Marineland Sprint Triathlon Goals
| June 11, 2012 | Posted by Katy under Summer 2012 Training, Triathlon, Triathlon Training |
I can’t believe that my second triathlon is this Sunday! It feels like just yesterday that I first stepped into the lake for the start of my first Sprint triathlon in March. So much has happened since then and I have a lot of thoughts going into my race this weekend.
I know for certain that I am way more mentally confident than I was going into my previous triathlon. It baffles me that I was so terrified that I almost did not sign up for the race to begin with.
At the beginning of my summer training, I stated that I did not have any specific goals going into my first triathlon of the summer. This was partly true; at the time I did not have any specific goals, but I knew that I would formulate some goals as the race came closer. It honestly all boiled down to how well I recovered from my half-marathon earlier this month.
I was surprised that I recovered so well from the half and have allowed myself to make some bigger goals for myself other than to “just finish.” I know at this point that I can successfully complete a triathlon, so why not push myself?
Mentally I am going into this race really strong. While I am a little nervous about the swim being in the ocean (verses a lake like my last one), I know that if I remain calm in the water, that I will complete the distance. My swimming technique is less than desired, but I am a stronger swimmer than I was a few months ago.
For this race, I have a few goals:
1) Conquer the swim: If all goes well (not freaking out, the water not being too choppy, the swim course not shortened due to weather, etc) I should easily PR the swim portion. I have dropped a significant amount of time on my 100m splits and take less and shorter rest breaks during my swim sessions. I won’t have the security of a wet suit during this race, but as long as I swim my OWN race and not focus on others around me, I should do well.
2) Speed up my transitions: This is where I lost significant time during my last race. My T1 time was 4:06 and T2 was 1:23. Granted T1 was a LONG run uphill from the lake and I was wrestling with my wetsuit, but I can easily bring this time down by a lot. I won’t have a wetsuit to worry about and I do not have to worry about putting on a tank top (since I will be wearing a tri-specific top). I would also like to get my T2 time down to just under a minute (this is possible…I hope). I have not been practicing transitions like I should, so maybe this goal is a bit lofty, but we’ll see. This race should be smaller than my last so hopefully the transition area will not be as large.
3) Push on the bike: The bike may be becoming my weakest event in the triathlon. While I am no Michael Phelps in the water, I know that I can swim better than some people and will (hopefully) not be the last out of the water. The bike however, is where I struggle. I do not have a fast cadence and by looking at previous results of this race, I have come to the conclusion that I will be one of the last out there (the average pace ranges from 16.5- 20+ mph) My goal is to bike close to a 16 mph pace because that is the best I can do at this time.
4) Catch up on the run: If I can do anything well in a triathlon setting it is run. This is where I passed a significant amount of people who passed me on the bike. My goal would be to beat my run time from my previous race (27:02).
5) Set a new PR: If the weather holds up and no part of the course is shortened for safety, I am going all out for a new personal record. The distances are almost identical to my other triathlon (the bike course is .6 of a mile longer, but otherwise) and I know that I can set a much better time for myself. I have not set a new PR in well over a year and it would be nice to prove to myself that I can still do it.
We will see come Sunday if I am able to achieve these goals. My training for this race has not been exactly what I envisioned, but it will give me a good indication on what I need to improve on for the second part of my training this summer.
T-minus six days and counting!
Do you have any big races coming up? What are your goals?
My name is Katy and I am a 23-year-old living, running, and cycling in and around the Washington, DC metro area. This blog chronicles my life, inner musings, and fitness adventures as I try to navigate this crazy thing called life!
Wishing you all the best I’m sure you’ll achieve your goals and set a new PR. You trained hard and smart at the same time these last few months but most importantly you should have fun out there. You’re such an inspiring person und I can’t wait to reed how the race turns out for you!
I signed up for my 2nd HM on June 26th and I hope to beat the 2-hrs. The course is flat and if it’s not too hot it might be possible. Having 2 friends trying to pull me through I’m looking forward to it. But even if I mess this one up it will still be fun to run with the guys that seemed so incredibly fast to my just 8 months ago.
Greetings,
Jola
You’re going to do awesome girl! I always do my best when I get a good upbeat song in my head! I’m doing a two day long bike ride at the end of the summer I’m preparing for. It’s tough not knowing how the weather will be and trying to prepare for all conditions.
Woot woot! Good luck! With how crazy our weather’s been lately, your concerns are totally realistic! Can’t wait to read your recap. Regardless of those uncontrollable factors, you’ll do great!