Hello everyone! I first have to apologize for my lack of posts lately. Everything has been getting a bit hectic on my end with college starting in two weeks, training being in full swing and the summer wrapping up. It's safe to say I am one busy guy!
After a speedy recovery from Racine 70.3, I was right back at it training for the next line up of races. First was the local Glenview triathlon that I compete in every year mostly for fun. I was very excited to do this race because a lot of people from my town are there to see it. Also, it was my sisters first triathlon ever and I was excited to cheer her across the finish line.
The day started with a not so bad 4:30 AM wake up and a Clif Bar to get me going. I was happy to not have to worry about overpacking, nutrition plans and extreme organizing. I did not taper or cut back on training for this race and it was treated as a hard workout. This in turn made it a no stress race and made it very enjoyable. It was important for me to get really warmed up and prepare for the intensity of a sprint, so I ended up riding 5 miles over to the race site, getting transition put together, running 10 minutes and then swimming 500 or 600 yards. By 6:30 AM, I was ready to go!
The swim is done in a pool and it is only 300 yards. When registering for the race, the directors ask people to put down their projected swim time and you are seeded by that time. I put down 3:30 and was seeded 7th. I got in the water and had a solid swim, 3:39.
Transition 1 was flawless, no problems at all. I was out on the bike after :45 seconds.
Now the bike is a whole different game when it is only 10 miles. You do not have the luxury of settling into a pace or waiting to attack. It is GO right from the start. You have to push yourself and put yourself in the hurt box right from the start. Coming off a half ironman, I was not necessarily used to this, but I know I had some good speed training on the bike and that I could hammer and hang on. After putting my head down and crushing the ride to the best of my ability, I came into t2 with a bike time of 23:33, averaging 25.47 mph.
Transition 2 was perfect. Out onto the run in :40 seconds.
The run is 5k and it is pretty flat with one hill you have to go over twice. Again, it is not a half marathon, it is not even 10k, there is no time to waste. You have to hurt for 3 miles. My legs did not feel fresh or explosive but that was to be expected after doing a 3 hour double bike/ run brick the day before. I felt consistent across the whole 5k and was pleased with my time of 19:23, a 6:15 min/mi pace.
I finished with a time of 47:58. PR'ing at this race by nearly 5 minutes. Training has paid off and I was happy with a 3rd place overall. It was a big step for me, podiuming overall at a race. It felt good and I was happy. I feel great and am setting up nicely for my next three races; Indianapolis, Naperville and Hy-Vee. Wish me luck!
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