I got good news! My triathlon teammate's back didn't protest too much on his last run, and he thinks he'll be able to do it! I was really glad when he told me, although I hope he's not pushing it, and I've stressed many times that it was ok if he didn't feel up to it.
So tomorrow is the day (arggg)...and I know I'm not ready. I don't feel in great shape right now. I didn't for the entire week. And I didn't train as much as I should have.
I know I'll be able to finish, I can cover these distances without a problem. But it'll be slow. Also, I don't know the bike course. I will find out tomorrow morning. They say fast, rolling...The last (and only) triathlon I rode, it was totally flat. No need to change gears except 2 or 3 spots on the course. The problem is that I can't change gears when I'm in the aero position (that's going to be the next upgrade I get on my bike). I'll see how it goes.
As for the swim, I've had a good swim this week, where I averaged 2:01/100m, and I'm hoping to be around that or better this time. Hopefully I can go under 2:00/100m for long distance, for the first time since the high school swimming club! I'm not so worried about the swim...Last time the swim was canceled due to the water being too cold (56F). This time we should be good.
Here's the forecast: 9:00am 13C (55.5f) sunny, wind 10km/h. I don't know about the water temperature, but I think it's going to be pretty good, we've had a good weather and no rain lately, and other lakes around are good.
I'm not nervous, in fact probably not enough. I'm not ready, but I'll go for it, it's going to be another experience. I think the best thing that's going to come out of it is that I'll get a better idea of how to train and be ready and plan for the next season.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
DNF?
I realize I didn't update my blog to let you guys know I'm going to do my second sprint this coming Saturday.
750m Swim (hopefully!)
30km Bike
7km Run
For those of you who know me, you already know that I'm doing it in relay with a teammate, because I can't do the running part. I do the swimming and biking, he runs.
I think I might DNF on my next race this coming Saturday. Unfortunately my partner fell and hurt his back last weekend...The good thing is there's nothing broken, but he has had back problem in the past and this made it just worse. He's not sure if he'll be able to run.
I was not too disappointed. Of course I wanted to do it and finish, but accidents happen, and his back is much more important than a little race. I really hope he gets better soon! He told me he would see how he feels later this week, but so far it doesn't look good.
I can't get a refund, so I'll take it as a good practice and another feel of the triathlon vibe. Just please, please, pretty please, I want my swim this time! Cause if it's turned into a DU, than it's all for nothing, and a $100 down the drain is also pretty annoying...
I'm ok with a DNF, but at least, let me do what I can do!!!
750m Swim (hopefully!)
30km Bike
7km Run
For those of you who know me, you already know that I'm doing it in relay with a teammate, because I can't do the running part. I do the swimming and biking, he runs.
I think I might DNF on my next race this coming Saturday. Unfortunately my partner fell and hurt his back last weekend...The good thing is there's nothing broken, but he has had back problem in the past and this made it just worse. He's not sure if he'll be able to run.
I was not too disappointed. Of course I wanted to do it and finish, but accidents happen, and his back is much more important than a little race. I really hope he gets better soon! He told me he would see how he feels later this week, but so far it doesn't look good.
I can't get a refund, so I'll take it as a good practice and another feel of the triathlon vibe. Just please, please, pretty please, I want my swim this time! Cause if it's turned into a DU, than it's all for nothing, and a $100 down the drain is also pretty annoying...
I'm ok with a DNF, but at least, let me do what I can do!!!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Race Report (my 1st!):Toronto Island Triathlon
My thoughts are all over the place right now. This is why I didn't write earlier.
So here's an account of my first triathlon competition, at the Toronto Island Triathlon on August 18, 2007.
The day started really well. Of course I didn't get enough sleep, but I was up in no time. I didn't feel too tired, but I knew it could have been better.
It was a sunny, crisp morning, or I should say a chilly 10C (50F) at 5:30am. My gear was ready, I packed, reviewed and double-checked all that was needed. If you know about my story, you already know that I can't run. So at least I didn't have to pack the running gear. I have a friend who started running last year, and I asked him if he would do the relay with me. I would do the swimming (750M) and biking (30km), he would do the running (7.5km).
He jumped in, even though at the time we registered, which is about 3 weeks before the race, the furthest he ever ran was 5km. Two total newbies having no clue what they're getting into. Sounds like a fun day! :)
Because we had to take a ferry to the island , we didn't know how long it would take, how the line-up would be, and how quickly they would "process" the athletes. We waited about 45 minutes in the line for the ferry. The ferry ride was about 10 minutes. The walk to the race kit pickup, bib pickup, marking, chip pickup was another 10 minutes, the wait to all of these was close to 30 minutes. All the extra time we thought we had didn't seem much now.
While we were waiting in line, a race volunteer started to tell everybody that the winds turned and the water was really cold (56F). Now that is cold. I swam in the lake before at that temperature in June, and it was far from being comfortable, and after 20-25 minutes I had to get out of the water. But I knew I could do it. The race officials strongly suggested all triathletes should change their registration to Duathlon. The juniors were racing earlier today, and 2 of the athletes had to be pulled off the water. I still wanted to swim.
Further in the line, an announcement comes up: the swim is cancelled!! ARGGGG! At that point I was really disappointed. My mind was set on experiencing the transition between the swim and bike, and I also wanted that swim badly, probably more than the biking part. But the worst part is that my partner would have to do most of the work now! And he was not prepared for it, in his mind it was one run and done.
I have to give him tons of credits, he didn't seem to hesitate and decided to go for it! Two 5km in the same day would be an awesome accomplishment! There was no time for disappointments anymore. Just get ready, setup my bike in transition, wait in line (another one) for the portapotties.
Our start was at 9:30, and I was able to look at my teammate go and come back from the turn around. After that it was my turn to get ready. I went to transition and put my gear on. And started to stress a little bit. I realized that if he did a smokin' time I wouldn't have much time to be ready. My heart rate was at 134 already, and I was just waiting!! I took a power gel (now I know it's too sweet for me), some water, and was ready to go.
I decided to use my camelbak for water, as I don't feel comfortable reaching for bottles just yet. I didn't fill it too much, to make sure it wouldn't weight too much on my back. It ended being good for me, I couldn't even feel it during the ride.
So, having all my gear on, I waited about 2 minutes for my partner to arrive in transition. He did great, but I didn't really have time to find out how he felt, as I grabbed the chip, put it around my ankle and ran out of transition.
Running in the grass with a bike and biking shoes was something new for me. I think I did ok. At least I didn't trip, fall or both. I've seen a couple of people having difficulties at the mount/dismount lines, and I was a bit scared of that part, especially because I'm still not used to the clipless! I ended up doing just fine, and from that moment, I kept smiling and enjoying the day!
The first loop, for me was really to get used to people all over, passing (many, many of them passing), and me passing 1 or 2 bikers (on MTB) I averaged 28km/h, and I was a bit disappointed, as I was expecting 30km/h. There was some wind, but I don't think it affected me that much. I just didn't seem to have much fuel.
I also tested the aero bars for the first time! I hear you, it's kinda weird, to try aero bars for the first time ever in a race environment...For my defense, I didn't ride my bike a lot (not enough) before, and it was a course without cars, so I went for it. I saw the difference in speed. I was now around or above 30km/h.
The second loop was about adaptation and pain. At that point I realized that you have to get used to the aero position. My back was really fine, it seems my core is strong enough for the position. Fortunately, the adjustments I did to my bike earlier last week seem to have solved a nerve problem I had in my right hand. I didn't feel any tingling, or numbness.
The problem was my private parts! It was really painful. I think I will have to bring my seat back a bit downwards, to alleviate the pressure. Every bump was torture. So I started getting out of aero every 5 minutes to get out of the saddle for temporary relief.
By that time, I was also starting to breathe hard, and felt like I needed more energy. So I had another power gel, about 45 minutes after the 1st one. Immediately I started burping and didn't feel quite good for about 5 minutes. It seemed to settle down as I started my third-and last-loop.
My last lap was definitely the best. I felt (and was) fast, strong and powerful. Still nothing compared to all the people passing my at 34km/h or more, but I passed maybe 10 bikers on that lap. Of course they were most likely doing the duathlon on their own, but for me it's still a victory. :oP
I arrived at the dismount line, unclipped one foot, stopped (I can't do the bike still rolling thing), and dismounted. The guy next to me was not so successful and crashed. I ran through transition with very wobbly legs, it was the first time I experienced that, not running, I don't do bricks! I gave the chip to my teammate, and off he went.
He did great and finished on his two feet! :o) Congrats to him!
We knew we were far from being competitive, we both just started to exercise seriously last year, and weren't necessarily consistent throughout the year. Nonetheless, we are not last in our group! 7/9, which was enough to make both of us really happy! All the credit goes to my partner, as he charged into the challenge and did something he wouldn't have imagined doing the day just before.
The good news is, I think he's hooked. And that's from one of the first who told me I was crazy to get into the world of triathlons :oD As for me, well, I asked him if he would do another one before the end of the season, so I can put my swimming and biking together :o) It might be on September 1st, I'll get the confirmation later on this week.
I have to say that even though we're at the back of the pack, I feel like I won a million. Only a couple of years ago, I would never have imagined even doing a 30km ride without crying from pain in my joints. Just the waiting in line before the event would have killed me! Now, two full days after the race is over, I can tell that my joints have decided to collaborate with me, and that I'm in much more control of my body than ever before. I take this as a very important victory, and I'm determined to keep it that way!
I suppose you want to know how long it took us. Here it is, but let me warn you, if you are anything above the back of the pack, it will look awfully slow! But I don't mind, it's just going to be a definite PR next year! :oP
Run1: 30:01
T1: 0:48
Bike: 1:00:35
T2: 0:53
Run2: 32:58 (includes a stop at portapotties, and stretching)
Here is what I learned:
-Powergel is not good for me. Find another one that is less sweet
-The aero position should be practiced.
-I still have some adjustments to do on the bike
-I need to do speed work. My legs are fine, but my lungs and heart were out of sync (avg HR 164, for an avg speed of 29.7 didn't seem very good).
-Keep smiling! (which I did!)
In conclusion, I had a blast, and even though it wasn't as it was supposed to be, I want to do it again, and I want to plan for next year!!
Here are a couple of pics:
The team
Getting my first body marking
The Start
Getting ready in transition
Out of T1
Smiling after my successful mounting
Last Lap!
The finish
So here's an account of my first triathlon competition, at the Toronto Island Triathlon on August 18, 2007.
The day started really well. Of course I didn't get enough sleep, but I was up in no time. I didn't feel too tired, but I knew it could have been better.
It was a sunny, crisp morning, or I should say a chilly 10C (50F) at 5:30am. My gear was ready, I packed, reviewed and double-checked all that was needed. If you know about my story, you already know that I can't run. So at least I didn't have to pack the running gear. I have a friend who started running last year, and I asked him if he would do the relay with me. I would do the swimming (750M) and biking (30km), he would do the running (7.5km).
He jumped in, even though at the time we registered, which is about 3 weeks before the race, the furthest he ever ran was 5km. Two total newbies having no clue what they're getting into. Sounds like a fun day! :)
Because we had to take a ferry to the island , we didn't know how long it would take, how the line-up would be, and how quickly they would "process" the athletes. We waited about 45 minutes in the line for the ferry. The ferry ride was about 10 minutes. The walk to the race kit pickup, bib pickup, marking, chip pickup was another 10 minutes, the wait to all of these was close to 30 minutes. All the extra time we thought we had didn't seem much now.
While we were waiting in line, a race volunteer started to tell everybody that the winds turned and the water was really cold (56F). Now that is cold. I swam in the lake before at that temperature in June, and it was far from being comfortable, and after 20-25 minutes I had to get out of the water. But I knew I could do it. The race officials strongly suggested all triathletes should change their registration to Duathlon. The juniors were racing earlier today, and 2 of the athletes had to be pulled off the water. I still wanted to swim.
Further in the line, an announcement comes up: the swim is cancelled!! ARGGGG! At that point I was really disappointed. My mind was set on experiencing the transition between the swim and bike, and I also wanted that swim badly, probably more than the biking part. But the worst part is that my partner would have to do most of the work now! And he was not prepared for it, in his mind it was one run and done.
I have to give him tons of credits, he didn't seem to hesitate and decided to go for it! Two 5km in the same day would be an awesome accomplishment! There was no time for disappointments anymore. Just get ready, setup my bike in transition, wait in line (another one) for the portapotties.
Our start was at 9:30, and I was able to look at my teammate go and come back from the turn around. After that it was my turn to get ready. I went to transition and put my gear on. And started to stress a little bit. I realized that if he did a smokin' time I wouldn't have much time to be ready. My heart rate was at 134 already, and I was just waiting!! I took a power gel (now I know it's too sweet for me), some water, and was ready to go.
I decided to use my camelbak for water, as I don't feel comfortable reaching for bottles just yet. I didn't fill it too much, to make sure it wouldn't weight too much on my back. It ended being good for me, I couldn't even feel it during the ride.
So, having all my gear on, I waited about 2 minutes for my partner to arrive in transition. He did great, but I didn't really have time to find out how he felt, as I grabbed the chip, put it around my ankle and ran out of transition.
Running in the grass with a bike and biking shoes was something new for me. I think I did ok. At least I didn't trip, fall or both. I've seen a couple of people having difficulties at the mount/dismount lines, and I was a bit scared of that part, especially because I'm still not used to the clipless! I ended up doing just fine, and from that moment, I kept smiling and enjoying the day!
The first loop, for me was really to get used to people all over, passing (many, many of them passing), and me passing 1 or 2 bikers (on MTB) I averaged 28km/h, and I was a bit disappointed, as I was expecting 30km/h. There was some wind, but I don't think it affected me that much. I just didn't seem to have much fuel.
I also tested the aero bars for the first time! I hear you, it's kinda weird, to try aero bars for the first time ever in a race environment...For my defense, I didn't ride my bike a lot (not enough) before, and it was a course without cars, so I went for it. I saw the difference in speed. I was now around or above 30km/h.
The second loop was about adaptation and pain. At that point I realized that you have to get used to the aero position. My back was really fine, it seems my core is strong enough for the position. Fortunately, the adjustments I did to my bike earlier last week seem to have solved a nerve problem I had in my right hand. I didn't feel any tingling, or numbness.
The problem was my private parts! It was really painful. I think I will have to bring my seat back a bit downwards, to alleviate the pressure. Every bump was torture. So I started getting out of aero every 5 minutes to get out of the saddle for temporary relief.
By that time, I was also starting to breathe hard, and felt like I needed more energy. So I had another power gel, about 45 minutes after the 1st one. Immediately I started burping and didn't feel quite good for about 5 minutes. It seemed to settle down as I started my third-and last-loop.
My last lap was definitely the best. I felt (and was) fast, strong and powerful. Still nothing compared to all the people passing my at 34km/h or more, but I passed maybe 10 bikers on that lap. Of course they were most likely doing the duathlon on their own, but for me it's still a victory. :oP
I arrived at the dismount line, unclipped one foot, stopped (I can't do the bike still rolling thing), and dismounted. The guy next to me was not so successful and crashed. I ran through transition with very wobbly legs, it was the first time I experienced that, not running, I don't do bricks! I gave the chip to my teammate, and off he went.
He did great and finished on his two feet! :o) Congrats to him!
We knew we were far from being competitive, we both just started to exercise seriously last year, and weren't necessarily consistent throughout the year. Nonetheless, we are not last in our group! 7/9, which was enough to make both of us really happy! All the credit goes to my partner, as he charged into the challenge and did something he wouldn't have imagined doing the day just before.
The good news is, I think he's hooked. And that's from one of the first who told me I was crazy to get into the world of triathlons :oD As for me, well, I asked him if he would do another one before the end of the season, so I can put my swimming and biking together :o) It might be on September 1st, I'll get the confirmation later on this week.
I have to say that even though we're at the back of the pack, I feel like I won a million. Only a couple of years ago, I would never have imagined even doing a 30km ride without crying from pain in my joints. Just the waiting in line before the event would have killed me! Now, two full days after the race is over, I can tell that my joints have decided to collaborate with me, and that I'm in much more control of my body than ever before. I take this as a very important victory, and I'm determined to keep it that way!
I suppose you want to know how long it took us. Here it is, but let me warn you, if you are anything above the back of the pack, it will look awfully slow! But I don't mind, it's just going to be a definite PR next year! :oP
Run1: 30:01
T1: 0:48
Bike: 1:00:35
T2: 0:53
Run2: 32:58 (includes a stop at portapotties, and stretching)
Here is what I learned:
-Powergel is not good for me. Find another one that is less sweet
-The aero position should be practiced.
-I still have some adjustments to do on the bike
-I need to do speed work. My legs are fine, but my lungs and heart were out of sync (avg HR 164, for an avg speed of 29.7 didn't seem very good).
-Keep smiling! (which I did!)
In conclusion, I had a blast, and even though it wasn't as it was supposed to be, I want to do it again, and I want to plan for next year!!
Here are a couple of pics:
The team
Getting my first body marking
The Start
Getting ready in transition
Out of T1
Smiling after my successful mounting
Last Lap!
The finish
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Registration Scare
OK, Maybe I'm paranoid because it's my first race ever. Or maybe I didn't trust the organization 100% because they charged me the registration fee twice, and then refunded me one when I asked to, but didn't receive any confirmation from them afterwards.
When I checked the website this morning, this very scary message was posted:
When I checked the website this morning, this very scary message was posted:
*THE TORONTO ISLAND RACES - VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If any spots become availalble, we will contact people on the waiting list. We are no longer taking new names for the waiting list. Below are the participants lists. If you are NOT ON THESE LISTS then YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED.*
If any spots become availalble, we will contact people on the waiting list. We are no longer taking new names for the waiting list. Below are the participants lists. If you are NOT ON THESE LISTS then YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED.*
And they posted 4 lists:
Maybe I expected everything to be clearer, especially because it's my first one and I need some direction. Also, they didn't know exactly in which of the waves the relay would be when I talked to them this morning...
Maybe it's just that I'm a paranoid newbie! :oP
- Junior Championship
- Try-a-Tri
- Duathlon
- Triathlon
Maybe I expected everything to be clearer, especially because it's my first one and I need some direction. Also, they didn't know exactly in which of the waves the relay would be when I talked to them this morning...
Maybe it's just that I'm a paranoid newbie! :oP
Icy Water
What is the lowest temperature in which you can swim? Personally, I don't know yet, but it's definitely above 46F!!!
Last night I had a group open water swim in Lake Ontario. I really wanted that last swim in before the race on Saturday, and by the number of people who showed up, I was not alone!
We've had a very nice weather in the last month, always close to 30C (around 86F), but I suppose it doesn't affect the water temperature that much. Maybe there was a storm on the lake the day before...or currents or winds...
A week ago, the temperature readings were around 70F. It was perfect. Not too cold for the extremities, not too warm for wearing a wetsuit.
Yesterday, the readings were at 45.9F. I should have checked before going (I'm not sure I would have believed it). But hey, water was perfect just a couple of days before! Apparently nobody checked, and we were all expecting a nice pleasant swim.
We arrived at the beach, about 20 ppl in their wetsuits, ready to plunge.
-20 people touch the water with their toes
-General reaction: Arggg! It's wayyy too cold!
-6 people get water up to their waist (including me)
-2 people turn back (including me), 4 try to start swimming (the tough ones)
-4 people try to jump in again (Including me...hey I really wanted to swim!)
-They all turn back
-And the 4 trying to swim come back after 2 minutes (the tough ones)
How does 45.9F water feels? It was definitely much colder than in June. I'm not sure if the reading was good, but was certainly not far from that. I've bailed out at 55 degrees, but it was more because of comfort rather than capacity. Yesterday, I knew I would not be able to swim at all in that water.
After 30 seconds with my feet in the water, I couldn't feel them anymore. After 1 minute, they were burning. When I tried to put my hands in the water, it hurt. I had to shake my hands out of the water to get them back to normal.
So bye bye the last open water swim before the race. Oh well, it's not like I've never done it...Now I just have to cross my fingers for a good enough water temp on race day! Please cross some fingers for me too! :)
Last night I had a group open water swim in Lake Ontario. I really wanted that last swim in before the race on Saturday, and by the number of people who showed up, I was not alone!
We've had a very nice weather in the last month, always close to 30C (around 86F), but I suppose it doesn't affect the water temperature that much. Maybe there was a storm on the lake the day before...or currents or winds...
A week ago, the temperature readings were around 70F. It was perfect. Not too cold for the extremities, not too warm for wearing a wetsuit.
Yesterday, the readings were at 45.9F. I should have checked before going (I'm not sure I would have believed it). But hey, water was perfect just a couple of days before! Apparently nobody checked, and we were all expecting a nice pleasant swim.
We arrived at the beach, about 20 ppl in their wetsuits, ready to plunge.
-20 people touch the water with their toes
-General reaction: Arggg! It's wayyy too cold!
-6 people get water up to their waist (including me)
-2 people turn back (including me), 4 try to start swimming (the tough ones)
-4 people try to jump in again (Including me...hey I really wanted to swim!)
-They all turn back
-And the 4 trying to swim come back after 2 minutes (the tough ones)
How does 45.9F water feels? It was definitely much colder than in June. I'm not sure if the reading was good, but was certainly not far from that. I've bailed out at 55 degrees, but it was more because of comfort rather than capacity. Yesterday, I knew I would not be able to swim at all in that water.
After 30 seconds with my feet in the water, I couldn't feel them anymore. After 1 minute, they were burning. When I tried to put my hands in the water, it hurt. I had to shake my hands out of the water to get them back to normal.
So bye bye the last open water swim before the race. Oh well, it's not like I've never done it...Now I just have to cross my fingers for a good enough water temp on race day! Please cross some fingers for me too! :)
Monday, August 13, 2007
5 Days Until my first race
I'm not really nervous, I would say I'm more excited. It's probably because I know I'm not going to be competitive, so there's no pressure.
The Toronto Islands Triathlon sold out earlier last week. That means 400 athletes for the main event, the triathlon (750m swim, 30km bike, 7.5km run). I'm doing the swim and bike in relay with a friend, who will do the running. It's going to be great to finally have an idea of what happens during this event. The only competitions I've been participating to before, were swimming (pool only), so it's going to be quite different!
Yesterday, we went to the islands to have a look at the course. Flat and Fast! I was able to average 30km per hour on my tri bike (when I didn't have to slow down for people walking around), which is pretty good for me, considering I haven't trained as much as I should have.
Also, it was raining and windy. It was my first training ride in the rain! I know, I'm a chicken, and I prefer to be comfortable! But at least I'll know how it is if we don't have a nice day on the 18th. I had a look at the beach where the swimming will be. Because of the wind, it was really choppy. Kinda ocean-like, with waves crashing noisily on the beach. Oh well, if it's like that, it's going to be like that for everybody else! :)
So far the forecast for next weekend is good, but we can't rely on that too much...
The islands are a huge park, where there are no cars, except for the maintenance crew. I suppose that there will be race officials clearing the path from people on race day. In that case I'm pretty sure I will have a good avg speed.
I'm a bit nervous about the drafting rules, but I think I'll be fine. Also, I'm more comfortable with the clipless pedals, I don't think it's going to be an issue. I might just look a bit weird mounting my bike after T1, because I still have difficulty to clip-in quickly, but at least I've got platforms to be able to pedal even if I'm not clipped in yet. :)
As for the position on the bike, I've done many adjustments to bring my weight back to center. It was too much forward and most of my weight was resting on my hands. That caused some trouble in my right index...you can read about it here. So I raised my handlebars, tilted my seat upwards a bit, and there's a huge difference. I still feel that my finger is not totally happy with that though (really not bad compared to the last time), so I think I'm going to tilt the handlebars to bring them horizontal (right now they're pointing slightly downwards).
Yesterday ended up being my first ride where I really enjoyed the tri bike. I still have to get into aero position, but I think I'll be confident enough to use them during the race. I was almost there, having my left arm resting on the aero bars, but I was a bit uncertain because of the people walking/biking around. I don't have brakes on aero position, so I'm being extra careful. It's something I might want to upgrade on my bike in the future.
Today is rest day. I did yoga, and the rest of the day is work, work work! tomorrow I have a swim planned, but I might cancel it to get to an open water swim on Wednesday. So maybe it's going to be bike tomorrow. I'll see.
I can't wait for next Saturday, it's going to be awesome! I will probably update my blog again before the race.
The Toronto Islands Triathlon sold out earlier last week. That means 400 athletes for the main event, the triathlon (750m swim, 30km bike, 7.5km run). I'm doing the swim and bike in relay with a friend, who will do the running. It's going to be great to finally have an idea of what happens during this event. The only competitions I've been participating to before, were swimming (pool only), so it's going to be quite different!
Yesterday, we went to the islands to have a look at the course. Flat and Fast! I was able to average 30km per hour on my tri bike (when I didn't have to slow down for people walking around), which is pretty good for me, considering I haven't trained as much as I should have.
Also, it was raining and windy. It was my first training ride in the rain! I know, I'm a chicken, and I prefer to be comfortable! But at least I'll know how it is if we don't have a nice day on the 18th. I had a look at the beach where the swimming will be. Because of the wind, it was really choppy. Kinda ocean-like, with waves crashing noisily on the beach. Oh well, if it's like that, it's going to be like that for everybody else! :)
So far the forecast for next weekend is good, but we can't rely on that too much...
The islands are a huge park, where there are no cars, except for the maintenance crew. I suppose that there will be race officials clearing the path from people on race day. In that case I'm pretty sure I will have a good avg speed.
I'm a bit nervous about the drafting rules, but I think I'll be fine. Also, I'm more comfortable with the clipless pedals, I don't think it's going to be an issue. I might just look a bit weird mounting my bike after T1, because I still have difficulty to clip-in quickly, but at least I've got platforms to be able to pedal even if I'm not clipped in yet. :)
As for the position on the bike, I've done many adjustments to bring my weight back to center. It was too much forward and most of my weight was resting on my hands. That caused some trouble in my right index...you can read about it here. So I raised my handlebars, tilted my seat upwards a bit, and there's a huge difference. I still feel that my finger is not totally happy with that though (really not bad compared to the last time), so I think I'm going to tilt the handlebars to bring them horizontal (right now they're pointing slightly downwards).
Yesterday ended up being my first ride where I really enjoyed the tri bike. I still have to get into aero position, but I think I'll be confident enough to use them during the race. I was almost there, having my left arm resting on the aero bars, but I was a bit uncertain because of the people walking/biking around. I don't have brakes on aero position, so I'm being extra careful. It's something I might want to upgrade on my bike in the future.
Today is rest day. I did yoga, and the rest of the day is work, work work! tomorrow I have a swim planned, but I might cancel it to get to an open water swim on Wednesday. So maybe it's going to be bike tomorrow. I'll see.
I can't wait for next Saturday, it's going to be awesome! I will probably update my blog again before the race.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
A race around the corner
I signed up for my first triathlon! Because I can't run (you can read here for more information about that), and there are no aquabiking competitions in my area, the plan was to get into a relay with my husband. Unfortunately, he was just starting to run, and didn't feel ready for it. I can't blame him, we've had an hectic month of July, and we both didn't have much time for training. I would have loved for my hubby to do it, but I'm sure he'll go for it next year. For now, he'll be part of the cheering squad! :)
It turns out I have a friend who's into running, and he accepted to do the running portion of the relay, so I could do the swim and bike without a DNF. The nice thing is that my friend doing the relay with me is also totally new in the triathlon world!
So we registered for the Toronto Island Triathlon relay, on August 18th. 750m Swim, 30km bike, 7.5km run. I know I can cover the distances. I just don't know how fast. I'm very excited and a bit nervous, but with less than two weeks from the event, there's not much more I can do to get ready. I practice open water swimming every week (I finally got my practice with waves and I loved it), I bike regularly, but I don't feel I've been training seriously enough with my tri bike. I've been doing more mountain biking this summer. However, I've had a good base training in the winter and spring, and the mountain biking was keeping me in higher HR zones, so I think it shouldn't be that bad.
I've been averaging about 27km/h on the trainer in HR Zone 2, so it might be around that speed on the actual course, considering that I'm going to push harder, but taking wind resistance into account. It's a flat course. I'm going to test it next weekend, and will have a better idea of what to expect.
I think I'm more worried about the transition. I really don't have any clue how it's going to be. I've read a lot about it in books, in forums, but I've never been a spectator to a triathlon, so it's all in my head right now...Oh well, I guess I'll find out, and learn!
My goal is really to just finish, have fun, and get to learn some more, so I can get ready for the next one. But, I think it's also good to set some time goals, because I'm the kind who needs numbers to keep moving.
So, here is what I would be happy with during the race. I think I'm being very conservative, but it all depends on the conditions (weather, other people around, and how my body feels) and I'm not attached to these numbers. They will change if I realize it doesn't make sense.
Swim: 750m 0:17:00
T1 : 0:05:00 (I just have to take off my wetsuit, to put my socks (no I can't bike
without socks), shoes, helmet on and I'm good to go, I have a tri suit)
Bike: 30km 1:10:00 (This is if I'm using the tri bike. I will ride the MTB if it's raining,
because I'm not confident enough with the tri bike)
Passing of
Timing Chip: 0:01:00 (I really have no clue...)
Run: 7.5km dunno (Not my call, and I don't want to put any pressure on my partner.
Even though I'm setting goals for myself, I'm not competing against
anybody, and a non painful finish is all I'm wishing for)
Total time: We'll find out!
It turns out I have a friend who's into running, and he accepted to do the running portion of the relay, so I could do the swim and bike without a DNF. The nice thing is that my friend doing the relay with me is also totally new in the triathlon world!
So we registered for the Toronto Island Triathlon relay, on August 18th. 750m Swim, 30km bike, 7.5km run. I know I can cover the distances. I just don't know how fast. I'm very excited and a bit nervous, but with less than two weeks from the event, there's not much more I can do to get ready. I practice open water swimming every week (I finally got my practice with waves and I loved it), I bike regularly, but I don't feel I've been training seriously enough with my tri bike. I've been doing more mountain biking this summer. However, I've had a good base training in the winter and spring, and the mountain biking was keeping me in higher HR zones, so I think it shouldn't be that bad.
I've been averaging about 27km/h on the trainer in HR Zone 2, so it might be around that speed on the actual course, considering that I'm going to push harder, but taking wind resistance into account. It's a flat course. I'm going to test it next weekend, and will have a better idea of what to expect.
I think I'm more worried about the transition. I really don't have any clue how it's going to be. I've read a lot about it in books, in forums, but I've never been a spectator to a triathlon, so it's all in my head right now...Oh well, I guess I'll find out, and learn!
My goal is really to just finish, have fun, and get to learn some more, so I can get ready for the next one. But, I think it's also good to set some time goals, because I'm the kind who needs numbers to keep moving.
So, here is what I would be happy with during the race. I think I'm being very conservative, but it all depends on the conditions (weather, other people around, and how my body feels) and I'm not attached to these numbers. They will change if I realize it doesn't make sense.
Swim: 750m 0:17:00
T1 : 0:05:00 (I just have to take off my wetsuit, to put my socks (no I can't bike
without socks), shoes, helmet on and I'm good to go, I have a tri suit)
Bike: 30km 1:10:00 (This is if I'm using the tri bike. I will ride the MTB if it's raining,
because I'm not confident enough with the tri bike)
Passing of
Timing Chip: 0:01:00 (I really have no clue...)
Run: 7.5km dunno (Not my call, and I don't want to put any pressure on my partner.
Even though I'm setting goals for myself, I'm not competing against
anybody, and a non painful finish is all I'm wishing for)
Total time: We'll find out!
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