A couple weeks late, but at least it's here...my CapTex Olympic tri race report.
The race was hard. Period. By the time I was on the run I decided I was going to try to survive the race as well as finish the race. It's always humid in Austin, but it had been especially hot and humid all week all over Texas - May 2008 was the 8th hottest May on record since 18-hundred-something. Last year this race was rained out (flooded out!) and the year before I was a spectator, and I've lived in Austin for four years attending UT, so I know the heat. But I never know what my body's going to do in hot races.
I wasn't absolutely worried about my swim or run, as I had been training the most in those events - but I had hardly done much with my bike except for 1 or 2 rides a week. However, my bike - as usual - was my strongest event. My swim time was shocking - I thought I could do better - and my run was just down right ugly, but during the run I started not caring... My only stipulation was that I beat my one and only other Olympic time which was a 3:15. I was really aiming for a 2:50 and really thought I could do it, but my body was not into it.
1500m swim: 32:42 (2:11/M) - 504/1442
T1: 4:09 (damn wetsuit stuck on my arms!)
40k bike: 1:12:49 (20.4MPH) - 449/1442
T2: 2:44 (thanks to my new Zoots I bought at the expo the previous day!)
10k run: 1:11:09 (11:27/M) - 971/1442
TOTAL: 3:03:36
Total rank: 680/1442
AG rank: 30/124
Female rank: 180/570
When you look at the rankings, it really does not look bad at all. I mean, I still ranked in the top half of the field overall, and the top quarter of my age group! I should feel really, really good about that, right? But how can you feel good about a 11:27 minute/mile pace? I do have a medical reason for this though - turns out I was on the verge of heatstroke. Had goosebumps since the bike and was starting to get disoriented on the run. But I did manage to power through it, although at a slow pace.
My ugly finish had me barely making it over the finish line and then being rescued by a med official before collapsing to my knees. I do want to say thank you to all the med volunteers in the med tent. They kept an eye on me and made me feel better even though I was wrapped up in cold towels and then shivering violently. About 45 minutes later, I was able to walk around and had an appetite for pizza and popsicles.
All in all, it was a fun race, but brutally hot and humid. My one complaint/suggestion is that they could by far use more Gatorade on the course. Having it at only one aid station for two loops doesn't cut it for that heat. At least one more chance to get something other than water would be awesome.
Oh, and Bryon got 2nd overall (or 3rd - he received 2nd at the awards ceremony and is 3rd online) in Clydesdale. What a stud. :)
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