Bryan Brosious: Two In a Row!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Two In a Row!

*Notice the kit accents match the bike accents, that is skill.

After a solid performance on Saturday, I decided to make the long weekend a “double” and race at the Labor Day Triathlon. I had been consistently riding over 100 miles a weekend and staying close to my recovery supplements so I knew I had to fitness to do it. After the race on Saturday, I made sure to rehydrate and take all my Hammer products at the right times.

After ensuring I got the right amount of sleep by going to bed at 8:00 pm, I felt pretty good despite getting thrashed on the hilly run course of the previous race. Doing a “double” isn’t something to take lightly, the chance of injury is high if you are not rested and recovered.

Driving to the race, the sun was out and the views were beautiful. Three miles out from the race the weather turned dark, windy, cold, and even began to rain. What is up with that?

I bundled up and went through the normal routine of getting ready. I texted Kevin to tell him how bad the weather was. He told me that at least I know I can win in those conditions. He had a good point. The worse the conditions, the better I race.

*Too nice, I need a storm.

*Now that is more like it.

Before the swim start I saw my friend Trev, a really fast racer from Team Raise The Bar. I had a quick chat with him; he also was doing the “double.” I jokingly told him he could swim on my feet and gave him a handshake. I knew he would be right with me in the swim.

The swim started and I felt great. My arms didn’t tie up at all like they had on Saturday. Halfway through the swim I felt a foot tap. “That must be Trev,” I thought. I exited the swim and the race director blared through a bullhorn, “First person out.” Even with earplugs in it was loud. I made a quick look and sure enough Trev and two other guys were right in chase.

I made a fantastic transition and left with about a 5 second lead. The first half of the bike course I tried to stay in the aero bars, stay smooth, and don’t look back. I made the bike turnaround and calculated about a 40 second gap to the chase pack.

For the route back to the park I stayed smooth. One of the last corners is a 90 degree left bend that allows for a good view of what’s happening with the chasers. I looked back; to my surprise a guy riding an insanely sweet Ridley with a Zipp Disc was probably 20 feet behind me. I couldn’t see anyone behind him, but I had company. My speed for the bike was 23.8 mph which was great for a huge wimp like me (I may or may not believe that last statement to be completely true).

I hit T2 to some great cheers and made a quick switch to running shoes. The 2nd place guy was right on me. After racing on Saturday, I was unsure how my run legs would be. I took off out of T2 running conservatively fast. I didn’t look back but I used the separation time between cheers to gauge my lead. I estimated it 10 seconds, max.

After running for a half-mile, I did another gap check by using a group of cheering fans. The gap hadn’t changed much, if anything he was closer than 10 seconds. I told myself, “It’s time to go.” I lifted the effort to near maximal sustainable pace and tried to focus. If that guy wanted to win he had to come get it. At the turnaround I was expecting to see 2nd place right with me. To my surprise he was about a minute back and not looking good. I think he may have started too fast or rode his bike too hard chasing. I told him good job as we passed. Coming up on his heels was Trev. I gave him a side-five and said, “He’s cracked, you can get him.”

I backed down the pace a little and continued my way back to the finish. I did my best to return the cheers I received from oncoming racers, and tried to enjoy my last few minutes. I had received some great cheers from the crowd and broke the tape completing the double. What a lucky weekend. I am so thankful for my success and adventures.