Three Prep Workouts

Friday
Swim- 1000yds nonstop
Ride- time- 34 minutes/distance- 10.3mi

Saturday
Run- time- 21 minutes

Thus endeth my mini-taper for my last race before summer break, during which I think I may try not to think about riding, running, or swimming too much. That way, when I get back I'm fresh, hungry, and ready to get back at it with a vengeance.
The swim was a straight ahead 40 laps alternating between long, stretched strokes, thinking lots about form and high elbows during the pull phase, and quicker, more explosive laps to keep the blood flowing and to make the muscles fire. Felt good. Felt strong. Like normal, Sunday I'll let my body take over for the swim. It's only 500m. We can work that without accruing much energy debt.
The ride was also just a chance to push some blood through my legs and check everything on the bike one last time. I'm still not 100% about my seat height and positioning, but 48 hours before a race is not the time to futz with things. So I'll leave it be. It'll be fine for 13 fast miles. Everything else felt good and strong. I need to remember to pull through the back half of my pedal stroke to get as much power as possible, and I've been doing much focusing on not dropping my heels. Like Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor says, "More power!" Arr arr arrr!
And Saturday's run was an easier affair, without much heavy breathing or mental stress. Just enough to keep the legs awake and prepared for tomorrow's exertions. My stride is short and quick, though not as quick, I think, as it should be. Much like my last Sprint, I want to push through at the end and find a high pace to run at. I know that I have more at the end of the race than I've been using, but the twin barriers of Pain and Fear stand in my head, keeping me from total achievement. Tomorrow I plan on chipping at those again. If I can't scale them, I'll go through. Like I learned in college, If You Can't Be Smarter, Be Stronger. I'll be stronger than Fear and Pain and I'll make my weak discipline come to me and work for me.
It's nearly time to get some.

Honolulu Tri Prerace Photo Blog Extravaganza!!!

Race Time: T-minus a coupla hours or so
Rather than do a pre-race packet pick-up-hyphen-filled write-up I thought that I would share the pictures that came out of this morning's preparation activities. So that's what you get instead. So there.

The morning's first activity was inspired by high school swimming and helping me get my head on right.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz!

I have sexy legs. I can't not say that.

Once at Magic Island I had to wait in line to get my packet. My line is the slowest line. I choose not to see this as an omen.

Kratos ready for blood. *kiss* Have a good night!

Nifty neato at this race, we got stamped instead of Sharpied. Body marking took place today to speed up tomorrow. Good call. True story: When she was stamping me she asked if I wanted the stamp on the tattoo or below. I told her, "Below. If no one can see the tattoo how will them know I'm a tough guy?" She laughed at me. Why do they always laugh?

A nice, neat stamp on my freshly shorn calf...

Which I immediately smear with my shorts.

Dirtbag 77. I saw a woman who got 666. I want 666! That would be the most metal race ever!

I bought a new hat for the race. Then I tried taking a picture of it and walking at the same time.

The most reliable pre-race dinner: tofu tacos. Light, full of protein, and super healthy. My stomach is always happy in the early morning with these.

Yay for Super Sexy Wife!

What they gave me (minus the hat)

So tomorrow morning at 6:03am I'll be the guy with the bright orange swim cap...in the middle of all the other bright orange swim caps.

So that's it. Time to hit the sack, I've got an early morning ahead. I'm ready. I'm strong. Let's get some.

Redemption Running Before a Race

Run Day

time- 52 minutes
distance- approx. 6mi

Felt excellent today. And while I didn't negative split my run, it was pretty damned close. When I finished my right knee was kind of sore, but nothing bad. It was a strong run.
Tomorrow I've got my fourth sprint tri, the Lanikai Sprint. Picked up my race packet today and it came with a very nice t-shirt and a cool swim cap I have to wear. That's right, I'm such a swim dork that I just described a cap as "cool". After today's run I think I'll be able to pump pretty hard tomorrow. Good dinner tonight, tofu tacos. Episode of Doctor Who. Then prepare my gear and get as much sleep as possible. Waking up tomorrow around 3am. Its a good drive to the race.

Tri Again

Run/Gear Prep Day

Run
time- 10 minutes

Nice easy run today. Felt good, smooth, easy. The pieces are there for a good race tomorrow. Lets hope I can put it together.
The race plan is pretty similar to last time. I have a better idea of what I'm in for, so that helps. I need to work the swim right away and create some separation from the main pack as quickly as possible. This will give me smoother, calmer water to stretch my stroke in, which in turn will help me go faster. Also, it will give me a chance to have a clear view of the buoys I should be aiming for and turning at. Last time it felt natural to hit the water racing. Guess doing it for so long helps. I expect to be able to use that to my advantage. With the swim so short, only 400m, and with the two turns making it a triangle, I'm not positive how its going to go, and how able I will be to create that gap, but I hope for good things. Just have to hit it hard.
Getting out in front some will help me going into T1 as well. I've been a bad triathlete and haven't worked my transitions at all since the last race. So they will probably be slow, but not awful. Like last time, the point is to have fun and get some more experience. I don't see myself looking at my post-race time and thinking, "Damn, if only T1 and T2 were a few seconds quicker!" That's what I'll be thinking after the ride.
A big, huge eye-opening happened last time during the ride as I watched racer after racer fly by. I knew, and still know, that I don't have the miles yet to expect much from the bike leg, but it's still hard to watch people pass. At least I know this course. It's three laps in my backyard, a road that I've ridden a couple of times. There are some spots where the highway connects to the bridge and there is a bump which hurts, and I know where those are and where to be to avoid the bump. And there's a short, but kind of steep climb at the back half of each lap. It's probably no more than a quarter mile, but it feels steep to my newbie legs. I'm going to try getting up in the saddle and stomping up this portion, which I've been working on. That is faster for sure, but it burns more energy. So we'll see how it goes. I also plan on spending the bike portion down in the drops. It feels faster, and feel goes a long way mentally for me. Three laps. 12 miles.
T2 should be quick and easy. This I have gone over during my brick workouts the last two weeks. As long as my piggies find their sockets I should be just fine. Also, I need to remember to hydrate coming in to T2 on the bike so I'm good for the run.
The run should be an adventure mostly because the last mile is along the beach. I expect this to burn. Hopefully the sand will be firmed up some by all the people who passed me during the ride. Ha, suckers! That was my plan all along. They're working for me now.
My run goal is a quick cadence, good pace. I feel more and more confident every run and I'm going to try to set off with quick feet right away. I can hold a fast pace for three miles. I am mentally tough and I have its measure physically. *insert other tough guy pump-up mind games here*
I'm looking forward to this race. It will be good for me to have two tris under my belt going in to the off season. Goal #1: Push Hard All the Way. Goal #2: Have Fun.*
Early morning tomorrow. Let's get some again.

*stated goal order may not reflect goal importance

The Fun

Run Day/Prep Day

Time- 10 minutes

Easy run today. Not much to say about that.
Went out and picked up my race packet today. There was supposed to be a Fitness Expo there too that I was excited to check out but for some reason it did not happen. We were also supposed to be able to leave our bikes overnight at the venue to make things easier tomorrow, but it turns out there is no on-site security so the bike came home. So instead I just picked up my packet and we left. Came back at three for a new athlete triathlon clinic by the race coordinator and all around knowledgeable guy, JJ.
The clinic was very helpful and I'm glad I went back for it. He explained the course and how everything is going to go tomorrow, which I'll hear again in the morning but now I already know it. I'm ahead already! He also took us through the transition area and went over how he suggests we rack our bikes and set up our space to be as fast and efficient as possible.
I learned a lot and it got me excited for the race. Made it feel more real. Like holding my bright yellow t-shirt made it feel more real. One thing he said that I really liked was that people, when they talk about the course, love it all, except the swim-run-swim. "Swimmers," he said, "want to get in and swim and then when you're done swimming you're done. Runners don't like swimming and don't want to keep getting back in the water. No one really likes this swim-run-swim course. You'll see." Well I, gentle reader, already saw. If you remember, and I'm sure you do, my training took me to the lagoon for two run-throughs. I've swum-ran-swum the course already and know how better to deal with it. I'm mentally prepared for that leg of the race. And, from what I can tell, triathletes don't like swimming so much. Its just the first part they have to do so that they can get to the fun parts. I, on the other hand, love swimming and and looking forward to that leg the most. I think I can make some time there and get, not a lead, but at least some distance that will make people pass me during the bike and run.
I asked Obi Tri Kenobi for race advice a few days ago. His advice? Go have fun. Those, I think, are some words of wisdom. I tend to get very competitive, very geeked up for races and full on tension. I need to remember to have fun. That this should be a good time. Otherwise I paid $80 to be unhappy and in pain for an hour and a half. I want to be happy and in pain for that time.
With that in mind I will be making small gear modifications. My swim cap (I'll be wearing my own because somehow they ran out. How they ran out, I'm not sure. I knew how many people signed up. Don't they have access to their website?) is flat gray. So when I finish this I'll be attacking it with a Sharpie, decorating it with the Dirtbag Fitness logo on one side and Team Dirtbag on the other. I'll be putting a TD and a DF on my cycling shoes and VFFs with Sharpie as well, which should make me smile when I slide them on. This should be fun. I want to be fast, but I want to have fun.
After the clinic I went for a ride (motorcycle) to see the bike course. I think I went the right way the whole time. Tomorrow there will be cones and race marshals and cops blocking intersections so I shouldn't get lost, but its a small concern. I'll just follow the guy in front of me and hope he's not lost.
Speaking of having fun, I was thinking someone needs to make a shirt that has Master Yoda swim/bike/run-ing and underneath it, "TRI there is". I think that would be funny and I'd buy one.
Tomorrow I plan on being very tired when I get home so don't expect a huge long write-up. I'll do a race report, but probably on Monday or Tuesday after I've had time to digest it. Tomorrow I'll probably just post a picture or two and my times.
Many thanks to everyone who wished me luck, supported me with comments and donations, and sent positive vibes my way. Team Dirtbag is stronger for its support team.
Get some.