This is me, behind the other two racers. Despite that photo, I actually tied with the Carol who is in front of me because she is one of my team-mates on Trimonster and she waited for me so we crossed together. That meant I tied for third place but in all honesty she earned it. I was grateful that she did that and got a medal but there's that * after it. *Due to kindness and team spirit. It's a testament to the soul of most triathletes: Gratitude that we can do this, graciousness with other competitors, encouragement for anyone who attempts this sport and generosity for those who need a hand. That's one of the reasons I love this sport. So many beautiful things happen with these athletes. Yeah, there are days when someone is a selfish jerk, but I want to focus on the great things about this sport today.
Please also note my running shoes. I got those from George Pierce who invented the closure and patented them and produced them. He is a great guy. He was the national Duathlon Champion in 2011 but got hit by a car and broke his back in many places. After healing he went back to the sport and was frustrated with the closures and the time delay of getting into running shoes so he decided to fix that. You can see his story here: George Pierce's story
I've gotten to know him after he called me out of the blue one day and offered to send me a pair of his shoes to try. Now I work with him. We are seeking investors and working hard to launch this company.
Why? I love these shoes. They are not only easy to get on and off but they are comfortable. The most comfortable SOCKLESS shoes I have tried. I've tried them all. They are usually very hard to get on, they have that tongue and eyelets that rub your feet. They just don't do well. After IM Louisville in my Altras, I lost several toenails and had a serious piriformis issue that kept returning. I started wearing Pierce shoes and it went away. And, no lost toenails.
So Leon's race was set in perfect weather on Sunday. Whoever ordered that day did a great job. It was just cool enough and overcast but not rainy. My swim was 575 yds. I used my lava pants instead due to easier removal but still the advantage of buoyancy. I had a pretty good swim but did an extra 75 yds or so. 10:08 was the time.
Transition has a longer run and although I wasn't happy with my time (3:42) I got in and out as fast as I could, talking to the young kid next to me who got out just ahead of me. (felt pretty good about being there). Got off on my ride and encountered some tough winds (15 knots) off and on as we turned into and out of the wind. Mostly yaw due to cross winds but once had it at my back on the out and back and hit 23 mph. Returning sucked though, was doing like 12 mph. Still it was a pretty good ride for me, finished in like 49 mins for an average speed of 15.6. A lot of turns which I slowed more than I normally would due to fears about gravel and face planting. Had I done the OLY, I would have done the second loop faster.
Got back to transition and into my shoes in 2:22. I was feeling pretty good and rather than walking for a distance began running immediately. I did have to walk a few times but managed to keep a good pace for almost the whole run. It was sunny off and on but really very nice day for a run.
It took me 40 mins to do the run which doesn't indicate just how good I felt. My walking slowed the average speed down but when running I was doing 12:30 pace. That's not bad for me. Carol passed me at the end. I was mad at myself because she has been beating me for years. I had a chance to come in third but blew it by allowing myself to walk those few times giving up the distance I had gained between us. I don't begrudge her nor am I jealous. I'm going to keep trying because I know I can improve and she's a great competitor.
My total race time was 1:38. A 14 min PR for sprints for me. I'm very happy with my performance but figure I might have come in at 1:35 had I been able to keep my run pace up. Still first place was 1:16 so that's where I'm setting my sights. That means a slightly faster bike and run and maybe a few seconds off the transition, plus a more direct swim. I can do better and that's exciting to know. I don't feel like I used to, that I used myself up completely and that's all I could do. I believe my fitness has improved so much that I am able to do more now.
We'll see this Sunday at Esprit de She. I'm treating this as a training race. Will be good to nail down a few things. I'm doing the Milkman Half June 19 so I want to have myself prepped for a good race that weekend.
So all in all it was a wonderful day with lots of friends competing. A few newbies that did great! Trimonster men took first place for team in OLY and we all had a very good day. I'm so lucky to be able to do this sport. It's a part of my life that keeps me healthy and focused. Hope to someday be able to retire and just be a triathlon coach and competitor. That would be the best of all worlds.
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