Race 21: Silicon Valley International Triathlon

Date: June 12, 2011
Distance: 1.5k Swim, 40k Bike, 10k Run

If you have been reading the last 20 blogs about my races to Ironman, you may have noticed a pattern. I like to do the same races year after year. Some people may get bored by this, but not me. I like the calendar I have chosen. It spaces my races apart well, and also with the different challenges each race gives me, it allows me to properly see if, and by how much, I am improving. This particular race is important for me, as it holds my personal best for the olympic distance, and I intended to improve upon that in 2011.

Me and Gary trying to look "Gangster" before the race

My swim this year was definitely not where I wanted it to be. At  almost 33 minutes, I really wish I could have shaved it down to below 30 minutes with all of my off season training. But then again, more of my training at this point was going into distance, not speed. Still, not a terrible time.

My bike on the other hand was the opposite story. I pedaled hard and constant though the entire thing. I was really working on getting a really fast 40k time on this course for a few months now, and it defiantly paid off. Even the one small climb that usually brought me down to my easiest gear in previous races seemed easy, and I posted my first 20+ MPH bike split ever with a 1:12:04. I felt great, and wanted to keep it going into the run. I could feel last years time shattering already.

The run could have been better. My legs were defiantly feeling it from such a hard effort on the bike. I wasn't pulling 7:15 splits like I did the year before, but was still able to keep it around 8 minute miles. I wish I could have gone faster, but that is the learning process. Don't leave it all out on the bike when you know your strength is the run! Either way, the 50 minute run would leave me with a time of 2:35:08, and a penalty for dropping my GU packet on the beginning of the bike would add another 2 minutes to my official time. Looking back, I know I pushed to hard on the bike, but I was still happy to have a great race, and a new PR!

Links:

Website: http://www.usaproductions.org/events/triathlon-series/tri-svot
Official Results: http://usa-productions.racemine.com/USA-Productions/events/2011/20th-Annual-Silicon-Valley-International-Triathlon/results