Got inked, got my race kit, and all was set. Luckily, I was given a corner spot - this somehow makes the transition area 'roomier' and makes it easier to locate. After preparing my transition area, all I needed to do was to warm-up (which I did not do). 'Start line stress' got the best of me, and the bathroom beckoned.
I started off in front - hoping to break away and miss some of the kicking and shoving which usually comes with a packed start. I got my rhythm after a few laps, and was in the zone (which is rare because I dread the swim). I had a perfect swim, except for the fact that I had to wrestle Alf for over almost 500 meters. I got out of the pool in just under 17:30 - way quicker than my usual swim time. Maybe the wrestling helped.
A quick transition, and off to the bike leg. I was riding my Cervelo Soloist (aka Sandy) for the first time (built the bike day before the race). I had not been training on dropbars for the past 6 months, so the feeling was alien to me. Levy aka 'Happy Hour' passed me during the last lap of the bike leg - I had been waiting for him to pass me all along. Except for the humps and the fact that somebody was drafting off me on the bike (You know who you are - Mahiya ka! Have some pride!), the bike ride was good. No excuses tho, I hit my target, finishing the bike leg in 1:00 flat.
Another perfect transition, and off to the run . I was feeling a bit dehydrated at this point, and I was beginning to fight cramps and a side stich. About a kilometer or two into the run, Phillip 'Foreign Runner' passed me too. I was certainly struggling. It was at this point that I realized my 'dream' of breaking the 2hr mark was not within reach. I dug deep but it was not enough. I bonked...
A run time of 42minutes brought the total to 2:04. I managed to finish 5th in my age bracket, and 23rd overall. What suprised me was that I posted a the 7th fastest swim split. I cannot complain about my time since it was decent, considering the fact that I had spent the past month vacationing.
Thanks to Hannah for full race coverage (despite her aching legs from her previous day's Half Marathon). Thanks to TEAM SUPER for support as well! You guys really ARE SUPER! Thanks to Vince for the parts :D
Congrats to the Winners, Suzi for finishing 1st in her age bracket, Levy for finishing 3rd and Phillip for finishing 4th in their age brackets.
5 comments:
Javy, kawawa ka naman sa running leg mo. You did so well on your swim. If you can bring all three legs together, I think there will be few to catch you. Great to have caught up with you. Sorry I was in such a rush on Sunday but will chat more at the next race. If you were not so heavy I would have picked you up passing you in the run ha ha ha ha. Are you doing the duathlon Sunday? See you soon. Great tri and the best swim ever, you have to give me tips.
Thanks buddy! If you pickup on your swim, it's you that would be difficult to catch.
Yes, I will be there Sunday. See ya!
It is easier to pick up on running than on swimming. Keep it up and keep logging those miles. It will help with the endurance. I realised why my run was slow. Today I took my water bottle from my bike and found I forgot to drink the gatorade while cycling. My bottle was still full.... stupid me, can you believe it, no wonder I was dehydrated. See you on Sunday.
Philip,
I had the exact same problem. Tho I had my GU, I didn't have my Gatorade.
Unfortunately I could not manage to run well on fumes.
At least we get something out of each race :)
I'll be focusing on running and cycling during the Tri/Du offseason. I hope something good comes out of it :)
Ayos, you'll be at the dua! See you there! :)
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