Race Day!

8.24.08

The next few days are the last true training days I have before I travel and then taper (rest & recovery) for the Games. So the timing and distance of to days race should be a good indicator as to how my training has been going.

For me this race essentially is a Time trial. A -point A to point B - go as fast as possible and fastest man wins type race. In the Paralympic World these type races are how our team is selected. The Team uses an average time per Kilometer to figure if you are competitive internationally or not. This (Ave. per Kilo) is calculated from previous podium performances at either World Championships, European Championships or Paralympic Games. It's the bench mark that levels the playing field across all the different disability groups.
My goal is to hit my elite standard which is 1:28:2 minutes per kilometer or roughly 25.5 mph average speed.
But as my coach reminded me before and after the race, this standard is off a 16 km. distance and not a 32 km distance.

With all that said - The race was a blast. The 20 mile, rolling course was beautiful and we had a beautiful day to go along with the gorgeous scenery. My teammate surprised me when she came out of the water ahead of schedule. Jen slapped the angle sensor on me and the way I went. I quickly got up to speed and settled into the pace I wanted. For me finding the right combination between a smooth Cadence/pedaling rhythm and the highest possible yet controllable breathing rate is the secret of Time Trialing. At the turn around I felt I was holding steady but A TT is something that you don't just hold steady, it's where you bury yourself to the point of near blackout. Coming into Transition i noticed through my altered state that I was the first bike to arrive in the relay Team area. Courtney took off running knowing that she was in first place.
As a Team we Won!! Jen, Courtney and I won our first and maybe last triathlon we'll ever do.
As for my effort and how it stacked up to my Elite Standard - I came in with average speed of 24.3 mph. A mile an hour slower but for the distance a solid effort. Within the race I placed 8th on the bike leg out of 400 racers.
My coach told me later that Dropping 1 mph while doing double the distance should give me some confidence. I trust my coach.