race report Wyckoff NJ sprint tri

Payton MacDonald
Race Report

Wyckoff, NJ, Sprint Triathlon, June 20, 2009

0.5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 5 mile run


Swim time 18:33
Swim pace 2:06
Place 277
T1 time 2:31
T1 place 213
Bike time 53:13
Bike mph ave. 19.2
Bike place 262
T2 time 2:27
T2 place 396
Run time 43:17
Run pace 8:39
Run place 491
Total time 2:00:01
Place 332 out of 744


Pre race
My goals for this race were modest. I wanted to improve my transition times, and finish somewhere in the middle of the pack by improving my run and bike times a bit.

I got up about 3:45 and for breakfast had a bowl of oatmeal, some fruit, tea, and juice. I got out of the house by 4:30 then drove to the race site and arrived at 5:15. The drive was beautiful, with clear roads and the sun coming up over the horizon. That part of Jersey is fairly wooded with rolling hills. I listened to Hindustani raga on the way there, which really focused my mind. The twists and turns of the melodic lines, teasing a resolution, but sustaining the tension, made me think of endurance racing and the way my mind dances around complete focus, often hitting it, but then sliding off in myriad directions. Complete focus is the goal, but very difficult to acheive and maintain. It is pure bliss when it happens, though. Music and athletics are more closely related than many people might think.

Swim
I ended up with a slower swim pace than my last race, which was disappointing, but I really had a hard time finding a path to swim. I ended up in the middle of the pack and it felt like I was in a school of fish running up a stream. Or a washing machine. I kept running into people, but no matter which way I turned I couldn’t find a smooth path. I stopped and started numerous times, which undoutedly slowed me down. Not until the last third of the swim did I finally find a groove. Next time I’m going to swim out to the side.

Transition 1
This went pretty well and I think at this point if I want to shave off more time I’m going to need start practicing with my shoes already mounted on the bike, and forgoing socks. I also need to practice getting my helmet on while riding the bike.

Bike
Good bike split. I cranked hard the whole time and did fine. Super Triathlon People (STP) passed me several times, but I also passed some other folks. I felt strong. My bike computer wasn’t working and I forgot my heart-rate monitor, so I was racing “naked,” with no sense of how I was doing by the numbers. In some ways that was really nice. I just listened to my body and enjoyed the wind and the air and thought about how lucky I am to be able to something like a triathlon. The night before the race Jessica and I watched Slumdog Millionaire, which is a brilliant movie, but very depressing. Since I’ve been to India twice, and the last time for almost four months, I’m well aware of the intensity of the poverty there, but it’s been a few years, and it’s easy to slip back into my privelidged life and forget. Slumdog Millionaire was a harsh reminder of how most of the world lives. There are many days when I feel that my career as a musician and my triathlon hobby is just a waste of time and money and energy. I wonder if I could be helping people in a more direct way. There is so much misery in the world. And it especially hurts to see that heaped on children, who really are innocent. I’m always able to rationalize my way out of that thinking, but maybe it’s just ennui.

Transition 2
Better than last race, but I’ve still got a ways to go. Since some of those guys are doing it under a minute, it can be done. The thing is that I ALWAYS have to pee at this transition and if I don’t then my run is uncomfortable.

Run
I cramped again, near the beginning and then at the end, but I didn’t worry about it too much. My run pace was still better than the last race, and I’m slowly but surely learning how to run. I’ve been doing a lot of research and experimenting with barefoot running and running in sandals or other footwear. I’ve come to the conclusion that running shoes cause me more pain than they prevent, but I don’t yet have the lower leg strength to not use them. So I used them today, but my knees felt sore afterwards. That never happens when I run in sandals. Hopefully in a month or so I can just use lightweigh trainers or sandals. I actually enjoyed myself for a few minutes in the middle of the run, which is an improvement for me.

Conclusion
Some good things:
1.) Finished in the top half, which is a PR for me
2.) transition times much improved
3.) run pace improved
4.) bike MPH improved

Needs more work
1.) transitions
2.) run
3.) finding a good way to negotiate crowded swimming field