Did our first open water swim of the season today. Officially kicking off the "Road To Tradition's." My third year to compete in Tradition's Triathlon. It was my first official event, back in 2011. Improved in 2012. Hoping to improve even more in 2013.
Nice sized crowd for this initial training event. So many new faces. Good to see folks take the plunge (literally!) Unfortunately for them, it turned out to be the coldest temperature ever in the lake. Mid to low sixties. Several folks couldn't actually do an entire lap. But, two young ladies did it without wetsuits! One came up red as a lobster. After my first lap (600 meters) my feet were numb. But it felt good and I did a second lap. Much quicker and smoother second time around the course. Able to see the turnaround point. Able to pace myself. Didn't have to stop to catch my breath and very proud of my performance, even though I zig zagged too much.
Slow transition to the bike. But I caught up with several folks and helped guide several of the newbies through the course. Average speed felt stronger than previous years. Able to relax more. Breath easier. And despite not hydrating ahead of time or having any fuel during the ride, I still managed to set a new PR of 53:17 on the course. Proud of that, but I know I'll do better come race day.
Concluded with a short 1 mile run. Just to get my legs under me. Ran with my previous elementary school coach: Eddie Holmes. Wouldn't have gone as far or as fast without him, and we completed the mile in 7:59! For me, a fantastic pace. Super proud of that.
Two more weekends of training. I'll add one more lap to my swim, focusing on the last leg, and add a mile each week to my run. Feeling confident right now. But there's still plenty of room for improvement.
Going to be a great triathlon season for your geeky narrator. Better, stronger, faster. Or I'll die trying.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
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