Sandman Triathlon Report/Experiment

Purpose:
Attempt to race on muscle-memory. Let's see if I can get through this triathlon with minimal training on swimming or running (and barely riding) since the early summer and relying on muscle-memory.

Results:
Swim (1k meters) - 21:37
Bike (14 miles) - 39:28
Run (5k) - 28:12
32nd of 53 in AG

Conclusion:
Fail

I have been surfing a lot in the last month so I felt good in the water and I did break out the speedos and hit the pool a few times since Breezy Point. The southerly current did help and my time was a little quicker than Breezy Point although I cramped in my hammie and felt like I was redlining it coming out of the water going into T1.

I managed to get on my TT bike once since the last time I used it for the PLT #1 (my TT helmet still had my number plastered on it from Breezy Point in June). It took me awhile to get comfortable in the TT position again. My bike fitness was about the same in the beginning of summer. Although since my last crit in mid-August, I've been slacking except for acting like a hipster and riding my fixie and working on trackstands. I did get a few rides on the cross bike but I haven't seen a strong tempo ride or endurance ride since the middle of summer.

For running, I managed to get a few runs in the past few weeks but even my 3 mile loop felt hard. Long gone were my 7:30 tempo training runs from back in the spring. My 9:05 pace in the race was pitiful - down from 8:15 at Breezy Point.

I had fun. I guess that's what counts. Family got to see me race and enjoyed seeing my teammates, friends from our local Tri clubs like Final Kick and Coastal Racing, and some leg-shaved roadies who are just as fast in the water as on their bikes.

Some shout-outs to my teammates that got impressive results. It looks like we'll get more multi-sport people out for next season but these guys are rock solid and have consistently placed high in their races this year.
Jimmy Parrott - 3rd Overall in the Open Division
Rob Reik - 1st AG
Chuck Alt - 6th AG

Also the Kitty Hawk roadies showed up and took home some hardware too. Brad Pigage took 1st Overall in the Open. Ricky Devennish (10th in Open) and newly upgraded CAT 3, Robert Netsch won his AG. It must be all the headwind those guys train with that makes them fast down there on the OBX.



Rob, Chuck, Jimmy and me. (I'm short but not that short - I was standing in a nice hole in the sand.)

Thank goodness cross season is starting soon.