Ok, first race for the 09 season in the books. I always like to start of my early season training with a few road races and crits just to get some race miles under the legs. I really enjoy the Wolfpack Classic. The guys at NC State do a fantastic job and put on a great race. I really like how they are not afraid to make the road race a decent distance (54 miles for Cat 4).
On to the race. As I said, these early season races are more for training than anything else. We had a moderate size field of about 40+ guys to start the Cat 4 race. The first lap went along at a fairly relaxed pace. A few solo breaks went off the front, but were reeled in with little effort. However, as we approached the end of the first lap, I saw a guy about to make a move, and when he did, I decided to go with him. It was a really strong move, a we immediately opened up a 100 meter gap on the field. Unfortunately, once a came through to take a pull, my fellow escapee informed me that he had no intention of staying of for very long. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. At that point we had a fairly sizable gap, so I decided to just keep trucking. He managed to stick my wheel for a while, but we were reeled in rather quickly by a surprisingly hard charging peloton.
After my move on the first lap, I decided to just settle in and recover for the second lap, with hopes of saving energy for a break on the third and final lap. So, about midway through the final lap I figured it was time to try another break. I made a hard charge from about 8 wheels back up and over a small climb and opened up a small gap, only to be swallowed up a few minutes later. At this point I was getting a little tired, so I figured I would wait and see if anyone else was going to have a dig. As expected, a move was made on one of the longer climbs on the course. Three guys surged off the front towards the crest of the climb and opened up a gap on a weary peloton. This move was actually showing some promise. I hesitated for a second waiting to see if anyone else was going to lay chase to the break. No one was attempting to bridge yet, so I went off the front to try and make contact with the three leaders. My legs were burning at this point, so my move was quite as snappy I wanted it to be, but I finally made contact with the leaders. However, I was devastated when I turned around and realized that what I thought was on guy riding me wheel was actually the whole field. Well, the sprinters can thank me for that one!
Coming into the file few miles, I was in desperation mode. I was not in the mood to contest a field sprint. My best chances in winning are in breakaway's. So, my final move came with about four miles to go. I knew there was a 90 degree turn up ahead and I figured I might be able to create some separation if I attack heading into it. About 200 meters out, I made my move up on the inside. My legs were really burning at this point, but I knew I had to try anyway. I nailed the turn at full speed and hammered with everything I had. But, it just wasn't meant to be. The pace up until this point had not been very fast, and the sprinters in the bunch were not going to let anyone slip away this close to the finish. So I settled back into the group and tried to prepare for the sprint. A couple more attacks went, but no one had the horsepower to hold of the group. Coming into the sprint, I felt I could still have a decent finish. I had could positioning about 8 wheels back on the left hand side with a full lane to my left that opened at 200 meters to go. Unfortunately, I waited to long and got boxed in on my left side. The guy whose wheel I was following in front of me also got cut off and almost wrecked. At that point I just sat up realizing that a move up the middle would be to risky. It's not worth crashing this early in the season.
So all in all, a great day of racing. Things did not go quite as planned, but I got a great workout, which was my primary goal. Next up on the calendar is the Azalea Festival Triathlon here in Wilmington. This is always a fun race, and a good early season ice breaker.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sponsor Update
Just wanted to take a moment to mention a Power Cordz as my latest sponsor addition for 2009. Power Cordz makes a full line of deraileur and brake cables and housing for both road and mountain bikes. What sets them apart is the fact that there cables are not steel but a synthetic fiber called Zylon HM or PBO. It’s stronger than steel and twice as strong as Kevlar. In addtion, its extremely lightweight. A full Power Cordz System will save you 45-60 grams of weight over traditional systems! Just with cables! Check them out at www.powercordz.com.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sponsor Update
Just wanted to take a second to thank my latest sponsor SKINS for taking me on board. SKINS will be my official compression wear sponsor. I have experienced the benefits of compression wear first hand and know that SKINS' products will help me reach my goals in 09 and beyond. Check out their stuff at www.skins.net.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Elite Nationals & Pinehurst Race Reports
For some reason, I can never remember to post my race reports. So, I'm just going to kill two birds with this one.
First off, nationals. What a trip. This was my first time to the west coast. I flew in on Thursday to a raw and overcast Portland. Quite the shock from the still summer like heat in Wilmington. The next day, I went up to the Hagg lake to do some recon and go to the pre race meeting. Riding and running in this area is absolutely amazing. Beautiful forests and crisp, clean air. We had been told a week before the race that the water was around 73 degrees, however upon jumping in for a quick swim, I realized this was no longer the case. The temp had dropped to 68 in the past week due to below average temps. The ITU wetsuit cutoff is 68 degrees. Just days before, I was swimming in the 82 degree water of the Atlantic, so this was quite the shock. Our race started at 2 o'clock the next day, and I think all of us were hoping that the temp would either drop a half degree or warm up five over night. It did neither. The water temp at race start was a crisp 68.5 degrees under cloudy skies and 60 degree air temps. Needless to say, warming up and then having to get out and wait around for the start was none to pleasant.
Anyways, on to the race. It got off to a fast and furious start (as usual) with everyone jockeying for position. I was tucked nicely in the upper quarter of the group for the first half of the swim. However, it was clear after we hit the half way mark that I was not on good form as I let the lead swim group slip away from me. Still, I led the chase group out of the water which still had some very strong guys in it ( Victor Plata, Jarrod Shoemaker, etc...). Again though, once I hit the bike, I realized that my legs were just not there. I ended up getting dropped from my chase group on the second lap of this very hilly course. I regrouped with on e other guy who came up behind me, and we worked together for the majority of the race just trying not to get lapped by hard charging leaders Reed and Chrabot. We managed to stay away with the help of two other riders who came flying up on us on lap 6. I scrambled to stick there wheels for the last two laps. Once I made it to the run, I was completely exhausted and quickly reverted to a survival pace. I ended up finishing 29th out of 38 on the day. All in all, a very disappointing performance for me. I really wanted this to be a break through race for me. However, there are some positives to take away from this. Firstly, I finished! There were a bunch of guys that had to drop all along the course either because they got lapped or just pulled out. Second, I was racing against the top short course triathletes in the country and world and managed a somewhat respectable result. And third, I have a better understanding of exactly where my fitness needs to be when I compete at
these events.
In retrospect, the months leading up to this race were not very good for me as far as training is concerned. I had a couple of rough weeks with work and training where I got extremely exhausted, and instead of taking rest when I needed it, I tried to push through and ended up overtraining. Not a very good situation.
Ok, on to Pinehurst. This is one of my favorite races in the NCTS. Beautiful scenery, a clean lake, and usually some of the best competition of any series race. Ironically though, the course does not suit me at all. The bike very rolling, making it hard for a flat lander like myself to get a rhythm. The run is also very rolling. To top it all off, the swim is wetsuit legal. However, I really enjoy the entire event. Going into this year, I was a little unsure of exactly where my fitness would be on race day. After my race at nationals, there was some doubt as to what I could do. However, the 2 weeks leading up to this race were much different than nationals. I was starting to feel some strength on the bike and my swim was really starting to come around. Figures this would happen after the big race, but you live and learn. So, I had a little more confidence heading into race day.
The Swim: Could hardly see a damn thing. There was a thick layer of fog settling right on the lake surface due to the 50 degree air temps at race start. It was impossible to see any of the buoys. Essentially we just had to swim blind in the direction of the first buoy, and hope for the best. Fortunately, I was able to navigate the course quite well, and opened up a lead of about 45 seconds over my nearest rivals.
The Bike: Like I said earlier the air temp was roughly 55 at race start, so the breeze had a little extra nip to it. My feet quickly went numb, however it really did not bother me that much. I was feeling relatively strong on the bike. Not quite at the form I was in back in April, but still not terrible. I was caught a bit off guard though when Dave Sokolofsky passed me at around mile ten. I had hoped to lead the entire way, but it was clear when he passed me so soon that I was having just a mediocre bike. But, I kept my cool and just tried to keep him in striking distance for the run. Unfortunatley, towards the end of the bike I was passed by two more guys riding the exact same pace (miraculous) and one other about 30 second later.
The run: I came off the bike in fifth place about a minute down from Dave. I had a quick transition and was out on course. I could see all four guys ahead of me on the first straight away. This gave me a ton of confidence as my legs were feeling strong and I had plenty off time to bridge those gaps. I quickly passed Lance Leo for 4th, and set my sights of the next two. I then passed Dave, who was clearly not having a good run. I was inching closer and closer to the two leaders, but I was surprised that I was not bringing them back faster. I finally bumped up to second around mile 3 and maintained my distance for roughly a mile. At mile four, I decided to make my move. I was only 20 meters from first, and figured I could bridge the gap real fast and sit on his hip. Unfortunately, he was watching me the whole time, and surged every time I made an attack. Much to my disappointment, he managed to hold me off to the finish and I ended up second rough 15 seconds back. Later I found out the guy I was chasing was Richard Armstrong, a neo pro at the half distance. This made me feel a little better about losing to him, but I was still very unhappy with the fact that I blew the huge lead I had on him after the swim.
After the dust settled, my finish at Pinehurst was enough to put me into 2nd pace overall in the the Open Division for the NCTS improving on my 3rd overall from last year. All in all, not bad considering I missed the entire middle part of my season due to injury and had to miss some of my best races. Next year I'll just have to move up one more to claim the top spot.
So I know what your thinking, yay Matt, your done for the season, take a break you crazy fool! Oh if only it were that easy. There is one more race on my calender. It is the final race in the Haul to the Great Wall ITU series, the San Francisco ITU Pan Am Cup. Essentially it is the last race on the pro calendar and my last chance to meet the elite re-qualification standards for next year. I needed to place within 8% of the winners time at a pro race in order to re-qualify for an elite card for the next two years. I have was within seconds of making this at St. Anthony's and Musselman, but was unable to pull it out. So, with the money I won from the NCTS I going to buy a ticket to San Francisco. I'm going to stay with my good friend Kevin while I'm out there which will be fun. I guess you could say this is an all in situation. Time to put up or shut up and get the job done. This is not to say that I could not just qualify again next year, but it would make things a lot easier to get it done now.
So that is where I stand as of right now. I'm feeling very strong right now, and I'm getting in some great workouts. Now I just need to keep this momentum up for one more month and try not to go broke with this last trip. Working all the time and trying to do this pro thing is not always easy. Work is definitely a conflict of interest when it comes to be a top athlete, but you have to believe it what you are doing and know that one day it will all pay off.
First off, nationals. What a trip. This was my first time to the west coast. I flew in on Thursday to a raw and overcast Portland. Quite the shock from the still summer like heat in Wilmington. The next day, I went up to the Hagg lake to do some recon and go to the pre race meeting. Riding and running in this area is absolutely amazing. Beautiful forests and crisp, clean air. We had been told a week before the race that the water was around 73 degrees, however upon jumping in for a quick swim, I realized this was no longer the case. The temp had dropped to 68 in the past week due to below average temps. The ITU wetsuit cutoff is 68 degrees. Just days before, I was swimming in the 82 degree water of the Atlantic, so this was quite the shock. Our race started at 2 o'clock the next day, and I think all of us were hoping that the temp would either drop a half degree or warm up five over night. It did neither. The water temp at race start was a crisp 68.5 degrees under cloudy skies and 60 degree air temps. Needless to say, warming up and then having to get out and wait around for the start was none to pleasant.
Anyways, on to the race. It got off to a fast and furious start (as usual) with everyone jockeying for position. I was tucked nicely in the upper quarter of the group for the first half of the swim. However, it was clear after we hit the half way mark that I was not on good form as I let the lead swim group slip away from me. Still, I led the chase group out of the water which still had some very strong guys in it ( Victor Plata, Jarrod Shoemaker, etc...). Again though, once I hit the bike, I realized that my legs were just not there. I ended up getting dropped from my chase group on the second lap of this very hilly course. I regrouped with on e other guy who came up behind me, and we worked together for the majority of the race just trying not to get lapped by hard charging leaders Reed and Chrabot. We managed to stay away with the help of two other riders who came flying up on us on lap 6. I scrambled to stick there wheels for the last two laps. Once I made it to the run, I was completely exhausted and quickly reverted to a survival pace. I ended up finishing 29th out of 38 on the day. All in all, a very disappointing performance for me. I really wanted this to be a break through race for me. However, there are some positives to take away from this. Firstly, I finished! There were a bunch of guys that had to drop all along the course either because they got lapped or just pulled out. Second, I was racing against the top short course triathletes in the country and world and managed a somewhat respectable result. And third, I have a better understanding of exactly where my fitness needs to be when I compete at
these events.In retrospect, the months leading up to this race were not very good for me as far as training is concerned. I had a couple of rough weeks with work and training where I got extremely exhausted, and instead of taking rest when I needed it, I tried to push through and ended up overtraining. Not a very good situation.
Ok, on to Pinehurst. This is one of my favorite races in the NCTS. Beautiful scenery, a clean lake, and usually some of the best competition of any series race. Ironically though, the course does not suit me at all. The bike very rolling, making it hard for a flat lander like myself to get a rhythm. The run is also very rolling. To top it all off, the swim is wetsuit legal. However, I really enjoy the entire event. Going into this year, I was a little unsure of exactly where my fitness would be on race day. After my race at nationals, there was some doubt as to what I could do. However, the 2 weeks leading up to this race were much different than nationals. I was starting to feel some strength on the bike and my swim was really starting to come around. Figures this would happen after the big race, but you live and learn. So, I had a little more confidence heading into race day.
The Swim: Could hardly see a damn thing. There was a thick layer of fog settling right on the lake surface due to the 50 degree air temps at race start. It was impossible to see any of the buoys. Essentially we just had to swim blind in the direction of the first buoy, and hope for the best. Fortunately, I was able to navigate the course quite well, and opened up a lead of about 45 seconds over my nearest rivals.
The Bike: Like I said earlier the air temp was roughly 55 at race start, so the breeze had a little extra nip to it. My feet quickly went numb, however it really did not bother me that much. I was feeling relatively strong on the bike. Not quite at the form I was in back in April, but still not terrible. I was caught a bit off guard though when Dave Sokolofsky passed me at around mile ten. I had hoped to lead the entire way, but it was clear when he passed me so soon that I was having just a mediocre bike. But, I kept my cool and just tried to keep him in striking distance for the run. Unfortunatley, towards the end of the bike I was passed by two more guys riding the exact same pace (miraculous) and one other about 30 second later.
The run: I came off the bike in fifth place about a minute down from Dave. I had a quick transition and was out on course. I could see all four guys ahead of me on the first straight away. This gave me a ton of confidence as my legs were feeling strong and I had plenty off time to bridge those gaps. I quickly passed Lance Leo for 4th, and set my sights of the next two. I then passed Dave, who was clearly not having a good run. I was inching closer and closer to the two leaders, but I was surprised that I was not bringing them back faster. I finally bumped up to second around mile 3 and maintained my distance for roughly a mile. At mile four, I decided to make my move. I was only 20 meters from first, and figured I could bridge the gap real fast and sit on his hip. Unfortunately, he was watching me the whole time, and surged every time I made an attack. Much to my disappointment, he managed to hold me off to the finish and I ended up second rough 15 seconds back. Later I found out the guy I was chasing was Richard Armstrong, a neo pro at the half distance. This made me feel a little better about losing to him, but I was still very unhappy with the fact that I blew the huge lead I had on him after the swim.
After the dust settled, my finish at Pinehurst was enough to put me into 2nd pace overall in the the Open Division for the NCTS improving on my 3rd overall from last year. All in all, not bad considering I missed the entire middle part of my season due to injury and had to miss some of my best races. Next year I'll just have to move up one more to claim the top spot.
So I know what your thinking, yay Matt, your done for the season, take a break you crazy fool! Oh if only it were that easy. There is one more race on my calender. It is the final race in the Haul to the Great Wall ITU series, the San Francisco ITU Pan Am Cup. Essentially it is the last race on the pro calendar and my last chance to meet the elite re-qualification standards for next year. I needed to place within 8% of the winners time at a pro race in order to re-qualify for an elite card for the next two years. I have was within seconds of making this at St. Anthony's and Musselman, but was unable to pull it out. So, with the money I won from the NCTS I going to buy a ticket to San Francisco. I'm going to stay with my good friend Kevin while I'm out there which will be fun. I guess you could say this is an all in situation. Time to put up or shut up and get the job done. This is not to say that I could not just qualify again next year, but it would make things a lot easier to get it done now.
So that is where I stand as of right now. I'm feeling very strong right now, and I'm getting in some great workouts. Now I just need to keep this momentum up for one more month and try not to go broke with this last trip. Working all the time and trying to do this pro thing is not always easy. Work is definitely a conflict of interest when it comes to be a top athlete, but you have to believe it what you are doing and know that one day it will all pay off.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bandits Challenge
It's been quite a hectic past few weeks. Never really got to put up my Bandits report. Long story short, I came in second and had a strong race. I did not warm up for the swim (or anything for that matter), so it was a little slow going at first. I had a decent bike, but was feeling the fatigue from a week of intense heat and training. Came in off the bike in third and worked my way into second place after a mile or so. I felt strong on the run but was definitely holding back a bit so as to not relive my horrendous breakdown of three years ago.
All in all, a great training race. wish I could have taken first, but I think I was just a little to broken down to pull it out. I'll be racing Lake Norman tomorrow, in my fourth of five races in the NCTS. I am hoping for a solid result to help give me a boost in the overall standings. However, this will still pretty much just be a training race.
All in all, a great training race. wish I could have taken first, but I think I was just a little to broken down to pull it out. I'll be racing Lake Norman tomorrow, in my fourth of five races in the NCTS. I am hoping for a solid result to help give me a boost in the overall standings. However, this will still pretty much just be a training race.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Kure Beach Race Report
Well, its been a while since I have posted anything, so let me bring you all up to speed. My leg is feeling great. I have already been back running for 3 weeks and have built back up to doing hour long training runs. My form has come back fairly quick, and spirits are high.
On to Kure Beach. A few weeks out I while a little worried about trying to race at Kure beach, but in the week leading up to the race, my leg felt great. I ended up having a great race and taking the overall win by 2 minutes. So lets break it down. My first swim was probably the best part of the whole race. There was a very long run-out in shallow water until you were able to swim, so I started dolphin diving in about knee deep water while everyone else was still trying to high step it. This is where years of surfing and lifeguarding experience pays dividends. I ended up putting about a minute on everyone in only 375 meters. Then, the moment of truth: the first run. I settled into a comfortable pace, making sure not to push myself to hard early on and pull something. I soon realized that I was feeling pretty darn good, so I decided to pick it up a bit. For the second run I thought why not see what my leg can do. So, along the straight-away, I really opened up my stride to full race pace and nothing broke! I shut it down a bit towards the end of the run, figuring that there was no sense in pushing it to the point where something would break. I got in for the final swim with a healthy lead, but I still pushed it as hard as I could since there is no substitute for race pace training. Oh yeah, and the bike was good too. I ended up having the fastest bike split on the day. The conditions were challenging, with a tail wind going out and a head wind coming back on the two loop straight out and back course.
So that was my race. This was a great ice breaker, considering I have not done a full tri since April. I'm so stoked that my leg is feeling better and I can finally train again. Looking forward, this was a great tune up race for the Geneva ITU Continental Cup this weekend. This will be my second draft legal race, and my first pro draft legal. I've got my Kestrel RT-800 all dialed in and ready to go. I've already done a few criteriums on it and love the way in handles. For a while I was kind of anti-carbon frames, but I can honestly say I am a believer now. The carbon really does soak up road vibration and keeps you feeling fresher on longer rides.
Well thats it for now. I should have a report posted from my ITU race posted sometime next week.
On to Kure Beach. A few weeks out I while a little worried about trying to race at Kure beach, but in the week leading up to the race, my leg felt great. I ended up having a great race and taking the overall win by 2 minutes. So lets break it down. My first swim was probably the best part of the whole race. There was a very long run-out in shallow water until you were able to swim, so I started dolphin diving in about knee deep water while everyone else was still trying to high step it. This is where years of surfing and lifeguarding experience pays dividends. I ended up putting about a minute on everyone in only 375 meters. Then, the moment of truth: the first run. I settled into a comfortable pace, making sure not to push myself to hard early on and pull something. I soon realized that I was feeling pretty darn good, so I decided to pick it up a bit. For the second run I thought why not see what my leg can do. So, along the straight-away, I really opened up my stride to full race pace and nothing broke! I shut it down a bit towards the end of the run, figuring that there was no sense in pushing it to the point where something would break. I got in for the final swim with a healthy lead, but I still pushed it as hard as I could since there is no substitute for race pace training. Oh yeah, and the bike was good too. I ended up having the fastest bike split on the day. The conditions were challenging, with a tail wind going out and a head wind coming back on the two loop straight out and back course.
So that was my race. This was a great ice breaker, considering I have not done a full tri since April. I'm so stoked that my leg is feeling better and I can finally train again. Looking forward, this was a great tune up race for the Geneva ITU Continental Cup this weekend. This will be my second draft legal race, and my first pro draft legal. I've got my Kestrel RT-800 all dialed in and ready to go. I've already done a few criteriums on it and love the way in handles. For a while I was kind of anti-carbon frames, but I can honestly say I am a believer now. The carbon really does soak up road vibration and keeps you feeling fresher on longer rides.
Well thats it for now. I should have a report posted from my ITU race posted sometime next week.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
St. Anthony's Report
Just got back from Florida last night. I think I have had enough of driving to races already this year. Alabama and Florida were both 10 hour drives.
But anyways, the race. This was hands down the biggest race of my life. It was really something else. There I was, lining up with Greg Bennett to my left and Craig Alexander to my right. Other notable racers were Matt Reed (Beijing bound after last week), Andy Potts, Faris Al-Sultan, Stephen Hackett, Massimo Cignana, Richie Cunningham, and the list goes on.
The swim got off in a hurry, with Reed and Potts not wasting any time and gapping the field before I knew what was going on. I was feeling strong and in control throughout the whole swim, just hanging in the main pack. However, I tried to pick it up a bit to try and bridge up, but I was unable to pick up the pace. I eventually came out of the water with a chase pack of about 11 or 12 guys. Interesting enough, Bennett and I came out of the water side by side, the same as we had entered. I had a solid transition onto the bike and I was off and running. My new Kestrel Talon felt great. My positioning is far far better than my previous setup. I was also borrowing a Zipp disc and Zipp 808 front wheel (thanks Kate) for the race. The combination of the two was phenomenal. I don't think I droped below 25 mph the entire time except for turns. I ended up having hands down the best bike leg of my entire career, averaging 25.3 mph for the 40k. Again, I had a solid transition from bike to run. I took it out strong but conservative, slowly catching two guys by about mile 2. Unfortunately, I have been having some leg issues as of late. I have been stuck on elliptical machines for the past month and a half. I was still in some pain from last weekends effort going into Sunday. Consequently, the second half of the run was a bit rough. I could feel some straining in my lower right leg, and was afraid to over extend myself lest I do something really bad. I still managed to pull off a 35:55 ruin split, but was a little disappointed knowing that, had I been injury free the past month, I could have really busted some heads. Little did I know at the time, but one of the guys I was chasing down on the run was 2005 Ironman World Champion Faris Al-Sultan. Unfortunately I was unable to catch him, but I still feel good knowing I was right there with some of the best in the world. My final time was 1:56.26, a pr for the international distance and good enough for 17th in a VERY stacked pro division.
As I mentioned above, my leg is not exactly in tip-top shape. However, its nothing that I am to worried about. I just need to keep my mind on the big picture. Therefore, my race schedule might be slightly altered over the next month to ensure proper healing. This will gurantee that I am in peak physical condition for my first ITU races.
But anyways, the race. This was hands down the biggest race of my life. It was really something else. There I was, lining up with Greg Bennett to my left and Craig Alexander to my right. Other notable racers were Matt Reed (Beijing bound after last week), Andy Potts, Faris Al-Sultan, Stephen Hackett, Massimo Cignana, Richie Cunningham, and the list goes on.
The swim got off in a hurry, with Reed and Potts not wasting any time and gapping the field before I knew what was going on. I was feeling strong and in control throughout the whole swim, just hanging in the main pack. However, I tried to pick it up a bit to try and bridge up, but I was unable to pick up the pace. I eventually came out of the water with a chase pack of about 11 or 12 guys. Interesting enough, Bennett and I came out of the water side by side, the same as we had entered. I had a solid transition onto the bike and I was off and running. My new Kestrel Talon felt great. My positioning is far far better than my previous setup. I was also borrowing a Zipp disc and Zipp 808 front wheel (thanks Kate) for the race. The combination of the two was phenomenal. I don't think I droped below 25 mph the entire time except for turns. I ended up having hands down the best bike leg of my entire career, averaging 25.3 mph for the 40k. Again, I had a solid transition from bike to run. I took it out strong but conservative, slowly catching two guys by about mile 2. Unfortunately, I have been having some leg issues as of late. I have been stuck on elliptical machines for the past month and a half. I was still in some pain from last weekends effort going into Sunday. Consequently, the second half of the run was a bit rough. I could feel some straining in my lower right leg, and was afraid to over extend myself lest I do something really bad. I still managed to pull off a 35:55 ruin split, but was a little disappointed knowing that, had I been injury free the past month, I could have really busted some heads. Little did I know at the time, but one of the guys I was chasing down on the run was 2005 Ironman World Champion Faris Al-Sultan. Unfortunately I was unable to catch him, but I still feel good knowing I was right there with some of the best in the world. My final time was 1:56.26, a pr for the international distance and good enough for 17th in a VERY stacked pro division.
As I mentioned above, my leg is not exactly in tip-top shape. However, its nothing that I am to worried about. I just need to keep my mind on the big picture. Therefore, my race schedule might be slightly altered over the next month to ensure proper healing. This will gurantee that I am in peak physical condition for my first ITU races.
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