My race on Sunday had a pretty competitive start list including contenders like Cody Beals, Mikael Staer Nathan, Jackson Laundry, and Sean Bechtel. I had been feeling much better after my race in Magog, so I was looking forward to a good fast race.
Swim: 20:58
I had problems with this swim last year. I'm pretty sure that I swallowed some water which resulted in a bad case of Giardia. This year, I made a bit of an extra effort not to swallow any water.I started in 5'th posistion in the time trial start, which put me way out of reach of getting a draft from either Sean or Cody (starting 1 and 2). Mikael started right behind me, so it was of no surprise when I felt him tapping on my heels about halfway through the swim. I exited the water 3'rd with Mikael right behind me, and then got ready to chase down Sean and Cody.
Bike: 1:01:23
I knew both Sean and Cody would be riding fast, so I was putting in a good effort to try and make contact. I seemed to be riding well, but didn't bridge up to either Sean (who I saw at the turn around) or Cody (who I didn't see). When I got back to transition (with Mikael still close behind), I was surprised to find Cody had not yet returned. As I headed out for the run, I was just hoping he didn't have a crash.
Run: 35:59
In my previous years at this race, I have biked into the lead only to get passed into the run. This year, I was way behind Sean after the bike, and now had Mikael right behind me to start the run (which put him ahead of me due to the 15 second gap at the start). I knew I wasn't going to let him pass me without a fight, so I went out with a good pace and tried my best to keep it. He kept close for a few kilometres, and then I began to open a gap on him. I saw the gap was starting to spread at the turnaround (and I also saw Jack running close behind), but knew I had to run hard right to the finish (I needed to put at least 15 seconds between myself and Mikael).
I crossed the line with the gap still intact, and was only able to relax after I saw 15 seconds click by. This was definitely a different scenario for me, and it was a great experience to have a situation like that on the run.
Post-Race
How we roll in triathlon |
Rounding out the podium |
Thanks to Multisport Canada for putting on an amazing race (as usual), and also to eLoad for keeping me hydrated in the heat.
Best post-race recharge with milk picture by a country mile.
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