I am new to this forum, but so far am enjoying it immensely. This seems like such a friendly place compared to some of the other forums I read. I have also learned a great deal in a short time.
Anyway, I hope to start a training log beginning next Monday. I will be doing the NROL Beginning Plan, then moving into the Strength phase probably. All of this I hope will make a stronger cyclist, swimmer, etc., and I hope it will pay off on the body composition category as well.
Below is a race report for the Duke 1/2 Ironman, which I wrote for my blog. I usually write a report for my own benefit, so next year I can go back and see what I was feeling, thinking, etc. This is the second 1/2 Ironman I have done. My first was in April, and my fitness has improved a great deal since then.
My major goal is Ironman Couer d'Alene next June. Anyway, thanks for reading. Triathlon is a great sport, and you don't have to be a skinny, runner type to be competitive. The sport requires lots of upper body strength for swimming, leg strength for cycling and running, and, of course, deep cardio for all of the above!
Duke 1/2 Ironman Race Report
Well, all I can say is that this
course is hard. I know, 1/2 Ironmans are supposed to be hard. But this one was real hard, at least to me. I had heard that there were a couple of "longish" hills on the run course, but nobody told me that there were many other "shortish" ones as well. Nor did they tell me that 90 percent of the run was on a gravel road which was rutted up in parts and non-existent in other parts. Meaning that you were running in grass, over roots, rock, etc. Needless to say, trail runner, I ain't.
In the end though, I was happy with my result. I finished 3rd place Clydesdale, again! I like being on the podium and all, but this third place stuff is getting a bit old. I guess I shouldn't complain though. If I was relegated to my age group, I would be finishing just above middle of the pack. No awards, no nothing!
Anyway, the swim was good. It went nice and smooth, with no real rough spots or anything. I think I swam pretty straight, and we were blessed with little chop that the racers had to deal with in years previous. 36:36 (56 out of 284 men racing)
On the bike, I think I pushed a bit hard, and that would show itself on the run. I think five minutes slower and I would have run better than I did, which turned out to be not bad, if that makes sense. I dropped my chain once, but got stopped quickly, got it back on and got going again. 3:01:19 (198/284 men)
I had some pretty quick transitions, 1:12 and 1:13, which I'm thrilled with. I think those are the fastest I have ever done. Cool on that.
On the run, it started heating up pretty quickly. I knew right away, after the first hill and a survey of the rocky terrain that just running this whole thing would be a pretty good effort. I was doing well until about six miles in and started to get a cramp in my left hamstring on one of the hills. All I could do was stop before it seized up, stretch it out, and keep going. I was taking in a good amount of sodium all day long via Accelerade and about eight or 10 salt tabs, so I don't think it was that. I think it probably resulted from pushing a bit hard on the bike, pared with the hilly ass course. I should have either biked a bit slower, or run a bit slower to start out. Oh well, lesson learned. I still managed a 1:57:58, which included probably 10 minutes of walking on the bigger hills. That was the best run by a Clydesdale and 93/284 overall for the men. My total time was 5:38:16, which was 114 of 284.
In the end, I'm thrilled with how far I've come this season. I am in much better shape than I was when I did the
White Lake 1/2 Iron (my first) back in April. Hopefully, I can build on that over the winter and keep on keeping on. Starting next week, I'm going to start trying to build some strength in the weight room. Hopefully, that will pay off on the bike next season.
Two more races to go this this. The
Pinehurst Olympic in October, then the
Charlotte Marathon in December. If I qualify, I will probably also run the
N.C. Triathlon Series Championship Invitational, another Olympic tri two weeks after Pinehurst. After that, my sights are on
IM CDA next June. Should be fun ... Thanks for tuning in.
Duke (N.C.) 1/2 Ironman Race Report
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