Amid a crowd of early-rising triathletes on Sunday I watched 50 % of age grouper shout hooray when it was announce Hy Vee would be a sprint instead of an Olympic distance. Then announcement came at 5:30am just before transition closed at 5:45. The other 50% were disappointed, and even more of the originally celebrating were disappointed in the end at not being able to do the test they'd prepared for.
The girl next to me in transition had come from Virginia with a coworker from Des Moines to do the tri- the big deal- the big hype in triathlon communities everywhere!
Four to five inch deep trenches of mud at the opening of transition that morning gave way to rivers of 4-5 inch deep muddy waters by 8am as the racers where mostly done.
I had hiked back through the sludge, retrieved my bike and was blasting hot air on my soaking wet body by 9am headed home. So much for making a day of it watching the world cup in the afternoon. I opted for a hot shower for way longer than any conversationalist or gone-green folks would think appropriate.
The race itself? Funny to say the least. Training for an Ironman distance doesn't exactly train your anaerobic system to sprint shall we say? I couldn't settle down in the swim, felt fine on the bike, because I probably didn't power through it like I should a true sprint, and then felt great actually coming off the bike to run. Stopped during run for a bathroom break - not generally something a true sprinter does! And then splashed through puddles and thunder and lightning with an authentic smile on my face- what other normal people must do on a Sunday morning!
Another race experience behind me! Each one a learning experience!
More calm in the swim, more pain in the bike, and more push through the run.
Life's good if these are all you're worried about.
No comments:
Post a Comment