Yesterday kicked off my Triathlon season!
Quite nervous before, most for the speed and the cold water.
The race was a Sprint (dafting) and i started in Senior/Elite class since I have one year left for M35-39 Master class. Some of the guys in my are really good competing Internationally and one that I went to se on The ITU world Triathlon series in Stockholm last year. So it was going to be a really fast race.
Woke up early (6am) and the weather forecast said rain, but it was clear blue sky. Got too love when they get it wrong sometimes =). One and a half hour car ride out to Västerås where Hallstahammar is located.
Quite nervous before, most for the speed and the cold water.
The race was a Sprint (dafting) and i started in Senior/Elite class since I have one year left for M35-39 Master class. Some of the guys in my are really good competing Internationally and one that I went to se on The ITU world Triathlon series in Stockholm last year. So it was going to be a really fast race.
Woke up early (6am) and the weather forecast said rain, but it was clear blue sky. Got too love when they get it wrong sometimes =). One and a half hour car ride out to Västerås where Hallstahammar is located.
So far so good. (Picture: Jessica.H)
We arrived a couple of hours before start, so time spent mostly checking out the transition area and watching the start of Master classes that was 30min before mine. Then getting the wetsuit on. Had bit panic when i saw that i lost my earplugs. But found a couple of spare. I get so dizzy swimming in cold water without them. Walked down to the start and jumped in the water. Ok, slooowly slided down in the water, hehe. Freaking cold around 16c (60f) but after a couple of minutes it felt quite ok. I might loost feeling in some body parts, but they seemed to still be attached to my body, so all good.
Swim
The swim started fast, I knew that i did not have an chans to keep up in front but went out quite fast, had someone hitting my legs and I thought awesome I'm not last. After lets say 10-50m (it feelt like 10 but was probably more close to 50) my body just shutdown. I didn't have strength to do another stroke. Started looking for the boat and then land, just thought i'm finished. I have been working hard with my swim all winter and now my body quits on me Assh#le. Started doing breast strokes and got that WTF moment and continued. I have lake for myself atleast, ehh crap the women starts 5 min after me. Switched between crawl and breast and got a little better after around 500m and the safety boat stated cheering when i got some speed back. Maybe they where happy that they dident have to pull upp 70kg dead meat today. Out of the water 19th of 20.
Me in the blue wetsuit (Picture: Jessica.H)
Transition 1
Motivation low, and I did'nt have any rush to get out. My wetsuit got stuck on my hand and i just couldn't get it of. But finally out grabbed my bike and looked forward for the ride.
T1 out. (Picture: Jessica.H)
Bike
The bike ride felt ok, just to bad I was out so late and had no one to draft from.
Pushed the bike as hard as i could, pulled a little to hard in some hills and had to recover for some minute. The bike course was a 3 loop riding thru the crowd 6 times and the cheering that really helped a lot. Pushed the bike over 10watt more in average than last race in the same distance (duathlon). When I hade one lap left the leader group lapped me and if my motivation was low before it was really low now. Out of the bike 19th of 20.
Pushed the bike as hard as i could, pulled a little to hard in some hills and had to recover for some minute. The bike course was a 3 loop riding thru the crowd 6 times and the cheering that really helped a lot. Pushed the bike over 10watt more in average than last race in the same distance (duathlon). When I hade one lap left the leader group lapped me and if my motivation was low before it was really low now. Out of the bike 19th of 20.
Bike ride. (Picture: Jessica.H)
T2
Nothing really exciting happened, in and out.
Run
The run was planned to at a 4km/min pace. It was a good plan.
I feelt like crap, probably went a bit hard on the bike. My stomach hurt a little and my lower back was not having it best days. The run was also a 3 loop run. I felt so slow, all the cheering going out on the second loop keept my mood up. Stopped on the second loop and talked with the people handing out out water and drank some. My legs and bode started to feel better , my core temperature probably started raising to normal level. Stopped and drank some water on my 3rd loop also. And after that I tried go finnish of as fast as possible. Coming upp to the finnish line I saw one competitor and i just pushed it for everything i was worth and took him. Finished 18 of 20.
out on the run. (Picture: Jessica.H)
Probably one of my worst races, but I had fun when finished a settling down.
Big thanks to everyone cheering, made my day and to Jessica for the Pictures and support.
Big thanks to everyone cheering, made my day and to Jessica for the Pictures and support.
(Picture: Jessica.H)
There was a lot of people from my club there supporting and racing. Doing great results and a couple won their classes. Summering up the day in total it was awesome.
The only thing I would like to know is why my swim went like it did. Either cold water or the wetsuit, today was the first time this year in open water and in a wetsuit. Just reload. Next Saturday is Stockholm Marathon one of my A races. Hope I have a better day then =)
