The Prodigal Triathlete

It's been far too long since I had an update. Last update was around the first of the year, setting new training goals, etc, so I have much to report!

--------------- Race Report ----------------

April 25th I completed the Kearns Sprint Tri - this was a course I had my eye on around the beginning of the year but I wasn't sure I'd be ready by then. 400M Swim / 12.2 Miles of hilly riding / 5k - 1:21:54 - HELL YEA! It was absolutely freaking awesome crossing that finish line. And colder than a damn freezer, but I was so amp'd up to be a part of it, taking it all in made me forget the cold. It had rained the night previous, but it was very calm day.

Without a warmup and some stretching, the athletes were lined up poolside and ordered according to our swim abilities and let in the pool on 5-second intervals. I was a middle-of-the-pack swimmer, but ended up passing half a dozen swimmers and completing the 400M in under 7:00. The run from the pool to transition was COLD (OK, so I did notice the cold), and I fumbled around between drying off and throwing on a few layers before heading out on the bike. T1: 2:00 and change.

After registering for the Kearns Tri, I scouted the bike course and rode it at least a dozen times - I knew it well. I knew where the climbs were, where I could make up time in descents, where bumpy roads were, and so on. I had a strong ride, and passed another half a dozen riders - but ended up being passed by an older gentleman on the last climb up 6400 West. This ignited a little fire in me, and by the time I was up the hill he was already turned and descending down 54th West and back to transition. Bike: 43:00 and more change.

I figured getting back to transition on the bike to run would be fast - as it turned out, I wasted a TON of time fumbling with laces and gloves and everything else before exiting the chute for a T2 time of almost 2:30. Damnit. OK, jogging slowly, why are my muscles not responding? Oh that's right, they're frozen. I literally shuffled like a senior citizen (no disrespect!) for the first several hundred yards, and the race directors didn't do the runners any favors by herding us around a grassy baseball field and up another hill before we hit the streets. Once on the streets, the legs thawed slowly, and I was gaining speed and confidence. 3 miles to go! Passed a few runners, doing good, breathing is good, temp is good, pace is good, time to push. I really pushed the last mile, which was pretty much a downhill sprint. Run time: 24:40 - which for me is very good considering the start.

I finished 5th age group (35-39 - they slotted me in the 30-34 age group), and 26th overall in 140 athletes. I'd call it a smashing success.


So here I am in May, eagerly anticipating the St. George Triathlon this weekend. This event should be an absolute blast - I'm really looking forward to it. My training has definately increased since the first of the year - most weeks I do 7 to 9 good training sessions, with improved times and distances in each. I've been careful not to push too hard but I think my diet is holding me back. In fact, I know it is. I'm down to 190-191, and the weight loss is very noticeable on improved times, but I could be at my ideal weight if I watched what I ate closer.

I'm also registered for the BAM Lite Triathlon in June up in Heber. I'm really hoping to build on St. George and some very good training sessions / intervals / distance rides and improve my run time to sub-24 minutes and push 18+ MPH avg ride for this event.


Until next time...