Friends and family,
Here is a quick run down of my race at the Wildflower triathlon in California May 2, 2009.
Last weekend I raced in the Wildflower long course (1/2 Ironman) triathlon near San Luis Obispo, CA. This season I am fortunate to be a member of the USAT Trade Team, and the Wildflower was a great first race of the season to gauge where my fitness is and to take some of the new equipment for a test run.
Friday afternoon and Friday evening before the race it rained at the camping site and threatened to rain the morning of the race. Compared to what I’m used to, it was a pretty warm morning (a little humid), the clouds were thinning, and it looked like it was going to be a pretty nice day. After a quick warm up, 77 professional athletes lined up to start the race. The swim went off without a hitch, and although many of the very fast swimmers were immediately off the front, I settled in at a comfortable pace. I came out of the swim at 28:51 which was a 90 second personal best for the 1.2 mile swim. Very Stoked.
The bike course was very hilly, and the first mile was one of the most difficult, as it climbed straight up out of the lake basin. My Blue Competition Cycles time trial bike is brand new, and I had only gotten a few rides in on it before race day. I felt comfortable with my position and settled in for one of the most difficult ½ Ironman bike courses in the country. The first 5 miles were a bit sluggish as I warmed up, but the majority of the 56 miles felt really smooth and fast. All said and done, I was 9 minutes off the fastest bike split of the day and was extremely happy with my new bike and Zipp wheels. I passed about 22 athletes and felt strong the whole way.
I started the run with a bit of a sore back and hips, which I attribute to not enough time on the new race bike and a night of camping/sleeping on the ground. My legs felt decent, but I had difficulty opening up into a fast stride. The run course mimicked the bike in difficulty with virtually no flat sections—just continually rolling hills. I took salt tablets from Succeed and Powergels at miles 4 and 10, and I had absolutely no nutritional problems during the race. The Avia Bolt racing flats were very comfortable and stable over the dirt sections. My run split was slower than I had anticipated and what I believe my fitness is capable of, but I was extremely happy with a personal best in the swim and a competitive bike split. It is still early in the season, and it will only get easier to run fast off the bike
My hat goes off to the Wildflower crew for putting on a well-organized and fun race. It was exciting to race head to head with many of the best triathletes in the world, including my dad who finished his first ½ Ironman at Wildflower. A mild sunburn and some mild soreness later, I am very pleased with the experience and am already planning a return trip next year.
Here is a quick run down of my race at the Wildflower triathlon in California May 2, 2009.
Last weekend I raced in the Wildflower long course (1/2 Ironman) triathlon near San Luis Obispo, CA. This season I am fortunate to be a member of the USAT Trade Team, and the Wildflower was a great first race of the season to gauge where my fitness is and to take some of the new equipment for a test run.
Friday afternoon and Friday evening before the race it rained at the camping site and threatened to rain the morning of the race. Compared to what I’m used to, it was a pretty warm morning (a little humid), the clouds were thinning, and it looked like it was going to be a pretty nice day. After a quick warm up, 77 professional athletes lined up to start the race. The swim went off without a hitch, and although many of the very fast swimmers were immediately off the front, I settled in at a comfortable pace. I came out of the swim at 28:51 which was a 90 second personal best for the 1.2 mile swim. Very Stoked.
The bike course was very hilly, and the first mile was one of the most difficult, as it climbed straight up out of the lake basin. My Blue Competition Cycles time trial bike is brand new, and I had only gotten a few rides in on it before race day. I felt comfortable with my position and settled in for one of the most difficult ½ Ironman bike courses in the country. The first 5 miles were a bit sluggish as I warmed up, but the majority of the 56 miles felt really smooth and fast. All said and done, I was 9 minutes off the fastest bike split of the day and was extremely happy with my new bike and Zipp wheels. I passed about 22 athletes and felt strong the whole way.
I started the run with a bit of a sore back and hips, which I attribute to not enough time on the new race bike and a night of camping/sleeping on the ground. My legs felt decent, but I had difficulty opening up into a fast stride. The run course mimicked the bike in difficulty with virtually no flat sections—just continually rolling hills. I took salt tablets from Succeed and Powergels at miles 4 and 10, and I had absolutely no nutritional problems during the race. The Avia Bolt racing flats were very comfortable and stable over the dirt sections. My run split was slower than I had anticipated and what I believe my fitness is capable of, but I was extremely happy with a personal best in the swim and a competitive bike split. It is still early in the season, and it will only get easier to run fast off the bike
My hat goes off to the Wildflower crew for putting on a well-organized and fun race. It was exciting to race head to head with many of the best triathletes in the world, including my dad who finished his first ½ Ironman at Wildflower. A mild sunburn and some mild soreness later, I am very pleased with the experience and am already planning a return trip next year.
I now gear up for the Apple Duathlon May 23rd, Duathlon Long Course National Championships May 31st, and Boise 70.3 Triathlon June 13th. Wish me luck!
GREAT job, Justin! that took me back! Faaabulous swim!! Yuck on the camping. Yuck!!
ReplyDeleteLynne