The swim was the same double loop time trial start course again - they pulled out the first turn buoy another 250 yards and added another sighting buoy. I decided to focus on drafting for this swim so I found a pair of feet and followed them for the first loop. After that the guy I was drafting started to slow so I spent the next lap hopping from feet to feet until I finished.
The bike was a very challenging two loop course through the state park. The course was an excellent balance of difficult climbs and scenic views. While descending the first big climb I learned a valuable lesson - dental hygiene and cycling to not mix well. I had just eaten a Cliff bar (wild cherry - yum!) and had something stuck between my teeth. I was in the process of picking it out when I hit a large yellow butterfly with my mouth half open. Needless to say it was not a pleasant taste.
During the bike I learned a new trick for dealing with tri-trash. I was getting a bit dismayed by all the discarded Cliff wrappers and gel packs I was seeing along an otherwise pristine state park road. My nutrition plan was pretty simple this time around - two Cliff bars and two gels (along with two bottles of cytomax with two more waiting for me at the 1/2 way point). The idea was to eat the Cliff bars first at one hour intervals and then do the gels at 1/2 hour intervals before the bike/run transition. After I ate the Cliff bars I tucked the empty wrappers under the leg band of my shorts. When I ate the first gel I wasn't sure what to do with it. It was still a bit on the sticky side so I didn't want to tuck it and get a bunch of goo all over me. Instead I pulled out one of the Cliff wrappers and stuck the empty gel packet in there. Then I tucked it back in my shorts. No more tri-trash from me.
The run was the same course we'd been doing for the olympics - a 3.25 mile out and back up a trail in the woods - this time repeated twice. I decided to walk the steeper sections to conserve energy and alternated between water and infinit at the aid stations along the way. It was extremely hot and I was a little worried about dehydrating but in the end I think I ended up drinking too much because my stomach started feeling bloated and sloshy. While walking up one of the steeper sections the second time I got bit on the calf by a horsefly the size of a small trailer that had been harassing me. Overall I walked a lot more than I wanted to - a combination of the heat and the sloshy bloated stomach. I definitely need to come up with a better run nutrition plan when it's hot. On the way back I was passed on the trail by two ambulances. Apparently others were having a far worse day than I was so I sucked it up and kept pushing on giving words of encouragement to others along the way. I was never happier to see a finish line.
All in all this is a great series. Most of the others who were doing the triple were IM veterans many of which were using this as a tune up for Lake Placid. You simply cannot beat the value in this race. The other part that I thought was cool was the camaraderie. For all the races you rack your bike along the same rack so you got to know your rack mates well
If I do it again I'll definitely spend more time doing trail runs over hilly courses. Two days later my ankles are still a little sore - unaccustomed to the twisting of running on steep uneven surfaces. But overall I'm in good shape.
Workout Summary (Sunday)
1 comment:
What an amazing weekend! It makes me tired just reading your reports! :)
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