Knoxville Recap

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting my Rev3 Knoxville recap. I went into the race with the idea of taking it easy and seeing where I am in regards to training. If I honestly look at it, I was under trained for the event, but with the ultimate goal of getting to Louisville healthy and ready, I feel like I am on track. Here is the short version of the race.

Swim

The swim was slower than I wanted, but considering I ran head on to someone in the wave behind me after the turn-around, it was ok. She was swimming outside the buoys heading towards the turn-around, and I was heading towards the finish. It appeared there were several in her group that were doing the same thing, so I wonder if there were others that ran into someone else going the opposite directions? The collision knocked my goggles off and stunned me a bit, but I regrouped. Finished in 30:19, but felt like it took me a couple of minutes to re-goggle and get back into the groove after the collision.

T1

5:38....seems like a long transition time, but considering there was about a 300-500 yard jog from the swim exit to the bike and then another 100 yards to the bike mount line, this isn't as bad as it appears. Probably a little slow, but not as egregious as it appears at first glance.

Bike

Was very conservative here. Finished in 1:18:03 (18.6mph). There were some tough hills and considering, we have zero here to train on., I was happy with the results. Legs were not tired at all, and probably, could have pushed a bit more.

T2

2:01...in-and out. Nothing here to see.

Run. The run started off great. For the first 3 miles, I was trucking along at an 8:30 pace, which is good for me. Then the heat started to get to me and my run pace took a nose dive to over 10:00 pace...and that was with zero walking:) I melted like a popsicle in Nairobi. Finished the run in 58:37 for a total time of 2:54:38. I was hoping to get under 2:50, but I know where I dropped time. Overall, I am ok with the results. By the way, my time at this same race last year....2:54:43....so at least I am consistent:)

I have another Olympic this weekend. Memphis in May is here and it couldn't be any different than Knoxville. It is flat and fast. Last year after doing Knoxville, I recorded my fastest bike time in a race at 21mph...and that was in a torrential downpour, so I am hoping for similar results this year.


A quick update on some of the sponsor used items during Knoxville.

Swiftwick Socks

I went with the Aspire zero's and I can honestly say that I have never worn a more comfortable sock. I like them so much, that I have already purchased an additional 4 pairs. They are thin and airy, but not so thin that you feel uncomfortable in them. They have no seams in the toe that could provide a blister point. The best thing that I can say about them, is that I never noticed them once during the race, and I even spent most of the run dumping water on myself in an attempt to cool off. Even with all the sloshing around in my shoes, I never felt any issues with my feet/socks.

PowerBar

I went with one bottle of PowerBar Perform Lemon-lime drink. 2 scoops of powder. The taste was good from the beginning until the end of the ride. I felt adequately hydrated and ready for the start of the run. I also had some Strawberry Banana Energy Blasts. I feel like in training these give me a little bit of boost when I start to fatigue, and can report that this carried over to the race as well. I will add though, that these things a like crack cocaine. SOOOO GOOD! you think you are eating candy. The taste is amazing. I just ordered another box of these things to last me through the summer.

Pearl Izumi

We received our kits the day before the race. At first, I wasn't sure about racing in something that I had yet to wear, but considering that this was not an A or B race for me, I went with it. The shorts were comfortable as was the top. I did not notice any issues with the kit at any point of the race. The top was long enough in the torso and the pad in the shorts added enough comfort without being noticeable during the run. I look forward to wearing a couple of the bike jerseys that I have ordered during the summer training.

Can't wait to try some of the other offerings from these guys as well as our other great sponsors!


Looking forward to seeing some of you guys at the races this summer!

Racing, studying and hurting.....

First things first. Training is going pretty well so far. I am swimming faster. I have lowered my fastest 100's by over 10 seconds from last year and am hitting 1:35 pretty regularly. Not bad for a self taught swimmer. I also have PR'ed both a Half-marathon and my 5k times. I finally broke 2 hours in the Germantown half-marathon which was an improvement of over 8 minutes. I also PR'ed a recent 5k by over 1 minute and 20's with a time of 23'10. So training and racing in the early season is going pretty well. Rev3 Knoxville is this weekend, so let's hope that the early season success continues.

Studying for the CPA exam is going. I took the first part today and hope to hear back regarding my score in about 2 weeks. I take another part at the end of May and then will schedule the remaining 2 parts later in the year. I am already counting down the days until this is over:)

Lastly, the hurting part. I am having some issues with my left leg. PR's and speed improvements aside, the leg is giving me some problems. It hurts quite regularly from my butt down to the outside of my knee. In addition to this pain, my left calf is quite frequently tight. I am not sure if this is related to the other pain or if it is a result of over compensating to relieve some of the pain. I haven't been properly diagnosed and have never had IT band issues. So for those that have had this issue before, does this sound like IT band issues? If so, what do you do about it?

Thanks for reading...hope to see you at the races:)

More sponsors and race news....

I want to start this blog off welcoming Pearl Izumi and PowerBar as new sponsors to the Rev3 Triathlon team. I can't wait to start using their products. Whether it be the Power Bar Nut Natural Energy Bars or the Power Bar Perform sports drinks, I will be depending on them to get me through my races this year. I am also looking forward to using the Pearl Izumi line on the bike and on the run. Welcome to the team!

In race news, I just completed my first race of the season this past weekend. I am happy to report that I also have my first PR of the season. I finished the Germantown half marathon in 1:57:30. While it is not a blazing speed to some, it is a personal best for me. This is a race that I usually use to kick off my season and to get motivated for the years coming races. Considering the limited training I put into this race, I am extremely happy with the results and hope this continues into the triathlon season. I have 2 Olympic distance races in May. Rev3 Knoxville and Memphis in May triathlon. Before those arrive though, I need to decide if I am going to add in another local half marathon. I am torn on whether or not to enter. On one hand, it is additional run training, of which I need. On the other hand, it is the week before Rev3 Knoxville and I am not sure I want to take the chance in it limiting my potential in that race. What do you guys think? Enter the half marathon or concentrate on Rev3 Knoxville?