I was going to quit triathlon this year....
I have been doing triathlons since 2009, mostly as a way to stay active and run as little as possible. I hate running, but for some reason I've been blessed with above average ability. I crossed IronMan 70.3 off my bucket list in 2016 and with a baby on the way in 2017 I knew it was going to be hard to find time to do anything outside of work and being a dad.
I'm thankful to have connected with some new friends from Church that mentioned they had thought about doing a triathlon. Suddenly we were texting weekly about swim, bike, run, which is obviously a gateway to actually swimming, biking and running and before I knew it I was waking up at the crack of dawn to sneak in rides and runs before my family woke up and going for swims and runs at lunch during the work week.
I had not previously been a morning person and tended to get my workouts at the expense of family time. With this new approach of early rising I was able to train and still help get the girls off to school on my days and have our evenings as a family.
RACE BREAKDOWN
Cardinal Sprint - 400m/20km/5km (8:58 swim (includes T1), 39:27 bike, 1:28 T2, 25:11 run)
Total time: 1:15:04
22nd overall, 20th male, 3rd in age group!
My very first Age group podium! It really never occurred to me that it was even possible as I had historically been several minutes off the pace.
This race is awesome and I hope it becomes a Louisville staple. You get to swim in a big time college swim facility, ride around campus with views of the football stadium and Churchill Downs and run a winding course through the heart of the University of Louisville campus.
Tri Louisville - 750m/20km/5km (18:51 swim, 1:03 T1, 36:16 Bike, 0:55 T2, 24:26 Run)
Total Time: 1:21:33 (I need to learn to swim straighter in open water)
42nd overall, 5th in age group.
I had signed up for this race in the past and not participated. I'm glad I did this year. The open water swim made it clear to me that I have a lot to improve upon, given the zig zag nature of my gps. It was the first race I had ever averaged over 20mph on the bike, which I hope is a new tradition.
Derby City Tri Fecta - 1500m/40km/10km (36:16 swim, 1:16 T1, 1:11:12 bike, 1:29 T2, 48:42 Run)
Total Time: 2:38:50
53rd Overall, 42nd Male, 6th in age group
Still can't swim straight in open water, which probably costs 4 to 6 minutes. The bike leg was very flat, so flat that there was never an opportunity to coast or catch my breath. It's literally like riding the indoor trainer as hard as you can for 40km. As difficult as it was, I'm pleased with the time, coming up just short of a 21 mph average speed.
I never in my wildest dreams thought I could break an hour for the 10k after swimming and biking. Imagine my surprise that I came in under 50 minutes and negative split the run!
I'm considering this one of my two best races since I started triathlon. I rode and ran faster than the goals I'd set for myself and improved on my overall time at this distance by 23 minutes.
Bowling Green Sprint - 400m/20km/5km (8:02 swim, 0:40 T1, 41:23 Bike, 1:01 T2, 23:34 Run)
Total Time: 1:14:31
20th Overall, 19th Male, 5th in age group
Of the 15 Triathlons I've competed in, this is my best to date. I've done this race 4 times and improved each time out. This includes a nearly 6 minute improvement over 2015 and almost 10 minutes since my first attempt in 2010.
This is the most complete race I've put together.
The Swim: 8:02 doesn't do it justice. I was out of the pool at 7:40 and crossed the mat at 8:02. It's the fastest 400m I've ever put together. The great thing about this is that I've never really trained for swimming. I'm confident that with a focus on better technique and volume I can average 1:30/100m or better next season.
The Bike: The goal was 45 minutes, which would have been faster than any of my previous times. 41:23 was unexpected and thrilling. For those that don't know this race, the first half of the bike is full of rolling hills and a long steep climb in the first few miles that forces many off their bikes to walk the hill. For the 3rd straight race I was able to average 20mph+.
The Run: I was hoping to come in under 23 minutes. Given the surprise of the bike time and that I was still able to come in at 23:34 I am thrilled.
What's next?
At a minimum, I'm registered for IM70.30 Chattanooga in 2018. My goal will be to finish as close to 5 hours as possible. That will require specific and consistent training as well as an emphasis on diet that I've never really incorporated (You can tell by the pics).
I have been doing triathlons since 2009, mostly as a way to stay active and run as little as possible. I hate running, but for some reason I've been blessed with above average ability. I crossed IronMan 70.3 off my bucket list in 2016 and with a baby on the way in 2017 I knew it was going to be hard to find time to do anything outside of work and being a dad.
I'm thankful to have connected with some new friends from Church that mentioned they had thought about doing a triathlon. Suddenly we were texting weekly about swim, bike, run, which is obviously a gateway to actually swimming, biking and running and before I knew it I was waking up at the crack of dawn to sneak in rides and runs before my family woke up and going for swims and runs at lunch during the work week.
I had not previously been a morning person and tended to get my workouts at the expense of family time. With this new approach of early rising I was able to train and still help get the girls off to school on my days and have our evenings as a family.
RACE BREAKDOWN
Cardinal Sprint - 400m/20km/5km (8:58 swim (includes T1), 39:27 bike, 1:28 T2, 25:11 run)
Total time: 1:15:04
22nd overall, 20th male, 3rd in age group!
My very first Age group podium! It really never occurred to me that it was even possible as I had historically been several minutes off the pace.
This race is awesome and I hope it becomes a Louisville staple. You get to swim in a big time college swim facility, ride around campus with views of the football stadium and Churchill Downs and run a winding course through the heart of the University of Louisville campus.
Tri Louisville - 750m/20km/5km (18:51 swim, 1:03 T1, 36:16 Bike, 0:55 T2, 24:26 Run)
Total Time: 1:21:33 (I need to learn to swim straighter in open water)
42nd overall, 5th in age group.
I had signed up for this race in the past and not participated. I'm glad I did this year. The open water swim made it clear to me that I have a lot to improve upon, given the zig zag nature of my gps. It was the first race I had ever averaged over 20mph on the bike, which I hope is a new tradition.
Derby City Tri Fecta - 1500m/40km/10km (36:16 swim, 1:16 T1, 1:11:12 bike, 1:29 T2, 48:42 Run)
Total Time: 2:38:50
53rd Overall, 42nd Male, 6th in age group
Still can't swim straight in open water, which probably costs 4 to 6 minutes. The bike leg was very flat, so flat that there was never an opportunity to coast or catch my breath. It's literally like riding the indoor trainer as hard as you can for 40km. As difficult as it was, I'm pleased with the time, coming up just short of a 21 mph average speed.
I never in my wildest dreams thought I could break an hour for the 10k after swimming and biking. Imagine my surprise that I came in under 50 minutes and negative split the run!
I'm considering this one of my two best races since I started triathlon. I rode and ran faster than the goals I'd set for myself and improved on my overall time at this distance by 23 minutes.
Bowling Green Sprint - 400m/20km/5km (8:02 swim, 0:40 T1, 41:23 Bike, 1:01 T2, 23:34 Run)
Total Time: 1:14:31
20th Overall, 19th Male, 5th in age group
Of the 15 Triathlons I've competed in, this is my best to date. I've done this race 4 times and improved each time out. This includes a nearly 6 minute improvement over 2015 and almost 10 minutes since my first attempt in 2010.
This is the most complete race I've put together.
The Swim: 8:02 doesn't do it justice. I was out of the pool at 7:40 and crossed the mat at 8:02. It's the fastest 400m I've ever put together. The great thing about this is that I've never really trained for swimming. I'm confident that with a focus on better technique and volume I can average 1:30/100m or better next season.
The Bike: The goal was 45 minutes, which would have been faster than any of my previous times. 41:23 was unexpected and thrilling. For those that don't know this race, the first half of the bike is full of rolling hills and a long steep climb in the first few miles that forces many off their bikes to walk the hill. For the 3rd straight race I was able to average 20mph+.
The Run: I was hoping to come in under 23 minutes. Given the surprise of the bike time and that I was still able to come in at 23:34 I am thrilled.
What's next?
At a minimum, I'm registered for IM70.30 Chattanooga in 2018. My goal will be to finish as close to 5 hours as possible. That will require specific and consistent training as well as an emphasis on diet that I've never really incorporated (You can tell by the pics).
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