• Swim: 30:00 min.
Tuesday 7/6:
• Rest day
Wednesday 7/7
• Swim: 35:00 min.
Thursday 7/8
• Run: 40:00 min.
Friday 7/9
• Run: 31:38 min.
Saturday 7/10
Lame Duck Course Preview/Clinic (recap below)
• Swim: .5 mile OWS - 18:33 min.
• Bike: 9.6 miles - 40:44 min.
• Run: 2.4 miles - 20:00 min.
• Total Time: 1:21:04
Sunday 7/11
• Bike: 14.3 miles - 53:09 min.
• Run: 2.2 miles - 18:11 min.
The Lame Duck Course Preview on Saturday morning was a great event. It was the perfect place to test my fitness and endurance on a challenging triathlon course without the stress and anxiety of an actual triathlon.
I was up at 5:30am, had my usual breakfast of coffee and Corn Flakes w/ banana and blueberries, then after getting ready I was out the door at 6:45. I arrived at the course at 6:45am - exiting I-75 about 10 minutes before this happened! I was glad I was not caught up in all of that. The interstate was shut down for a little bit due to that.
A transition area was set up in the parking lot next to the lake, so I got my bike racked and my transition stuff set up. Around 8:15am, the two coaches gathered everyone (there were about 40 people participating) and went over some general triathlon tips. I learned some great tips about the transition, like you always want to set your gear (bike shoes, running shoes, hat, race belt, etc.) on the front wheel side of your bike, rather than near the back wheel. Also, it is a good idea to strap the timing chip on your left ankle rather than the right, so that it won't accidentally get tangled in your derailleur.
We shuttled over to the start of the swim and hopped in the lake to start the 1/2 mile swim back to shore. The swim felt really good - I tried to practice my sighting and tried to get into a good rhythm. I know that I need to work on keeping my head down more, but towards the end I felt like I was in a good 3 strokes/sight/breathe routine. It was definitely helpful to do the swim without the mass swim start panic and chaos! I was hoping to finish around 20 minutes, so I was happy to come in at 18:33.
We waited for everyone to finish the swim, and then started out on the bike course. The bike and run courses are pretty challenging - the hills are relentless. I am pretty sure this neighborhood (Mallard Point) was carved into a small mountain range. The interesting thing about these hills is that some of them are long and gradual while others are short but very steep - my car had to work a little harder to drive up some of them! It is only a 9 mile ride, but my time was equivalent to a flatter 14 mile ride. My tip for getting up a hill (whether running or riding) is to increase your leg turnover and not look at the top of the hill. Keep your eyes down and focus on what is in front of you, not what is at the top. Before you know it, you will crest the hill.
I finished in the back of the first pack of bikers, and then took a little time in T2 to drink some of my Gatorade/water mixture and pour water over my head. It was about 10:30am at this point, and I knew there was no water out on the course. I started the run with two goals - to finish around 20 minutes and to not walk. Last year I had to walk part of the course and I felt like an idiot, so I didn't want that to happen again.
I finished the run right at 20:00 minutes, and didn't walk at all. After finishing, I walked down to my bike and was getting my things together when I struck up a conversation with the man who started the race years ago with his wife. We talked for a bit but then the heat and I think dehydration got to me and I almost blacked out! I told him that I needed to sit down so I grabbed my Gatorade and a Clif Bar and sat down in the shade to get my wits about me. A few minutes later I felt much better so I gathered up my things and headed to my car. On my walk to the car, a butterfly landed on my gear shifter and rode the rest of the way to the car. It was pretty strange! Overall, a great day of training out in Georgetown!
Hitching a ride
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