So I headed over to the pool to get started and did my 750m. 15m30s is a pretty good time for the swim, I was doing well. The almost 6 minutes transition was partly because my shoes were in a locker and my bike was also locked to a post. I'm sure that I can do much better at the race. I was very surprised at how light headed I felt rushing out of the pool. Having experienced it now will probably help me do better and realize that it's normal when I do the triathlon for real.Then for the bike portion (30km, 1h15). I seemed to catch all the red lights! Didn't those guys know I was being timed? I can't say I'm completely satisfied with the bike portion, I thought I would be much faster. Still, I am encouraged by the speed of the few segments where I did not have to stop at a light.
My transition into the run (5km, 25m52s) was pretty smooth. It could have been faster but I think I managed to do pretty well. The run was a bit though. Slogging through what would usually be a routine easy distance was very humbling. I tried to kick it with no juices left in the tank. Thankfully I had some beautiful positively uplifting music to carry me through. What a relief it was when I finally reached my goal. The Endorphin lemon had been squeezed dried and a sense of accomplishment coursed through my veins as I began my stretching.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed by the 2h05m total time. I'm really glad I did this simulation to know more what to expect. I realize now that I will have to work extra hard to get my 1h45m goal. I can probably shave off 15m on the bike portion on account of traffic alone. Making sure I have smooth transitions and proper tapering/fueling should take care of the rest.Yesterday's practice run also served to validate my wardrobe strategy of wearing my swimming jammers the whole way.
Surprisingly enough, while I am a bit sore today, nothing really hurts. I'm taking this as a positive sign that I have finally adjusted to triathlon training after a bout of various overuse injuries.
In the mix today was Big Wigs and Astralasia's Something Somewhere.
Nice mock tri! I think going from horizontal to vertical suddenly is why you often get lightheaded initially coming out of the swim. Also, for many, T1 is when they're HR is the highest (although I'm not sure that's the case with me). And make sure not to wear your MP3 player during your race (it's a DQ).
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
Sounds like you did well on your mock-tri! Race endorphins will give you a boost, too!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to do a mock tri, awesome times too!!
ReplyDeleteYou will do great! Good idea with the mock tri!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! You will definitely be more than prepared on race day. I bet race day adrenaline and lack of traffic will get your to your goal, no problem!
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