Swim: 13:02*
T1: 1:13
Bike: 31:34 (22.6 mph)
T2: 0:47
Run: 19:11 (6:09/mile)
Overall: 1:05:49
*This swim split includes a 0.6 mile run from the end of the swim to the timing mat at the entrance of transition. According to my garmin, I was out of the water in 10:57, swimming 1:34/100 yds
This was a PR for me at the sprint distance by 4.5 minutes, a pretty amazing amount of time. However, because the distances of each split tend to vary a bit in sprint races, what's more important to me is that my pacing was faster than ever in each of the three sports and transitions were nearly perfect.
Swim split: chaotic. The course was a narrow lane between boats in a marina, which kept things crowded throughout. One of my own teammates swam over me! At some point I ended up with a pretty solid battle wound (see below), which I didn't discover until I noticed the blood on my handlebars halfway through the bike. (Let's be honest, this made me feel like a badass and may have caused me to go faster.) Even with all the contact, I had no problem staying calm through the scrum and pulled off my fastest swim ever. This is definitely where I feel experience in the sport is paying off. It made a huge difference that getting knocked around didn't make my heart rate or breathing spike.
Bike split: FAST. As I planned since last week, I decided to really go for it. The course was three laps, so it was pretty crowded. This meant there was unavoidable drafting that probably upped my speed. More importantly, I came out of T1 with the same teammate who swam over me (and is probably a faster cyclist) - so I decided I was going to stay with him. We went back and forth with each other and that really helped me keep the pace up. I love having a rabbit to chase.
Run split: suffer session. I definitely felt the difference in my legs on this run after giving so much on the bike. I went out fast, faded a little on the second mile, but was able to kick it in and hang on for the third. We had a lot of teammates come out and having them cheering near the finish was a lot of fun.
Overall thoughts:
- Team atmosphere was amazing - I think I'll dedicate a separate post to this later in the week
- Finding space in the swim is always key for me, but don't be afraid to be a little aggressive
- Suffer on the bike, you've got the legs to hang on in the run
- Forget the numbers and just run strong
Final note, on rankings. After being the 13th male to cross the line at Davis, it was a little discouraging to place 40th this weekend. But the field here was so much deeper. In my mind, if this were a draft legal race, I'm at the front of the second group of guys. Where I rank will always depend on how many of the first groupers show up. The key is this - I'm working harder than ever before and the results are reflecting that. Minutes have come off my splits in all three legs since last year. Consistent hard work over time. It's not gonna happen overnight, but if I keep it up, I might be able to hang with those top guys next year. At least, it's fun to think about....
Two other photos of the day: ready to go pre-swim with buddies Marc and Andrew (hey Xterra, let us know how much you'll pay to use this in an ad), and post-race celebration at In N Out
Congratulations on a great race! Reading your blog is almost as good as being there in person; love all the detail. Maybe if Xterra won't sponsor you In N Out will. Oh and a teammate swimming over top of me would definitely be a reason for a heart rate increase.
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