Memphis in May Triathlon
I had a terrific time at the Memphis in May Triathlon Olympic-distance race this year. My sister, Lori, visited for the weekend and we had a chance to spend both Friday and Saturday nights in Memphis. On top of that, I got a chance to see Justin who came to do the race, see Blake Becker and Dennis Meeker again, and to meet Laura Tingle.
The race itself was....HOT. That will be the lasting memory, I think. Hot at the start, hot on the bike, and miserably hot on the run. Since I had done the race in 2008 and had visited recently for some training with my friends, Alisha and Brandon, the course was very familiar this time around. All in all, it was a solid day at the race, capped off by a steady--if slow--run at the end. I about equalled by time from 2008, but I'll give myself credit for a better race this time considering the weather.
I managed to reach the finish line before the pros started, so I got to cheer for Justin, Blake, and Laura as they started their race. It was fun to see them race and great to see Blake finish 4th, Laura finish 4th, and Justin finish 6th. I haven't done much spectating at triathlons, but it is always fun to see the speedy folks race--and particularly in transition.
After 25 years or so in Millington, TN, this race is moving to Tunica, MS next year, to the Harrah's Casino there. I've promised my financial advisor, Ted Isaacs, from St. Louis, that I'd do the race next year as he makes his triathlon debut. So it appears there will be a 2011 season of some sort.
Heatwave Classic Triathlon
Next up on the racing calendar was the hometown race, the Heatwave Classic....a 1/2 mile swim, 40K bike, and 10K run. This race draws essentially all of the local triathletes, so it's always a fun day. There were about 500 athletes this year. Like the Memphis race, it was also HOT for this race. We were blessed that we had cloud cover, but it was still warm and very humid.
The race started in 4 waves and I was in the 3rd. I swam well, but just missed winning the swim for my wave. I might have done better if each wave had a different color swim cap, but I lost track of the swimmer in front of me since we were all wearing bright yellow. I had a pretty good bike, improving on the power output from the Memphis race, and ran better, too. Again, for a hot weather day, I was happy with the effort.
Watermelon 5-K
I've been doing more run training lately and Justin and I decided to have a go at a local 5K race, the Watermelon Classic on the 4th of July weekend. It's been a while since my last running race, but I don't think I've ever run a race in hotter and more humid conditions. I enjoy the atmosphere at running races, though. It's fun to see people of all sorts come out for the event. I gave it my all....finished with a heart rate of 181....but managed only 26:14. I'm so ready for cooler weather.
This race brought up an interesting question, a question that I've shared with my Twitter friends already. Which event can you do faster: a 1650 yard swim? or a 5K run? For me, it's the swim. I did the swim recently in 21:14. I've come across only 1 other athlete (Alan Couzens, a coach from EnduranceCorner) who's in the same swim-faster-than-run camp. EVERYBODY else runs the 5K faster than swimming the 1650. Even if I never change camps, I'd like to get closer with the run. I'll continue to view this as an opportunity!
Beach Bum Triathlon
A couple weeks ago, I raced in the Beach Bum Triathlon at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for the 6th time. I combined this with a visit with my parents who live there at the beach. This is always a fun race....a 500m swim, 6-mi bike, and 3-mi run--ALL on the beach. Something a little different. And with a mass start with ~200 competitors, it sets up nicely (at least at the outset) for me. I'm not very good with the running-into-the-surf start (short legs, limited jump, etc.), but I got off to a good start.
Even before I reached the first turning buoy (~50m from shore), I had a pain in my left side that I attributed to a rough edge on my tri-top. I rounded the first buoy in about 15th position and settled into a steady rhythm for the 400m length along the shoreline. In no time at all, though, I had a searing pain in my right forearm and another behind my right knee, both due to jellyfish stings. This was a first. And at first, I wasn't even sure what was going on. Thankfully, there were no more stings. I managed to work up to 5th position leaving the water....and at least 1 swimmer ahead of me was on a relay team, so I was in great position to start the bike.
I did the bike leg on a Trek 4300 mountain bike, wearing running shoes. The ride is short enough that it can be an all-out effort, and that's what I did. Even before the first turn-around at 1.5 miles, I had moved into 4th position! For me, it really doesn't get any better than that. It's FUN to be at the front, for sure. All good things come to an end, though. I was in about 12th or 13th position at T2 and allowed an even bigger group to get by me on the run. But all-in-all, it was a fun morning at the beach.
Next Up....
The next triathlon will be Ironman Western Australia on December 5th. My folks and sister will be making the trip as well and we're just finishing up with the travel plans. It's hard to believe that the race is only 4 months away now. Time flies.
Between now and IM Western Australia, I'll be trying my hand at a couple swim races--a 2-mi race in Boulder on August 21st and the 2.4-mi Waikiki Rough Water Swim in Hawaii on September 6th. I'm looking forward to the Hawaii trip. I haven't visited there since I was a kid. The trip to Hawaii will include a 7-day cruise around the islands, so a chance to see a little of each of the islands. I'm particularly excited to be hooking up with Gerd Weber, a friend from last year's IM Brazil trip, who lives in Kona. We're planning a swim and bike ride on the Kona racecourse. Should be fun.
Larry
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