Mud (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} bohnhoff) wrote,@ 2009-03-24 11:34:00 |
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Triathlon Training 37: Lake Havasu
Getting to the Havasu Triathlon was quite an exertion in and of itself. Two friends and I crammed into my truck and left Las Cruces at 9:00 on Thursday evening. I drove like a demon all night and sang like something worse to keep myself awake. We arrived in Lake Havasu City around 6:00 the next morning. We tried to nap in several places while we waited for the rest of the team to catch up but kept getting kicked out. Apparently I do not have what it takes to be a good hobo if I can't sleep in public. Fortunately, I slept pretty good Friday night so I had some energy for the race. Even more fortunately, our wetsuits reached us at some point during the night (Our buddy Alex chased down a UPS truck to get them and deliver them to us) and they fit too!
I came out of the water feeling good. Slowly but surely, I'm figuring out how to swim in open water. Not that there weren't difficulties. I stayed closer to the pack this time so I had o endure more kicking and grabbing. And then there was the swim up the channel, directly into the sun, when it was impossible to see where I was headed. And there were a few waves too, as we emerged from the channel. I hopped out of the lake at 27 minutes and 5 seconds, which is a good 8 minutes faster than at elephant man, feeling great except that I couldn't figure out how to unzip my wetsuit.
Very early in the bike portion (during the first couple of miles, I think) I dropped my water bottle again, which did make the bike portion any easier. Still, I didn't have to walk up any of the hills (they looked terrible when we drove the course, they were actually kind of fun). I was slow and got passed alot but I coasted across the dismount line 1 hour 51 minutes and 13 seconds later, nearly 12 minutes faster than elephant man.
The run was pretty miserable. There was a nasty sand trap and a long flight of stairs in the first and last mile and the rest of the course was brutally flat and exposed to the sun. I just couldn't keep my legs moving and breathing was painful. Some of this was that my trisuit top was constructively tight and I didn't dare take it off for fear for burning. It wasn't till the last two miles when I developed the strategy of counting my steps to keep my mind off my discomfort. I ran for 500 then allowed myself to walk for 100. The run took me 1 hour 26 minutes 57 seconds, a whole 10 minutes slower than elephant man.
Total time was 3 hours 45 minutes 15 seconds, which is 14 minutes better than elephant man, a new pr. I feel pretty good about this but I also feel that I clearly need to work on the last two legs. I dropped from being the 42nd collegiate male out of the water (squarely in the middle) to the 87th across the finish line (the very last). I feel that I need to work on the bike the hardest, so that I have some energy left for the run. I've learned a few things for next time. I need to bring my own marker so I don't have to wait in mine to be marked. I need to sunscreen my entire body, even if it's under a trisuit, so that I can peel off my top if need be. I need to stick close to my group (after swapping my glasses for goggles) before the race because your friends become indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd when everyone is wearing wetsuits. I also need to NOT DROP MY WATER BOTTLE! I will do better at nationals next month.
If you are going to competing in this race here's what you need to know. It is not the most organized or best supported race ever. Carry your own nutrition and plenty of water during the bike. Drive the course the day before so you know where the hills are but don't be too freaked out. Go to the awards ceremony at the Javalina Cantina after the race and order some $1 tacos. They will make the race worth it.
Getting to the Havasu Triathlon was quite an exertion in and of itself. Two friends and I crammed into my truck and left Las Cruces at 9:00 on Thursday evening. I drove like a demon all night and sang like something worse to keep myself awake. We arrived in Lake Havasu City around 6:00 the next morning. We tried to nap in several places while we waited for the rest of the team to catch up but kept getting kicked out. Apparently I do not have what it takes to be a good hobo if I can't sleep in public. Fortunately, I slept pretty good Friday night so I had some energy for the race. Even more fortunately, our wetsuits reached us at some point during the night (Our buddy Alex chased down a UPS truck to get them and deliver them to us) and they fit too!
I came out of the water feeling good. Slowly but surely, I'm figuring out how to swim in open water. Not that there weren't difficulties. I stayed closer to the pack this time so I had o endure more kicking and grabbing. And then there was the swim up the channel, directly into the sun, when it was impossible to see where I was headed. And there were a few waves too, as we emerged from the channel. I hopped out of the lake at 27 minutes and 5 seconds, which is a good 8 minutes faster than at elephant man, feeling great except that I couldn't figure out how to unzip my wetsuit.
Very early in the bike portion (during the first couple of miles, I think) I dropped my water bottle again, which did make the bike portion any easier. Still, I didn't have to walk up any of the hills (they looked terrible when we drove the course, they were actually kind of fun). I was slow and got passed alot but I coasted across the dismount line 1 hour 51 minutes and 13 seconds later, nearly 12 minutes faster than elephant man.
The run was pretty miserable. There was a nasty sand trap and a long flight of stairs in the first and last mile and the rest of the course was brutally flat and exposed to the sun. I just couldn't keep my legs moving and breathing was painful. Some of this was that my trisuit top was constructively tight and I didn't dare take it off for fear for burning. It wasn't till the last two miles when I developed the strategy of counting my steps to keep my mind off my discomfort. I ran for 500 then allowed myself to walk for 100. The run took me 1 hour 26 minutes 57 seconds, a whole 10 minutes slower than elephant man.
Total time was 3 hours 45 minutes 15 seconds, which is 14 minutes better than elephant man, a new pr. I feel pretty good about this but I also feel that I clearly need to work on the last two legs. I dropped from being the 42nd collegiate male out of the water (squarely in the middle) to the 87th across the finish line (the very last). I feel that I need to work on the bike the hardest, so that I have some energy left for the run. I've learned a few things for next time. I need to bring my own marker so I don't have to wait in mine to be marked. I need to sunscreen my entire body, even if it's under a trisuit, so that I can peel off my top if need be. I need to stick close to my group (after swapping my glasses for goggles) before the race because your friends become indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd when everyone is wearing wetsuits. I also need to NOT DROP MY WATER BOTTLE! I will do better at nationals next month.
If you are going to competing in this race here's what you need to know. It is not the most organized or best supported race ever. Carry your own nutrition and plenty of water during the bike. Drive the course the day before so you know where the hills are but don't be too freaked out. Go to the awards ceremony at the Javalina Cantina after the race and order some $1 tacos. They will make the race worth it.
