana I suggest you do the same…vote with your feet (and your wallet) and sign up today! In the interest of full disclosure, yes that’s me on the homepage and yes I’ve managed to arm-twist the organisers into a small discount on my entry for every participant I get to register :) So stop dilly-dallying, mark the date on your calendars, sign up today and leave a comment on this post confirming you’ve done so. See you on the start line…
1) I’m creeping up the Wellington waitlist faster than I thought I would. At the time of my last post I was down at #30something on the list and didn’t give myself much of a chance to get there hence the scheduling of the NP & Auckland HIMs to fill out the rest of the season, but the list is moving faster than I anticipated so there’s a very real possibility I’ll make the start line. This is the key race I need to focus on to secure a slot for ITU Worlds in Auckland and avoid the lottery of "selector's discretion".
2) I’m just not ready. The thought of racing a HIM in <3 weeks is laughable to me right now, such is my level of fitness. But perhaps even more of an influencer is the logistics/travel/$$$ of doing the event on Feb 12th, coming home for a few days in the office, then heading back for our wedding (in NP) 6 days later! It sounded doable in theory a few months ago but now that it’s upon us I just don’t think I can make it work, or at least not without some unnecessary added stress.
So unfortunately it’s off the calendar and my focus shifts to Wellington standard distance nats and the Orbea Auckland Half Ironman two weeks later. I like the lead times of 7 & 9 weeks respectively. The latter fits perfectly with my usual HIM build schedule, albeit this one will be slightly disrupted with a bike-free wedding long weekend, and a hard olympic distance race two weeks prior, but I think I can manage.
Speaking of the latter again, as ridiculous as it sounds this is still the only annual non-drafting triathlon in the greater Auckland area so I try and make an effort each year to support my favourite local race. If you’re currently sitting on the fence for this one but like the idea of racing a tough course with great triathlon history & mana I suggest you do the same…vote with your feet (and your wallet) and sign up today! In the interest of full disclosure, yes that’s me on the homepage and yes I’ve managed to arm-twist the organisers into a small discount on my entry for every participant I get to register :) So stop dilly-dallying, mark the date on your calendars, sign up today and leave a comment on this post confirming you’ve done so. See you on the start line…
(you know you're alive when you ride this surface!)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A new look
No sadly, not a new bike. Thought I'd give the tired old blog a splash of colour. Whadda you think?
If you don't recognize the title pic, thats the famous track at Nike HQ in Beaverton Oregon. Pretty sweet huh...
If you don't recognize the title pic, thats the famous track at Nike HQ in Beaverton Oregon. Pretty sweet huh...
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year
2011...wow, what an up & down year that was.
It started well in early January at the Port of Tauranga Half, which doubled as the 2011 NZ long distance champs. I achieved all my goals for the race and made amends for a poor showing in 2010. An AG win there meant I spent a year as the M30-34 NZ long distance triathlon champ. Good!
That result had a sour note though as I spent the next 8 weeks off my feet recovering from (another) lower leg stress reaction. Knowing I was short of time to prepare for some of my other target races, namely the Contact Series/NZ nats in Wellington and the Auckland HIM, I wrote off the rest of the reason and became a spectator. Officiating IMNZ & the New Plymouth HIM from the back of a motorcycle was great fun and a nice distraction, but I took that break a little bit too literally...I put on about 8 kgs and felt like I’d lost a tonne of fitness over autumn and early winter. I’m not usually one to take a break from training. I like the idea of heading out the door when others won’t, but this offseason I lost some mojo and skipped plenty of winter workouts. I didn’t ride my bike for 3 months at one stage. Bad!
Couldn’t blame anyone but myself there...I just got lazy. Other things took priority, such as planning a long holiday in North America and our wedding to follow soon after. In the back of my mind though was the reason for our trip...ITU Worlds. As I got back into regular training in the middle of winter though, in preparation for the real race build beginning late August, I noticed most of my numbers (pool times, bike power, run paces) were pretty close where I left off. That was the start of what was possibly my best sequence of training ever. 9 solid weeks, no workouts missed, good balanced fitness (certainly the best run numbers I’d recorded), and zero injuries. Good!
Of course ITU worlds has been well documented here so I won’t go on. Since the race I slipped into another funk...with the exception of one bitterly cold 30 min run in Portland OR I didn’t lift a finger for a month. When we got home I got pretty sick with a nasty flu which set my build for the New Plymouth HIM back a few weeks. I’ve been training on & off since then, and noticed a few familiar pains in the lower legs which have put a halt on my run training again. If you’d checked my training log and noticed no real entries for 4 days...that’s not a mistake. So the year ended feeling a bit down in the dumps in that regard. Bad!
I shouldn’t complain though. In real life, the one outside of triathlon, Alex & I have some exciting stuff ahead of us this year. I hope (and truly believe) we’ll look back at 2012 as a huge one, where we made lots of good decisions affecting our lifestyle going forward.
As far as triathlon goals, well they’re actually remarkably similar to last year. First and foremost I’m hoping to get through NP in good health (and without embarrassing myself on poor fitness), finally race short course nats in Wellington (I’m deep down the wait list of this sold out race) and qualify for ITU worlds in Auckland, and to put in a good (top 10) showing at the latter. That last goal was the only one I failed to achieve in 2011. If I can't race Wellington the only way I can get into Auckland is with a discretionary slot. Failing this, I'll have to give the schedule a rethink. Rotorua looks like a good early season backup option.
Anyway, good luck to all my friends racing the PoT Half next weekend...one of my favourite events and definitely one I’ll miss racing this year.
Happy New Year!
It started well in early January at the Port of Tauranga Half, which doubled as the 2011 NZ long distance champs. I achieved all my goals for the race and made amends for a poor showing in 2010. An AG win there meant I spent a year as the M30-34 NZ long distance triathlon champ. Good!
That result had a sour note though as I spent the next 8 weeks off my feet recovering from (another) lower leg stress reaction. Knowing I was short of time to prepare for some of my other target races, namely the Contact Series/NZ nats in Wellington and the Auckland HIM, I wrote off the rest of the reason and became a spectator. Officiating IMNZ & the New Plymouth HIM from the back of a motorcycle was great fun and a nice distraction, but I took that break a little bit too literally...I put on about 8 kgs and felt like I’d lost a tonne of fitness over autumn and early winter. I’m not usually one to take a break from training. I like the idea of heading out the door when others won’t, but this offseason I lost some mojo and skipped plenty of winter workouts. I didn’t ride my bike for 3 months at one stage. Bad!
Couldn’t blame anyone but myself there...I just got lazy. Other things took priority, such as planning a long holiday in North America and our wedding to follow soon after. In the back of my mind though was the reason for our trip...ITU Worlds. As I got back into regular training in the middle of winter though, in preparation for the real race build beginning late August, I noticed most of my numbers (pool times, bike power, run paces) were pretty close where I left off. That was the start of what was possibly my best sequence of training ever. 9 solid weeks, no workouts missed, good balanced fitness (certainly the best run numbers I’d recorded), and zero injuries. Good!
Of course ITU worlds has been well documented here so I won’t go on. Since the race I slipped into another funk...with the exception of one bitterly cold 30 min run in Portland OR I didn’t lift a finger for a month. When we got home I got pretty sick with a nasty flu which set my build for the New Plymouth HIM back a few weeks. I’ve been training on & off since then, and noticed a few familiar pains in the lower legs which have put a halt on my run training again. If you’d checked my training log and noticed no real entries for 4 days...that’s not a mistake. So the year ended feeling a bit down in the dumps in that regard. Bad!
I shouldn’t complain though. In real life, the one outside of triathlon, Alex & I have some exciting stuff ahead of us this year. I hope (and truly believe) we’ll look back at 2012 as a huge one, where we made lots of good decisions affecting our lifestyle going forward.
As far as triathlon goals, well they’re actually remarkably similar to last year. First and foremost I’m hoping to get through NP in good health (and without embarrassing myself on poor fitness), finally race short course nats in Wellington (I’m deep down the wait list of this sold out race) and qualify for ITU worlds in Auckland, and to put in a good (top 10) showing at the latter. That last goal was the only one I failed to achieve in 2011. If I can't race Wellington the only way I can get into Auckland is with a discretionary slot. Failing this, I'll have to give the schedule a rethink. Rotorua looks like a good early season backup option.
Anyway, good luck to all my friends racing the PoT Half next weekend...one of my favourite events and definitely one I’ll miss racing this year.
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Home, sick, and random thoughts
Well the return to my usual scheduled programming was pushed back by a flu of some sorts last week...I felt pretty good Sunday through Tuesday but I was knocked for 6 later in the week. Weird ‘cos this never happens. I’ve trained through countless sniffles, sore throats and various other aches & pains, but this was serious enough to see a doctor and take a few days off work (again, never happens). I snuck in one squad swim & one 20 minute run before pulling the plug. Anyway, I’m feeling somewhat normal again so I’ll start running again tomorrow. On the positive side the down time meant I got through a bunch of DVD’s bought on holiday...
...among others ;)
Because of this setback my usual 9 week build for my next race will take on a slightly different look. Still haven’t touched the bike since I’ve been back, but I have all weekend for that.
What’s with all this rain? So much for summer. It’s so wet it feels like that Aug/Sep nightmare prep period all over again.
I’m so glad to be home, but at the same time I'm really missing all the people that made our trip so memorable. So a big hi again to Margaret, Dave, Eliot, my team, the super friendly lady at Starbucks College Drive, Acu, Uncle Gordon, cuz Kai, Mr Young Sr. (Seth) & Aunt Georgia, all the happy cyclists in NorCal & Oregon inspiring me to get a custom lugged steel frame, the only shop attendant in the US who recognised a Kiwi accent, Jacqui & Chris, Liam & Sina, Sage & Jesse, NuhQuim, Iyes & little Taka (the canine family, in case you’re wondering), Grandma Bea, Auntie Pam, Kevin, Barbara, Auntie Sheila & Eric, Andrew, Seamus & family(s), David, Bryony & Brook, Don & Barbara, Jess & hubby Andy, Mikey & Polly, and anyone else I’ve left out (sorry!).
Peace.
...among others ;)
Because of this setback my usual 9 week build for my next race will take on a slightly different look. Still haven’t touched the bike since I’ve been back, but I have all weekend for that.
What’s with all this rain? So much for summer. It’s so wet it feels like that Aug/Sep nightmare prep period all over again.
I’m so glad to be home, but at the same time I'm really missing all the people that made our trip so memorable. So a big hi again to Margaret, Dave, Eliot, my team, the super friendly lady at Starbucks College Drive, Acu, Uncle Gordon, cuz Kai, Mr Young Sr. (Seth) & Aunt Georgia, all the happy cyclists in NorCal & Oregon inspiring me to get a custom lugged steel frame, the only shop attendant in the US who recognised a Kiwi accent, Jacqui & Chris, Liam & Sina, Sage & Jesse, NuhQuim, Iyes & little Taka (the canine family, in case you’re wondering), Grandma Bea, Auntie Pam, Kevin, Barbara, Auntie Sheila & Eric, Andrew, Seamus & family(s), David, Bryony & Brook, Don & Barbara, Jess & hubby Andy, Mikey & Polly, and anyone else I’ve left out (sorry!).
Peace.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
A quick update from Sydney
It's been a while between posts but all is well with us...we've been super busy but seeing we've been here at the airport for 7 hours with another few to go on our long layover between flights I figured I'd post an update.
Since my last set of pics we kept moving north and spent 3 days/nights checking out anything & everything in San Fran (love this city!), a stopover in Eureka CA after driving though some giant redwoods, then 8+ hours of driving to Portland OR for 4 days spent with my aunt, uncle & cousin who showed us an awesome time in their home town. We dropped the rental off here then jumped on a train to Seattle where we overnighted (we didn't venture out, too tired and too wet!) before catching an early morning ferry through the sounds across to Victoria (Canada) where we spent a truly memorable 8 days reacquainting with my sister, her husband, my neices & nephew & all their local friends & family. Just an oustanding time all round the the perfect way to end our holiday. From Victoria our route back included flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City (long story), LA for a night, then penultimately to Sydney where we'll be boarding our Auckland flight in about 5 hours.
To keep things tri-related, I've done a grand total of 30 minutes of running since the race in Henderson. Yes, one workout. That was in Portland and it didn't take much to realize I was poorly equipped to handle the (very) wet & (very) cold conditions in the northwest.
So I'm feeling a bit sad that such a memorable holiday has to come to an end, but equally happy to get home to family, friends & a good night's sleep in my favourite bed. I'll post some more pics later...no more slideshows, promise ;)
Since my last set of pics we kept moving north and spent 3 days/nights checking out anything & everything in San Fran (love this city!), a stopover in Eureka CA after driving though some giant redwoods, then 8+ hours of driving to Portland OR for 4 days spent with my aunt, uncle & cousin who showed us an awesome time in their home town. We dropped the rental off here then jumped on a train to Seattle where we overnighted (we didn't venture out, too tired and too wet!) before catching an early morning ferry through the sounds across to Victoria (Canada) where we spent a truly memorable 8 days reacquainting with my sister, her husband, my neices & nephew & all their local friends & family. Just an oustanding time all round the the perfect way to end our holiday. From Victoria our route back included flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City (long story), LA for a night, then penultimately to Sydney where we'll be boarding our Auckland flight in about 5 hours.
To keep things tri-related, I've done a grand total of 30 minutes of running since the race in Henderson. Yes, one workout. That was in Portland and it didn't take much to realize I was poorly equipped to handle the (very) wet & (very) cold conditions in the northwest.
So I'm feeling a bit sad that such a memorable holiday has to come to an end, but equally happy to get home to family, friends & a good night's sleep in my favourite bed. I'll post some more pics later...no more slideshows, promise ;)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
IDU Long Distance Race Report...Henderson NV, 05 Nov 2011
I very rarely dream about triathlon but when I woke yesterday morning at the conclusion of a dream (or was it an nightmare?) about another race with a cancelled swim I figured it was time to write down my thoughts and close the chapter on this race that never was. My feelings might come across somewhat different in writing so I’ll put this out there first...I’m not bitter about the outcome, and the race organisers made the correct decisions based on the rules they had to adhere to. This will still go down as one of my more disappointing moments in the sport, but at the end of the day it’s just another race, the sport is still no more than a hobby, and we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience on the rest of our North America trip, so anything negative should be read tongue-in-cheek ;)
Based on my fitness & preparation I felt my pre-event goal of a top 5 age group finish was very realistic, with anything less than a top 10 being a major disappointment. I was planning on a breakdown as follows...the swim would be a bit of a stretch and reliant on a good start and finding a strong group swimming cleanly, but the bike & run I felt were very achievable on this course in the expected conditions:
Swim (4k) – 0:55
Bike (120k) – 3:30
Run (30k) – 2:15
Of course this is all simply conjecture now as none of these figures matter post-race. The numbers that do matter, those that will be recorded in history and those I’ll be judged against, are the actual results:
Bike (120k) – 3:34:55
T2 – 5:06
Run (30k) – 2:19:02
Total – 5:59:03 (15th in AG)
I had a timing chip issue so my result didn’t initially figure in the final standings. It still doesn’t show on the ITU website, so you’ll have to go to the Lowery Multisport results page for proof I actually raced :) Interesting that both bike & run were 4 minutes over my expectations...I don’t race with a watch so I really don’t know splits until I check them in the results. The bike result I expected to see based on my movement through the field, but given my epic blow-ups (both bike and even more so on the run) I’m pleasantly surprised at the run. Let me explain...
As soon as the swim was cancelled this event was now a non-event for me. Not that I don’t think I can bike & run with the best of my peers, but it’s no longer a “triathlon world championship” so any result would be an empty one and have a large asterisk next to it. So what’s one to do when you’re super-fit & super-prepared but a) can’t do the event you really wanted to, and b) don’t care about the result? I had fun, raced angry, went out as hard as I could and saw where good fitness and reckless pacing could take me.
As it happens that fitness took me to roughly the 80km mark of the bike, and the 3rd of 4 laps of the run. At these respective points I was gone...I paid for my bad pacing, blew up completely, and started going backwards through the field. At both times I had fleeting thoughts of pulling the pin and going home...there was nothing to race for remember...and my transition time would indicate this too (I think I counted 180 finishers before I found someone slower than me). But then I’d be letting down all of those who’d supported me along the way and helped me to the start line, and of course I wouldn’t be deserving of my much awaited In-N-Out “animal style” double double post race meal :) (see earlier "Vegas pics" post). There were plenty of timing mats all over the course so I’d love to see some comparative splits with the place-getters in my race, ‘cos while I started well behind my AG (chip issue) I suspect at one point my relative placing would have been way up there prior to fading on the bike...I recovered okay in the last 20km so I don’t think I lost too many places there. Again, none of that matters now. The start of my run felt pretty sharp and I was moving through the field well again until I hit the wall (literally & figuratively) at the bottom on the long gentle incline on the 3rd lap. I was gone now and I started seeing the back of a lot of the guys I’d passed earlier in the run.
This is a course I’d love to race again. The topography and road surfaces are just magnificent. The Ironman 70.3 world champs course is a wussified version of this one, so that race doesn’t really hold much appeal. If they decide to bring back the Silverman full or half races then I’d pencil one in as a must-do event before I throw the towel in on this triathlon gig...that would be the perfect way to reacquaint with an epic course, an awesome city, and the wonderful friends we made there.
Based on my fitness & preparation I felt my pre-event goal of a top 5 age group finish was very realistic, with anything less than a top 10 being a major disappointment. I was planning on a breakdown as follows...the swim would be a bit of a stretch and reliant on a good start and finding a strong group swimming cleanly, but the bike & run I felt were very achievable on this course in the expected conditions:
Swim (4k) – 0:55
Bike (120k) – 3:30
Run (30k) – 2:15
Of course this is all simply conjecture now as none of these figures matter post-race. The numbers that do matter, those that will be recorded in history and those I’ll be judged against, are the actual results:
Bike (120k) – 3:34:55
T2 – 5:06
Run (30k) – 2:19:02
Total – 5:59:03 (15th in AG)
I had a timing chip issue so my result didn’t initially figure in the final standings. It still doesn’t show on the ITU website, so you’ll have to go to the Lowery Multisport results page for proof I actually raced :) Interesting that both bike & run were 4 minutes over my expectations...I don’t race with a watch so I really don’t know splits until I check them in the results. The bike result I expected to see based on my movement through the field, but given my epic blow-ups (both bike and even more so on the run) I’m pleasantly surprised at the run. Let me explain...
As soon as the swim was cancelled this event was now a non-event for me. Not that I don’t think I can bike & run with the best of my peers, but it’s no longer a “triathlon world championship” so any result would be an empty one and have a large asterisk next to it. So what’s one to do when you’re super-fit & super-prepared but a) can’t do the event you really wanted to, and b) don’t care about the result? I had fun, raced angry, went out as hard as I could and saw where good fitness and reckless pacing could take me.
As it happens that fitness took me to roughly the 80km mark of the bike, and the 3rd of 4 laps of the run. At these respective points I was gone...I paid for my bad pacing, blew up completely, and started going backwards through the field. At both times I had fleeting thoughts of pulling the pin and going home...there was nothing to race for remember...and my transition time would indicate this too (I think I counted 180 finishers before I found someone slower than me). But then I’d be letting down all of those who’d supported me along the way and helped me to the start line, and of course I wouldn’t be deserving of my much awaited In-N-Out “animal style” double double post race meal :) (see earlier "Vegas pics" post). There were plenty of timing mats all over the course so I’d love to see some comparative splits with the place-getters in my race, ‘cos while I started well behind my AG (chip issue) I suspect at one point my relative placing would have been way up there prior to fading on the bike...I recovered okay in the last 20km so I don’t think I lost too many places there. Again, none of that matters now. The start of my run felt pretty sharp and I was moving through the field well again until I hit the wall (literally & figuratively) at the bottom on the long gentle incline on the 3rd lap. I was gone now and I started seeing the back of a lot of the guys I’d passed earlier in the run.
This is a course I’d love to race again. The topography and road surfaces are just magnificent. The Ironman 70.3 world champs course is a wussified version of this one, so that race doesn’t really hold much appeal. If they decide to bring back the Silverman full or half races then I’d pencil one in as a must-do event before I throw the towel in on this triathlon gig...that would be the perfect way to reacquaint with an epic course, an awesome city, and the wonderful friends we made there.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Driving from LA to San Fran...do it!
Lots & LOTS of cool stuff to see & do on this iconic stretch of road...avoid the freeways and take the "1":
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Everything you ever wanted to see in LA...
...in 94 pics. Well not quite everything, but we got pretty damn close.
Stuff I liked:
- the Travelodge in Santa Monica. What a pleasant surprise...fast broadband, nice continental breakfast, great location, clean rooms & public areas...all at a very reasonable price
- coffee (yes!) that isn't Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or other nasty chain stuff
- Santa Monica suburban streets...finally, some character & soul
- the Xcelerator at Kott's Berry Farm
- Venice Beach early in the morning
- Buca di Beppo portion sizes
- the weather
And stuff I didn't:
- fiscal matters...too many coins & small notes, hidden costs (local taxes & tips)
- traffic...you can't go anywhere here without gridlock
- freeways...see above re traffic
- funnel cake (just say no)
- the Ghostrider Ouch :(
Stuff I liked:
- the Travelodge in Santa Monica. What a pleasant surprise...fast broadband, nice continental breakfast, great location, clean rooms & public areas...all at a very reasonable price
- coffee (yes!) that isn't Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or other nasty chain stuff
- Santa Monica suburban streets...finally, some character & soul
- the Xcelerator at Kott's Berry Farm
- Venice Beach early in the morning
- Buca di Beppo portion sizes
- the weather
And stuff I didn't:
- fiscal matters...too many coins & small notes, hidden costs (local taxes & tips)
- traffic...you can't go anywhere here without gridlock
- freeways...see above re traffic
- funnel cake (just say no)
- the Ghostrider Ouch :(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
