***View From The TRI-Pad on Race Morning In 2004 this was my first open water swim triathlon. I had a terrible swim, a slow bike with my legs burning and arms aching, and a survival shuffle of a run. I was totally out of my comfort zone. I finished way down the list with a time of 1:28, disappointed, harboring an emotional triathlon scar (first of many). I will always remember the race in 2004. In each of the 5 other years I have done this race I have always raced uneasy with the thought of the first year. I have however, with the exception of racing sick in 2008, become progressively better and gained confidence to do well at this race.
The fact that the hard work has taken me from a 1:28 to a 1:05 is pretty satisfying. Call it being self righteous or whatever, but it means a lot to me. No one will ever know what it took over the last HALF DECADE...and YES, it was worth the it in the end, it always is. This was a great trip and a successful race, myself, Kevin, Mackenzie rolled up to the race in style. We had over 10 thousand dollars worth of Cervelo Triathlon bikes (3) on the back of my new car, I wish everyday was triathlon day. Basically, this was a great day of family friends, and competition.
***Our group worked very hard this year, it paid off, Kevin and Mackenzie both medaled in their division in the Olympic distance race.
***My friend Evan also had a great day, 4th in the Olympic race, setting the pavement on fire during the bike. THE RACE: This Spring Meadow runs two races at the same time, a sprint distance and and olympic distance. This has been voted Montana's best venue for many years so you can always count on numerous strong competitors in both race distances. This year, as in all of the past years I have raced, had both the olympic and sprint distance champions in the field, as well as other fast racers that I know very well.
When I was warming up for the swim I was confident I would swim well against the field. I was fresh off a great swim at Janet's Triathlon and had confidence to swim hard. When we started I was surprised how fast the pace was, people zoomed past on both sides, a few even went over my back in their haste to get to the front. Taken back, I hit the first buoy swimming incredibly hard and holding to what appeared to be about 10th place, what the heck?!
Along the back stretch I could not swim a straight line, I was sighting my mark every 3 strokes but still found myself pulling hard to the left, wasting energy and time. I also found my swim muscles in my upper body to be feeling tired and a bit stiff. I did my best to stay calm, reassuring myself triathlons are never won in the swim, the bike and the run will decide how will be winning. I managed to straighten out my line while swimming from through the stiffness in my shoulders and back. I picked up a few spots every couple of minutes as I would draft the feet in front of me, pass, and repeat.
I could see the lead kayak, escorting the lead swimmer, a ridiculous ways ahead. I finally managed to hit the shore and exit the water. I left the water in 4th place and almost 90 seconds behind the leader. Normally, I wouldn't be happy with that much distance but I didn't really care, with the way I have been cycling this year I knew I could catch the leaders. It would hurt and be hard to do but I thought I had what it took to do it.
I have always maintained the importance of transitions, this would be prime opportunity to gain an advantage in that preparation. I entered T1 in 4th, before getting to my bike rack I had my wetsuit down to my waist and my goggles, ear plugs, and swim cap off. I tossed the goggles etc. onto the grass outside of transition, zipped the ankle zippers and slipped my legs out of my suit. Tossing it out of transition also, on top of my goggles. I quickly put on my number belt, sunglasses, and helmet. I unracked my white P3 and ran it to the mount line. Having a great T1 I passed a racer to exit in 3rd place, and scuffed off 13 seconds of the leader's 90 second lead.
***Watch out Camera Man!
***The Infamous Flyin' Mount Out of Transition 1
***Working To Put My Feet Into My Shoes I hit the mount line and hopped aboard my P3, slithered my feet into my shoes, made the sweeping corner exiting the lake, and gave my ride the gas. I felt great immediately on the bike. Within a mile I had caught 2nd place. I accelerated, turning over my large chain ring, and quickly slipped by the 2nd place guy and could see the leader (last years defending champion) in the distance.
Relatively speaking a minute is not long in terms of time, but when you are on a bike you can cover a lot of distance in one minute considering you are riding at 22 or 23 mph....roughly 2000 feet, or 6.5 football fields. 6.5 football fields was the gap between me and leader at mile 1.5. The way out to the bike turn-around is slightly uphill with a few rollers thrown in. That suited a chaser because it was on the inclines that I could pull time back. I keeped my head down and the power to my cranks. I knew I was catching the leader, slowly but surely. At mile 3 I had cut the lead to 20 seconds, at mile 4 I was on the leader.
I waited for the base of the hill at the 4.25 mile mark before I attempted to pass. At the base I the hill I gave full power, pulled alongside, then past the leader. I cut back into line and kept the power on. I made myself hold that pace until mile 5, at which time I would allow myself an over the shoulder peek at his position...he was gapped to about 30 seconds so I allowed my burning quads a minute to rest. I knew I had the advantage on the return to the lake because the decline of the road affords for high speeds, speeds that are enhanced by my super aerodynamic position and large FSA chain ring.
I hit the turnaround and took a split to 2nd and 3rd place, 43 and 61 seconds respectively. I always like the out and back courses because you get to see everyone on their way out. I always take pride in being the leader that people look at. I always want to tell them that "you can do it," because for many years I looked at the leaders wishing I was them. Hard work does wonders :) I rode quickly back towards the lake, always maintaining an aero position, only coming out of the saddle to "dance on the pedals" as I gave the climbs everything I had in my legs. I made the sweeping corner to enter the park, slid my feet out of my shoes and readied myself to hit the ground running.
I had a great T2, and felt great heading onto the run. I was not sure what my lead was but I was not going to wait around and find out. I had scrunched my insole up into the toe box in my haste but decided not to stop to fix it, hello blister, it eventually flattened in my shoe. I felt great, despite the hard bike ride, for the first portion of the run that perimeters the lake. I heard the announcer saying that last year's winner was just leaving T2, I don't wear a watch but I figured I had at least 2 minutes on him.
The first mile came easy, I had an opportunity to see the chasers on a hairpin corner, plenty of time. I continued to run well, I was very surprised how great my legs felt. I have had strong run segments this year but this was going to be great one. Don't get me wrong it hurt but the triathlon exemplifies the best statement I have ever conjured up...it's pure gold, here it is......it is NOT how or what you can do when you are fresh, everyone is "the man" when they are not hurting, it is what you do when you are exhausted and tired that decides who is tough. Do you quit or do you find another level that you thought was impossible? Ever wonder why the fastest triathletes in the world are within a small percentage of each other physically yet the same few always seem to win?...they find that other level when they think they are maxed out. That level is easier to talk about than achieve, but I at least have the conceptual and philosophical knowledge to know it exists. I repeated, "it' easy to be the man when you are fresh, it's what you do when you tired that determines the 'winners,'" in my head.
I continued to run hard, with .6 miles to go the adrenaline of winning kicked in, I looked over my shoulder, no one in sight. I ran hard to the three mile mark, knowing I had a heck of a split going, I felt so great I kicked the last 45 seconds of the race and finished with a huge smile on my face, I had won again! I had a great run split of 20:24 which for me feels amazing because I can hardly run any miles thanks to the knee injury. It is easy to get caught up in times and accomplishments but it's more than that. I try not to buy into my own hype, I know thousands of people in the world are faster than me, but I am very proud of what I have done, I went to the lowest depth with the knee injury only to rise up to my fastest and most mentally tough version.
Triathlon is not the times, the medals, or the wins. Triathlon is, and always will be about being the "Power Of One."
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