Swim: 300m
Cruisy swim along the shore. Hard to follow a good line, and ended up in the shallows, surrounded by people walking, halfway through. Love swimming without a wetsuit on!
Swim + T1 time: 7:23 (T1 was quite long)
Bike: 10km
I used Phil's power meter for the 10k bike along to Buried Village and back. Average power was pretty pathetic (155), but we expect normalised power to be higher, given the undulating course. Passed lots of ladies from earlier waves, and noticed that most of those in front looked like duathletes, who'd started 5 minutes earlier. Calling the ride "flat" is a bit misleading- there was one climb (2 minutes or so) that I needed to use my low gears for. Missed out on my 30km/h goal by a fair margin, averaging about 28.5, but I only got overtaken by one lady, and I knew I'd bring her in on the run.
Bike + T2 time: 23:17
Run: 3km
My pace was about 4:46/k as I exited transition and started trying to catch the woman in front of me. It slowed a lot as I reached the climbs, and it took a lot to bring it back to 5:00/k (on the Garmin; 4:55/k officially...) I got passed by one speedster, and never did catch the girl in front of me, but I stayed near them both the whole way, and we all crossed the finish line within 30-odd seconds of each other.
Run time: 14:43
Overall time: 45:23
I'm painfully slow right now, but I had a great time. It was great to be able to pass people, and actually *race*, instead of lurking at the back, watching dudes in aero helmets lapping me.
Best of all, once the final results came out, it turned out that I'd placed second overall. Sweetbix!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Hotpotato's off for an epic weekend!
2 days of mountain biking, and a(nother) Blue Lake triathlon!
See you later!
See you later!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Mafia Twilight Mini-Tri: In Which Kate Has An Epic Spaz
Our new local tri-club runs a series of tri/duathlons during summer. Phil had done a duathlon with them earlier in the season, and we decided both to go along for a spot of racing on Wednesday, after day 3 in New Job. Since I'm "training" for my 3:9:3 in Rotorua next weekend, I decided to stick with the 600/8/2 event, instead of toughing it out and doing 600/16/4. Yep- I've gone from Half IM to lazy cabbage in two short monhts!
We arrived at the race site with a few minutes to spare, registered, and leaned our bikes up against the fence for transition. Then Phil prepared to run, while the other swimmers and I marched 600m down the river to start the swim.
I decided to go wetsuitless as I quite frankly hate my wetsuit and am not convinced that the benefits it gives me outweigh the extra T1 time in a super short race. It was wonderful swimming along and actually feel the water, although I had to keep trying not to think about the pollution Mr I Prosecute the Effluent Dischargers kept moaning about... The river felt clear and fresh and was definitely warm enough to swim without insulation.
Swimming 600m downstream in the Waikato river is not quite the same as swimming 600m across Blue Lake, or doing ten long laps of the Parnell Baths, and the finish arrived before I knew it. Literally- one moment I was following merrily along, then three strokes later I looked up, realised I'd gone too far, and had to swim awkwardly back upstream to get to the beach. No idea of time, as I was data free...
T1 involved a massive run up a decent enough sized hill, so it took for bloody ever, but there were still plenty of bikes left when I got out. I couldn't be stuffed piddling about with the garmin, so I just went for it. I passed a couple of ladies early on, then leapfrogged with a few big rugby players on hybrids for awhile (how embarrassing!!!) It's a mostly flat course, with a couple of wee "power up" hills, and one slightly longer hill that I actually had to move into climbing mode for. The main complicating factor is a right hand turn onto a busy-ish road near the beginning, but I was lucky, and squeaked through with someone else. The 8k course went on for slightly longer than I expected, since I had no concept of time or distance, but before too long I was back in T1 with just one other bike...
Even though I knew most people wouldn't be doing the super mini distance, I felt a little odd arriving back in transition without anyone around, and was sure someone would come over and shout at me for missing some loop or other. But they didn't, so I slid my shoes on and hit the run, again, without bothering to put the Garmin on.
I knew the run was a simple out and back along the river trail. Easy. So I took off at a reasonable clip, planning to knock out a fast k, then suffer back! Only the turnaround never came. I was 90% certain I was headed in the right direction, but there was no-one out there, and I felt utterly isolated and confused. It was hard to keep running hard with that massive mental blockage in my mind, but I kept it up, darting my head around for signs that I was on the right track. Before too long, I passed the swim entrance, which I knew was about 600m, so I kept heading along, knowing I was around half way. But, ages and ages later, I still hadn't seen anything, so I ran another 400 steps, and called it quits. I turned around, and started walking, then jogging home. As I jogged, I eventually saw people coming the other way, and realised I had been going the right way, but I had no idea whether I'd passed the turnaround or not, so I was already gunning for a DNF, so I kept up the jog, feeling utterly daft whenever anyone gave me an arm pump or a congratulatory greeting. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was back at the transition area, where I slowed to a walk, and headed to the race director, away from the finish line. As I headed up the final stretch, the young girl who must have been ahead of me the whole time passed me to take out the baby-tri race, which suggests that:
- I hadn't actually hit the 2k turnaround, as I hadn't seen her before, and I assume she was the owner of the hybrid
- I could have taken her 12-year old self out if I'd kept running and chased her down!
What a mucking fuppet!
Despite the mishaps, it was a fantastic race. I'll be back again in a fortnight, and I won't pansy out and do the baby race, so I'll have some company!
We arrived at the race site with a few minutes to spare, registered, and leaned our bikes up against the fence for transition. Then Phil prepared to run, while the other swimmers and I marched 600m down the river to start the swim.
I decided to go wetsuitless as I quite frankly hate my wetsuit and am not convinced that the benefits it gives me outweigh the extra T1 time in a super short race. It was wonderful swimming along and actually feel the water, although I had to keep trying not to think about the pollution Mr I Prosecute the Effluent Dischargers kept moaning about... The river felt clear and fresh and was definitely warm enough to swim without insulation.
Swimming 600m downstream in the Waikato river is not quite the same as swimming 600m across Blue Lake, or doing ten long laps of the Parnell Baths, and the finish arrived before I knew it. Literally- one moment I was following merrily along, then three strokes later I looked up, realised I'd gone too far, and had to swim awkwardly back upstream to get to the beach. No idea of time, as I was data free...
T1 involved a massive run up a decent enough sized hill, so it took for bloody ever, but there were still plenty of bikes left when I got out. I couldn't be stuffed piddling about with the garmin, so I just went for it. I passed a couple of ladies early on, then leapfrogged with a few big rugby players on hybrids for awhile (how embarrassing!!!) It's a mostly flat course, with a couple of wee "power up" hills, and one slightly longer hill that I actually had to move into climbing mode for. The main complicating factor is a right hand turn onto a busy-ish road near the beginning, but I was lucky, and squeaked through with someone else. The 8k course went on for slightly longer than I expected, since I had no concept of time or distance, but before too long I was back in T1 with just one other bike...
Even though I knew most people wouldn't be doing the super mini distance, I felt a little odd arriving back in transition without anyone around, and was sure someone would come over and shout at me for missing some loop or other. But they didn't, so I slid my shoes on and hit the run, again, without bothering to put the Garmin on.
I knew the run was a simple out and back along the river trail. Easy. So I took off at a reasonable clip, planning to knock out a fast k, then suffer back! Only the turnaround never came. I was 90% certain I was headed in the right direction, but there was no-one out there, and I felt utterly isolated and confused. It was hard to keep running hard with that massive mental blockage in my mind, but I kept it up, darting my head around for signs that I was on the right track. Before too long, I passed the swim entrance, which I knew was about 600m, so I kept heading along, knowing I was around half way. But, ages and ages later, I still hadn't seen anything, so I ran another 400 steps, and called it quits. I turned around, and started walking, then jogging home. As I jogged, I eventually saw people coming the other way, and realised I had been going the right way, but I had no idea whether I'd passed the turnaround or not, so I was already gunning for a DNF, so I kept up the jog, feeling utterly daft whenever anyone gave me an arm pump or a congratulatory greeting. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was back at the transition area, where I slowed to a walk, and headed to the race director, away from the finish line. As I headed up the final stretch, the young girl who must have been ahead of me the whole time passed me to take out the baby-tri race, which suggests that:
- I hadn't actually hit the 2k turnaround, as I hadn't seen her before, and I assume she was the owner of the hybrid
- I could have taken her 12-year old self out if I'd kept running and chased her down!
What a mucking fuppet!
Despite the mishaps, it was a fantastic race. I'll be back again in a fortnight, and I won't pansy out and do the baby race, so I'll have some company!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Progress
We're settling in in Cambridge, staying at Phil's parents' place until our ghastly subdivision house becomes available next weekend. I'm not starting work until Monday, so I've been spending my days with my friend from Welly who's also just moved up, swimming, walking the dogs, drinking flat whites and generally enjoying the Waikato summer, while trying to take care of the list. So, here's how it's all going...
# Enter Rotovegas Triwoman Tri Yay! Racing here I come
# Start training again. Properly...I'm swimming with a friend, cycling for transport, and riding a bit with Phil. But "properly" isn't quite the word.
# Lose Belgian-beer and frites and Danish pastry pudge once and for all
# Find a home (..yup, kinda a priority) It's in a ghastly subdivision, and it's brick, but it's clean and sunny, and it's got all we need. And it's ours from next week, and it's certain, and that's what counts
# Think about goals for 2010 race season
# Email coach
# Get every piece of work clothing dry cleaned
# Get hair cut, lashes dyed and brows shaped (well, appointments have been made...)
# Confirm start time with new employer
# Plan sister's hen's night
# Hit up the Whakarewarewa trails
# Celebrate 28th birthday (..really, this is on Phil's to do list!)
# Find a home (did I say that already??)
# Upload Europe, Parts III, IV and V to facebook
# Arrange flights for stepfather's birthday
#NEW: Arrange driving lessons
#NEW: Unearth hairdryer and straightener
# Lose Belgian-beer and frites and Danish pastry pudge once and for all
# Think about goals for 2010 race season
# Email coach
# Plan sister's hen's night
# Hit up the Whakarewarewa trails
# Celebrate 28th birthday (..really, this is on Phil's to do list!)
# Upload Europe, Parts III, IV and V to facebook
#NEW: Arrange driving lessons
#NEW: Unearth hairdryer and straightener
Monday, February 01, 2010
The Great Post Europe Return to Real Life To Do List
- Enter Rotovegas Triwoman Tri
- Start training again. Properly
- Lose Belgian-beer and frites and Danish pastry pudge once and for all
- Find a home (..yup, kinda a priority)
- Think about goals for 2010 race season
- Email coach
- Get every piece of work clothing dry cleaned
- Get hair cut, lashes dyed and brows shaped
- Confirm start time with new employer
- Plan sister's hen's night
- Hit up the Whakarewarewa trails
- Celebrate 28th birthday (..really, this is on Phil's to do list!)
- Find a home (did I say that already??)
- Upload Europe, Parts III, IV and V to facebook
- Arrange flights for stepfather's birthday
...and then...
- catch up on blog(s)
See you soon, dudes!
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