Sunday, September 23, 2007

Tri for Sight Race Report

So one of the goals I had set for this year was to podium at a race. I thought this would push me to train harder and work for some goals. That said, let's get on this race report, shall we?

I wasn't quite as strict with the diet this week. I had already put in 90+ miles on the bike prior to the race. I drank beer on friday, I ate pork and beef at the company picnic on saturday. I just didn't care. I told a couple friends friday night that I was either going to podium or blow up on the run. Saturday night, I had a splitting headache. I think it was due to large stressors in my environment the past few days. Dealing with the fallout of getting run off the road on thursday afternoon during my long run, having to call 911 for a guy having a stroke or heart attack at my company golf scramble, etc could have both contributed to it. Thankfully, I have a great girlfriend who took care of me and helped me get ready last night while I was laying on the couch, hurtin'.

7 am races are early, so I got up at 5 still with a bit of a headache. I popped an Excedrin Migraine, drank some coffee, a diet coke, and ate some cereal. I was ready.

Swim: 800m, 14:29 (1:47/100m)

It was a pool swim, and I felt really good. Passed about 3 or 4 people, was passed by one. these times seem long to me, but everybody's times are slow. Maybe I need to swim more. 500 yds this week is a bit thin.

T1: Long run from the pool to the Community College included: 4:14

Bike: 18+ miles, 49:55 (21.6 mph)

I didn't feel all that great on the bike today, and apparently I need to take a class on gear shifting. I threw my chain again. It's a pretty hilly course, but fun day out there regardless. Guy I know caught me at the end of the bike, and I knew I was going to have to hammer the run if I was going to beat him.

T2: nothing much to tell other than dropping my bike into my leg and gaining a nasty cut. 1:01

Run: 4 miles, 25:04, (6:16/mile)

I didn't know I was running this fast, but I was trying to hold true to my blow up/podium promise. It hurt, but I kept passing people and finished pretty strong. I beat my friend on the run by 2:30. Beat him overall by 12 seconds. whew!

Overall: 1:34:41, 7th overall (out of about 300 I think) 1st/23 in AG.

One guy in AG actually beat me, but he won the overall and is trying to qualify for nationals. Dude's fast. So I got the AG trophy (pics later). Needless to say I'm pretty stoked.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so proud of you. You did a great job and I know you are going to kick some A in Miami!!!

Mark said...

Very nice bro!

Steve Cullum said...

Nicely done. Sounds like a great race. After all that caffeine it may not be all surprising though....

Sorry to hear about the getting run off the road. I got hit on the bike once (it was pretty much my fault, i was riding in the sidewalk). I saw it coming, and sped up as much as I could to get out of the way, but the minivan caught my rear triangle, and slid me sideways a bit. I kept going, because like you, I knew I was angry, and would be ready to fight (is this a Cullum reaction, or one everyone has??). About a block later I started to realize what happened, and just started to shake. All that said, it's scary, and there's not much you can do about it.

Some people really think it's funny to run bikers and runners off the road. Others seem to think we haven't any right to be on it, but some just make mistakes (very bad ones). I hope the guy who tried to hit you realizes how dangerous his actions were, and do that again. Amazing how his story changed when he was talking to you-it's a whole lot easier to lie when the person you harmed is not around. Anyway, good luck in figuring out what to do. I like the reporting to the BBB and filing a report with the po-po's ideas.

Sandy said...

That's great Sam! Happy for you and looking forward to cheering you on at IM Miami.