Trail Note: Kirkland Triathlon*
Jeff and I, along with friends Kristen and Rebecca, raced in the Kirkland Triathlon this morning. The distance was 1/2 mile swim / 12 mile bike /3 mile run ( 805 m / 19.3K / 4.8 K for those more metric-minded individuals).
The weather has turned very fall-like the last few weeks: mornings are much darker much later, and it's been rainy with highs in the low 60's and lows around 50 degrees recently. We arrived to pick up our packets at 5:30 for a 7 am start (packet pickup ended at 6, and we were a little nervous about crowds). It was dark (serious night-dark) and raining. Fortunately as the sun rose, the rain stopped, and we were dry for the rest of the morning. The air temp was in the mid-50's when we left the house (it didn't warm up much), colder than the water temperature of Lake Washington, which to my non-wetsuit-clad body felt to be in the mid-60's.
Despite having done very little tri-training, and not having worked out all week (not a deliberate taper, rather the result of a crazy schedule), I felt really good today. I only checked the beginning and the end times, and forgot to watch my watch throughout the checkpoints, so I'm anxiously waiting for the official results. My goal was to finish in under 90 minutes, and I think I finished just under 1:29. What used to be my best leg (the swim) was, I think, my weakest today. I probably finished about halfway through the field (no real idea). I saw very few women on the bike leg, passing about 3 other women, and was only passed by men (those fast ones in the age group that started 5 minutes behind me). I actually felt quite fast on the rather hilly bike portion, passing several men. On the run, I only saw one other woman in my age group: we passed back and forth until we got to the last mile where she took off (she looked very fit and competivite). The two women who did pass me were marked with the "R" on the back of their right leg (mine was marked with my age, 31), so I didn't feel too bad to be passed by members of relay teams. If 3 miles is all they were doing this morning, they should have been running faster than me! I think that I finished the run in 25 or so minutes, which I think is faster than the last 10 K that I ran! I felt remarkably good on the run. Normally my legs feel like blocks of wood on the run portion of a tri; today they still had some spring in them.
I wore my trisuit for the first time (picked up on sale in Vancouver last winter), and it was worth every discounted, favorable-discount-Canadian penny. It provided only the slightest hassel in the rest room, and it was terrific to not have to change or put on shorts, jersey, etc durning the transitions. It was comfy and didn't ride up or bunch or rub or do any of the other annoying and / or sore-inducing things that other thrown-together race ensenbles have done in the past. I don't currently have the tri-body that would look intimidating in the suit (I was a little self conscious about the belly bulge that was probably present as I hunched over my handlebars or the slight jiggle as I ran) but who, other than me, cares anyway?
Jeff had a great race; at least 10 minutes faster than me.
*Note: I may have finally figured out how to spell this word!
Update: Times posted: 1:28:54 for a overall finish of 230th, 9th in my age division. Swim: 16:36, bike: 42:47, run: 24:10. Not as fast as the Seafair tri last summer, but not too bad.
Jeff and I, along with friends Kristen and Rebecca, raced in the Kirkland Triathlon this morning. The distance was 1/2 mile swim / 12 mile bike /3 mile run ( 805 m / 19.3K / 4.8 K for those more metric-minded individuals).
The weather has turned very fall-like the last few weeks: mornings are much darker much later, and it's been rainy with highs in the low 60's and lows around 50 degrees recently. We arrived to pick up our packets at 5:30 for a 7 am start (packet pickup ended at 6, and we were a little nervous about crowds). It was dark (serious night-dark) and raining. Fortunately as the sun rose, the rain stopped, and we were dry for the rest of the morning. The air temp was in the mid-50's when we left the house (it didn't warm up much), colder than the water temperature of Lake Washington, which to my non-wetsuit-clad body felt to be in the mid-60's.
Despite having done very little tri-training, and not having worked out all week (not a deliberate taper, rather the result of a crazy schedule), I felt really good today. I only checked the beginning and the end times, and forgot to watch my watch throughout the checkpoints, so I'm anxiously waiting for the official results. My goal was to finish in under 90 minutes, and I think I finished just under 1:29. What used to be my best leg (the swim) was, I think, my weakest today. I probably finished about halfway through the field (no real idea). I saw very few women on the bike leg, passing about 3 other women, and was only passed by men (those fast ones in the age group that started 5 minutes behind me). I actually felt quite fast on the rather hilly bike portion, passing several men. On the run, I only saw one other woman in my age group: we passed back and forth until we got to the last mile where she took off (she looked very fit and competivite). The two women who did pass me were marked with the "R" on the back of their right leg (mine was marked with my age, 31), so I didn't feel too bad to be passed by members of relay teams. If 3 miles is all they were doing this morning, they should have been running faster than me! I think that I finished the run in 25 or so minutes, which I think is faster than the last 10 K that I ran! I felt remarkably good on the run. Normally my legs feel like blocks of wood on the run portion of a tri; today they still had some spring in them.
I wore my trisuit for the first time (picked up on sale in Vancouver last winter), and it was worth every discounted, favorable-discount-Canadian penny. It provided only the slightest hassel in the rest room, and it was terrific to not have to change or put on shorts, jersey, etc durning the transitions. It was comfy and didn't ride up or bunch or rub or do any of the other annoying and / or sore-inducing things that other thrown-together race ensenbles have done in the past. I don't currently have the tri-body that would look intimidating in the suit (I was a little self conscious about the belly bulge that was probably present as I hunched over my handlebars or the slight jiggle as I ran) but who, other than me, cares anyway?
Jeff had a great race; at least 10 minutes faster than me.
*Note: I may have finally figured out how to spell this word!
Update: Times posted: 1:28:54 for a overall finish of 230th, 9th in my age division. Swim: 16:36, bike: 42:47, run: 24:10. Not as fast as the Seafair tri last summer, but not too bad.
posted by Tricia at 5:39 PM
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