Lake LV Sprint Triathlon

This time last year, I was sitting at my desk writing a race report for this race. Although it was for the Olympic distance race and not the Sprint distance race. Last year, I felt deeply fatigued for at least a week afterwards. Like I tried to work out, but physically couldn't do it. I trained differently this year and shortened the race distance, and, gosh dang it if it didn't work out.

I love to train plain and simple. Even if there aren't any races on the horizon, or ever, I would still be out running, swimming, cycling, paddling, skiing, whatever. I really love to race. It doesn't matter if its against someone else or racing myself, i love the competition. I know I was going up against some pretty fast guys. Bruce Balch is a fast guy. He won the sprint distance last year, he has national sponsors, the guy can race. Pierre Latorneau is fast too. I've been on bike rides with him, and he hammers!! I was excited to race these guys. I started really crunching numbers about 3 weeks out from race day and, on paper, I really could have beat those guys. Reality is that a top 5 would be awesome.

Race Day

It was cool as we stepped out of the car in the parking lot off the Loews resort at Lake LV, dang cool. It was 5 am and Tristan and I hopped out of the car after listening to the best pre-race playlist ever. The blood was pumping, we were ready to race. I gathered my gear, helmet included this time, and we made our way to transition area where JB and I had dropped our bikes the night before. Tristan was loosy goosy, so was I. It was still chilly. I got transition set up perfectly. Gels zip tied to my frame, running shoes properly positioned, helmet glasses resting perfectly on my brakes cables, glasses in their place, perfect. About this time JB and tutu show up, cool, Jb looks fresh as a daisy and he has the pump for a last minute air top off in the bike tires. We chit chat for a minute, JB heads off to his bike to set a few things in order and Tristan and I decide its time to head to the water's edge to warm up for the swim. We get to the water and its not the reported 81 degrees as reported earlier, I'll give it a solid 77. Nice temp if the ambient temp wasn't chilly as well. I'm got a few odd looks as I decided long ago I would go super triathlon old school and do the entire race in just a speedo brief. Back in the day that was all there was, no funky skinsuits, no funny looking bikes with weird handle bars and solid wheels. I was going standard road bike and a speedo. Tristan jumps in and starts to loosen his arms up. I on the other hand am shivering from the cold. Oh just go jump in, so I did. Warm up done, i feel good, great water temp. All systems go. Last minute course briefing, line up.....AIR HORN!! I was off. 10 strokes out I've already established no one is going to go out with me, no one wants to come play. Good I don't play well with others when I'm racing, especially swimming. Cross under the pedestrian bridge and sight the first buoy. Where the hell is the big orange buoy?? Yup, the one that is as big as a mini Cooper, and ORANGE? Where are you? Oh, you must be just in front of that other big orange thing...the sun!! I was sighting directly into the sun rising on the horizon. I couldn't see the buoy for the life of me only nearly swimming into it because I didn't see it to the sides where I could see. Rounded the first buoy and now I can put my head down and move. My stroke was long, I felt great. I was swimming with the wind at my back and the shop pushing me a little. At the turn to come home though the chop was directly on my forehead. Cool, this will demoralize the rest of the swimmers. I can stretch out a little more, make some minor stroke adjustments and before I know it, I'm dodging some swimmers that are heading out, having started in a wave after mine. I dodge 3-4 and sight the finish. the beach is still crowded with racers waiting their wave start. I exit the water and split the people like Moses parting the Red Sea. Perfect place, JB slaps me on the ass from the left and Tristan hollers from the right. C'mon legs lets get to work. I use the little run up to transition to catch my breath a little. First out of the water. YES! Into transition and it goes smoothly. On my bike and heading out onto to road.

I knew the guys behind me were good cyclists, really good cyclists. I also knew about blowing up the year before in the Olympic distance having ridden too hard on the bike and not having any left for the run. These 2 things were dancing around in my mind as I started to climb out of Lake LV. I said screw it. I grabbed the drops and put my head down and pedaled all out. I felt good on the first half of the bike. I make it to the turnaround at about 8.5 miles and I still had the lead with the added bonus of seeing my competition coming at me and knowing how far back they were. They could also see me. I thought this is still my race to loose, so I hammered on as hard as I could go. I was fading a little on the inclines a result of not enough hills in my training leading up to the race (mentally noted as well). 10 miles into the bike, 7 to go, and the first guy passes me, its Pierre. He is on a tri specific aero bike and I might as well have been standing still, he flew past me. No chance of grabbing his wheel, or his jersey, or anything else that would have helped me along. 12 miles in and the next 2 pass, one of which was Bruce. I was able to bury myself in the suitcase of courage and hold a wheel for a little while, a very little while. As we enter Lake LV, the final guy passes me and I laid down the lay right there, no one else passes. I made it into transition and all goes well until my second shoe, the tongue decides to slip down my foot. I spent 40 seconds trying to fish that damn thing back up. Got it, kinda. My legs are really tired, I can feel it. Gotta run, and I will not walk, its only 3 miles. I see the guys ahead of me as they race back from the turnaround on the run. I start to feel a little rhythm and i lengthen my stride a little. Can I catch the guy in front of me? He's not that far ahead, lets see what happens. I open it up and start to cruise a little, but the guy isn't coming towards me. I ease off. I finished in 1:33.34, good for 4th overall, 1st in my age group. Only 4 mins out of 2nd overall. Anyone guessing as to what the goal will be next year? See you all there. I gotta go swim, 8 km. swim out at the Lake in 3 weeks.