Saturday I raced at the Top Gun Triathlon competing in the Sprint Distance Duathlon. This was my final tune-up before racing at the World Championships in two weeks.
This race was an addition to my schedule breaking some of my own rules but I needed it. I don’t race within two weeks of my A races and not on back-to-back weekends, but on this occasion I did just that. My body needed the push of a race both mentally and physically to get the training effect outcome for my legs and overall fitness and that happened.
This raced consisted of a 1.6 mile run – 10.4 mile bike – 3 mile run. My first run was slightly off target. The first mile went as planned under my goal pace and then slid a bit for the final .6 miles. There were a few reasons for this from the block of training I just completed so I was ok with the split but not ecstatic.
I hopped on the bike, took off, and in usual form, struggled for the first two miles with a spiked heart rate from the first run as I tried to find my bike legs. I was passed by two guys after the first 3/4 mile or so which had me wondering what my day was going to be like. After mile two I got my body in rhythm and held that feel for the final eight plus miles. It was a confidence build as the two guys who passed me early, I overtook just over mile two, put a significant gap between us, and then climbed to within sight of the triathlon leaders by the end of the bike.
As I left transition for the final run, I began to close on two runners at about the 3/4 mile mark. As I passed them, one of the guys stuck with me and then began running away from me. I stuck behind him till mile two where I climbed back next to him and we ran together till about 1/4 mile remaining where he left me to the finish. It was just what I needed. We pushed each other the entire run and got everything out of our bodies. I came through the finish winning Overall, but more importantly, I got better by racing on the day in preparation for Worlds.
Reflecting back the first run was ok, a B+ grade. I wasn’t running on fresh legs which had some impact but still need to get better. The bike was a B+ grade as well. My power was still down relative to before I injured my knee, but in back-to-back races, my speed hit the mark that conflicted with a lower power number output. Of the 135 male competitors (triathlon, aquakbike, and duathlon) on the bike, I had the 2nd best bike split. My final run was also a B+ grade. I pushed like heck the entire way…just lacking the top end speed I need but it was a step forward for sure. Of the 130 male competitors running the final leg, I had the 8th best effort.
This was just what I needed. My legs needed the hard push of a race to jump my fitness another step without taxing them too much, two weeks prior to the big event. Now to begin final preparations before heading to Australia next week. I am looking forward to the next two weeks as I fine tune the body and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.
Finally, with this race being local (St. Petersburg – Fort DeSoto), it was great to be around so many familiar faces competing and cheering. Post race is always a blast catching up on all the stories from the day and what is ahead. I love everything about this stuff!
– Add Health to Your Life
The Healthy Giraffe 
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