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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Culpeper Sprint Tri Goals

On Sunday I'll be competing in my second sprint tri and my last of the year.  It's been an interesting first summer of triathlon training and I hope that my added time on the bike and in the pool will pay off with improvements over my first race.  It's a relatively small race (about 450 when I last checked the registration list) which should hopefully make it relatively easy to get in and out of the transitions and move around on the course.  It should be a fun weekend and race since my brother is also competing!  We're planning to head down on Saturday afternoon to avoid an extra early wake up on Sunday morning.  This will also allow us to drive the course on Saturday which I hope will be helpful on Sunday.

Swim - 750m
My last tri swim was significantly shorter (300m) and in a pool so I'm not sure how much it really helps to compare the two.  In that race I averaged 1:44/100 meters.  I'd like to go faster than that in this race.  It was harder to pass in the pool and I had to stop/slow down several times.  I'm hoping that in the lake I can swim without those type of issues and that the lack of stopping will make up for the boost I got from turns in the last race. 
Goal - sub 13:00

Bike - 16 miles

I averaged 15mph in the BRATS tri over 12 miles.  Despite my recent struggles on the bike, I feel like I have made a ton of progress since that race and have seen the average pace of my training rides improve.  I'm still not averaging 15mph in training, but given where I was in training in May and where I am now, a faster pace is definitely possible. It will all depend on the hills on the course.  The race website describes it as "rolling" and fails to include an elevation chart - never a good sign with that type of course.  Emily did this race last year and told me that it is definitely hilly, but not awful if you are mentally prepared. (I know she eats hills for breakfast now, but she says she wasn't like that last summer.  Hopefully our idea of "not awful" is similar).  I plan to drive the course when I get there on Saturday afternoon and I may have to reassess after seeing it, but as of now my goal is to be faster than 15mph.
Goal - sub 1:04

Run

This is where I am a little less sure about my goal time.  I did a 25:51 (8:20 pace) in May, but I'm not sure if that's realistic for this race.  I feel like my running has definitely dropped off during June and July as a result of my focus on spending more time on my bike and in the pool, and because I needed a break.  I did only one brick workout (oops!), so I haven't really spent the time preparing my legs and my brain for this leg of the race.  The other course was pretty flat and this one has hills.  I also lucked out and got a pretty cool day for my May race, but it looks like it is going to be hot on Sunday.  All of this added together means that I really have no idea what I can do.  Assuming it isn't too hot and humid out there I'd like to keep my pace sub-9:00.
Goal - sub 28:00

I have done absolutely no transition practice so I'm hoping they aren't too slow.  I didn't have my bike shoes in the first race, so that should add a fun little wrinkle to T2.  I'm not even going to put a time goal on either of them.  Getting in and out as quickly as possible (without forgetting anything or putting my shoes on the wrong feet) is the goal.

At the very least, my goal for this race is to have a good time and be smart if the heat and humidity are high.  I jump into marathon training on Monday, so I'd like to end this tri season on a high note with a desire to do it all again next year!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck at your tri on Sunday! I love your goals - especially the part about having fun and being smart in the heat. We can't control the conditions around us but we can control how we react to them. :)

Beth said...

Good luck this weekend!

amy said...

Did you put your shoes on the wrong feet in the first one?!? I don't remember. Have so much this weekend - can't wait to hear about it!

Liz said...

Good luck this weekend!!

Jon said...

Have a great race! Kill it on the swim!

Sarah said...

Good luck this weekend!!! I think those are all good goals and you can totally do it! You might even surprise yourself on the bike and ride faster :)

Jen Feeny said...

YAY!!!!!!!! Good luck this weekend chica!

Elizabeth said...

Your training will definitely pay off. Enjoy and good luck!

Katie said...

TONS of luck, can't wait to see how you do!

{will run for margaritas} said...

GOOD LUCK! You are going to rock it! :)

Stephanie said...

Good luck! You are totally ready. I am sure you will kick this race's butt.

Anonymous said...

Woooooot good luck!

LAPT said...

You're going to do so great! This will be a great come-back after your spill on the bike from awhile back. Can't wait to hear all about it!

Victoria said...

The bike sprints we did at Hains have made you an awesome cyclist. You'll be super speedy. Have a great race.

Rachel said...

great goals! so important to take into consideration elements, like HEAT, that can really affect a race. hopefully it's not too hot for you, but i'm sure you're gonna do great! you've already put in lots of great training so now just try and have fun : ) GOOD LUCK!