It was time to go fast, fast, fast this time. So, to do so,
last Sunday, I drove to Morgantown, West Virginia to race Wells Fargo Olympic-distance
triathlon. The race distance (0.9 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6 mile run) was
definitely out of my comfort zone where one has to go very fast, and at times
anaerobic, from start to finish. I have trained hard all year and wanted to see
how fast I can race three weeks before Ironman Hawaii.
Morgantown is about 210 miles due east of Columbus. Unlike
any other time, this time, I decided to drive there on the morning of the race
for the 8:30 start. The four hours it took to drive there went very fast and at
about 6 o’clock I was one of the first athletes checking-in. It was raining
hard the day before and the weather forecast called for about 65F and no rain.
No rain is always good, I thought, but 65F may be a bit too cold. I still
remember Rev3 Knoxville earlier this year. The water temperature read 70F, thus
wetsuits were allowed.
First buoys are slowly emerging from darkness
All checked-in
The swim was designed as a two-lap rectangle in the “Mon”
River. The water seemed muddy for the heavy rain that pummeled the area. The
open levy just upstream made the current very strong to the point that the
organizers moved the venue upstream and shortened the course to about 800-1,000
meters. This pushed back the start of the race, but at 9:30 we were finally off.
This was a very fast swim, by any measure, as I exited the water in just over 8
minutes. It felt as if swimming downhill.
Debating the swim venue. In the end, it was moved upstream due to an excessively strong current.
And missing out on this attraction.
Next, a short run to the transition area. T1 is my least
favorite discipline in triathlon, as getting out of the wetsuit always triggers
cramps in my adductor muscles. This time, I had to pound on them with my fist
to let go. Needless to say, this translated into a longer transition time.
Giving away “free time” never feels good, but the race was on and it was the
time to chase the competition.
The bike course measured 22 miles and took athletes just
outside of the city limits for an out-and-back, traffic-ridden ride. I believe,
the one-hour delay to the start may have had something to do with that.
Nevertheless the ride felt smooth and I was pushing a high gear. In 61 minutes
I was back in the transition racking my bike. A couple of minutes later I was
settling into a steady pace on this flat and shaded course. On this out-and-back,
two loop course, I was able to spot my competitors and gauge the time I had to
make up. I felt very good and light on my feet, maintaining a steady pace of
about 6:40-minute mile. At the final turn around, and with about 1.5 miles
to go, I was about 4 and 2 minutes behind the 1st and the 2nd, respectively.
With about 200 yards to go I could almost touch the runner ahead of me, but in
the end, I ran out of the real estate to do so. In the end, I finished the race
in 1 hour 57 minutes to take the third place. Twelve seconds separated me from
the second and 2 minutes from the first place. Losing about four extra minutes
in transitions was the “free time” I ended up giving away. So, another lesson
had been learned. Triathlon, as it turns out, is a four-discipline sport.
An icing on the cake.
Now, only a few days are separating me from my second trip
to Kona. Since my accident on the Big Island on October 9, 2012, I have trained
hard and raced hard in preparation for the upcoming ultimate test of endurance.
Ironman Hawaii will take place on Saturday, October 12th, and I look forward to
toeing the starting line with some of the best professional and age-group
athletes in the world.
The race will be streamed live on the Internet at
www.ironmanlive.com
