The weather is expected to be pretty warm on Sunday with temperatures in the low to mid 80s during the race. This alters my race plan a bit and I have lowered some expectations since yesterday. Here goes:
I’ll be wearing a pink swim cap (as mandated by the race organizers for my race group). It is an appropriate color for us age-groupers. Our race will start with wave 9 at 7:25AM. I was hoping for an earlier start because of the heat, but hey start the sprint triathlon waves first.
Swim: I plan to swim in smooth long strokes, concentrating on form and keeping my head tucked in except when sighting. We will be going against the sun so I hope to draft off someone just a bit faster than me. Basically, the idea is to swim the entire 1,500 meters at a relaxed pace of slightly faster than 2 minutes per 100 meters. Swim time: around 28 minutes
T1: I’ll jog over to the transition area and stand on my towel to wipe off my feet as I wear my headband, sunglasses, heart belt and race belt. The socks and shoes will come next followed by the helmet. I expect to drink a bit of liquid (Gatorade Endurance mixed in with Carbo Pro) and eating a stinger waffle during transition. T1 time: around 3 minutes
Bike: The word that I need to remember is “relax.” I tend to get carried away during this leg and not save enough for the run. I know I am not a strong biker and tend to compensate by revving up my heart-rate above what it should be. I need to watch my heartrate and my speed to make sure my effort is at level 2 and 3 (and not level 4). If I play my cards right, I will average between 17 and 18 miles per hour. I expect to consume one full bottle of nutrition (about 200 calories) during the bike leg. This will also help me with hydration during the race. Bike time: about 1 hour and 25 minutes
T2: This transition should be relatively fast. All I need to do is remove my helmet and headband, put on a cap and change from bike shoes to running shoes. I will carry a stinger waffle with me as I start the run and eat it over the first mile or so. T2 time: less than 2 minutes
Run: It will be past 9:30AM when I start the run and the sun will be scorching. Keeping cool will be important. I expect to carry a sponge in one hand that I will dip in ice at each water station. My mantra “relax and flow” will be important to remember. I hope to do the first 3 miles averaging around 8:30 per mile. If I have anything left, I will do the next three miles at an average of 8:15, 8:00 and 7:45 respectively. Run time: about 50 minutes
If all goes as per plan, I will be right at my PR. If I am close, I will give it an all-out effort in the last mile. If I am ahead, I will cruise on home; if I am behind, I will simply lick my wounds.
As for today’s workout, I went to Lifetime Fitness only to find some sort of kiddy swim-meet in the outdoor pool. It was crowded. Fortunately, Shelly saved a lane for us and we were able to get a 2,000 meter ladder swim in.
I have enjoyed my conversations with Jon Bird. He has a wealth of triathlon knowledge. He has given me a couple of bike handling tips that I expect to experiment with tomorrow. I’ll post a picture of his P5 Cervelo tomorrow. It’s a badadd bike.