Of course I always like to go faster. I think that is OK. It's a sign that I want to improve and it helps to motivate me to keep training and looking forward to the next race.
Is there a perfect race?
I don't think you ever know. It doesn't matter who you are either. Thea Sybesma, the first woman to go Sub Nine at an Ironman, says you never know when you have reached your potential. Did she? Did she retire before she would have?
For me, yesterday reminded me of some of my strengths and some of my weaknesses.
I'm fast in transition - in fact, I had the fastest transitions in my age group for both T1 and T2 - and for the first time I can remember I put on a jersey for the bike and swapped tops as I headed out for the run. As I've been preaching to the Titans here in Squamish, the key is to keep transition simple. I heeded my own advice with one exception: I shouldn't have tried to put on arm warmers. Didn't need them.
Other positives. I had a decent swim. The current seemed to me to be a bit stronger this year than I recalled. The key was to try as best to keep on course. So while I gave up trying to swim on feet, I believe I swam the course better than it appeared a lot of others did. At one point I looked up and saw a huge line of competitors to my right, drifting away from the line I saw back to the finish on the beach. At first I let myself drift a bit back as it seemed I was on my own but I corrected myself and kept to my line.
The bike was good. I was controlled for the first lap and then pushed it on the second and third laps. I simply haven't done the work to be in top form for cycling and it caught up to me on the fourth lap. In this race, you tend to find yourself in the general neighbourhood of several other riders once the second lap is done. Those who have gone out too fast, fade. Those who for some reason had a tough swim, have caught up and pushed ahead. I rode most of the fourth lap on my own. That's a disadvantage for me in particular because I lose focus. I like to have others ahead or passing me to keep my mind on the task at hand. It's a skill that I continue to need to work on.
That said, I managed a 2:43 on 90km and compared with the previous two years on this course, my cycling is solid. I was keen to be off the bike in 2:45. Target achieved.
I flew through T2 in less than a minute. One of my best transitions ever I think. And I felt good. I was out on the run and moving well til about the 500 metre mark and my legs protested. Ha.
And they had a bit more protesting to do. Oh well.
The big 'to do' for me is to run more off the bike. It's something that I did a lot five years ago and far far less in recent years. Different coaches, different styles.
When in Boulder in late May to train, I was talking about what I felt I missed from the long training sessions that I did when in Australia. The crazy weekend sessions which would include a 100km/120km easy spin on a Saturday and then a 150km or longer spin followed immediately by a 20-30km run with tempo sets on both the bike and run.
As physically exhausting as those long weekends were, they taught me that I could complete them and I could do so at a solid pace. I'm lacking the confidence to do so now, and I want that back. I have learned though from experience but also from listening to others that it's important to keep moving. A race isn't over til you cross the finish line.
My legs finally made an appearance after about 14km and I ran strong for the final 6km. It was good to finish strong.
I think it's important to finish strong and I have an ability to increase my effort when I sense the finish line is within reach.
It was a solid 4 hours and 53 minutes of work but one that I very much look forward to embracing again in August and again in September.
2011 (fourth in age group)
4:53:59 32:49 2:43:14 1:34:37
2010 (third in age group)
4:50:22 32:35 2:41:28 1:32:35
2009 (second in age group)
4:42:01 33:37 2:35:15 1:29:53
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