Tri-ing for Children's Triathlon
Olympic Distance
2nd Overall 2:17 S-22 B-1:10 R-41
I did this race back in 2006. At that time the race was located out in Lannon, WI and it stormed so bad that morning that they shortened the olympic to a sprint distance. I was kind of bummed because that was supposed to be my longest triathlon at that time.
Jumping ahead to 2010...
The race was held in Eagle, WI. I really liked the location for the race. The lake was small with smooth, calm water. The run and bike were on fairly good terrain and provided a fair number of spots for specators to view the race.
My main goal for this race was to figure out my nutrition. For breakfast I had a Larabar and 12 oz. of EFS mixed with 1 scoop of pre-race. I also took 2 ibuprofen to see if this would help with preventing colon spasms that I have been having with running.
I was a bit nervous going into this race as I had only been on my bike twice (once outside and once on the computrainer) since the crash. We got to the race with a good amount of time for set up and preparation of the transition area. I had forgotten my ID at home, so I had to have John White vouch for me at the registration table (Thanks John!!!!!). I did a short swim warm-up and then walked to the starting area on the beach.
I had a good swim and was able to sight the buoys well. I may have gone just a tad too fast because I had a very slight side stitch at times. I came out of the water and ran into the transition area. My wetsuit came off a bit more easily than in the past (we again cut the arms and legs the night before the race). I also decided to put on socks in T1 and see if it made any difference with transition times.
Biking my muscles felt sore and were burning. About 24-25 minutes into the bike Tracy Kellner passed me. She was really cruising! I tried to keep her in sight, and then my rear derailler jammed, locking up my rear wheel. I had to get off my bike and manually dislodge my chain. My rear derailler had not been acting right since the crash, so this wasn't a huge surprise to me. I got back on the bike and continued on my way, although I definitely had lost some of my focus. I came into T2, changed shoes and got out onto the run uneventfully.
I had taken 1 of the First Endurance gels on the bike and I wanted to see how this would sit in my stomach and if I would have any problems with the colon spasms. My stomach sloshed for about 1/4 of a mile and then it was fine. I had no stomach issues the entire run and was able to consistently run between 6:30 and 7:00 minute miles. Parts of the run were a bit soggy from the rain and that made it difficult to stay upright at times, but overall it was a great run.
I was very happy with my race and pleased that my nutrition plan and stomach had cooperated with me.
Things to work on:
1. Transitions are still slow.
2. Get bike in better working shape before next race to ensure shifting issues are resolved.
3. Try to stay focused on the bike to maintain a consistent effort and not go too easy.
Things to keep doing:
1. Don't be afraid to push the swim a bit as I can still maintain a good pace for the rest of the race.
2. Take some Ibuprofen with breakfast to prevent colon spasms.
3. Use First Endurance products (gels, EFS, pre-race) for nutrition as it seems to absorb faster and has a higher electrolyte content than other products.
4. Continue to wear socks on the run--even for olympic distances--I had some fairly significant blisters after this race; even with wearing socks!
