Post B2B: invasion of the body snatchers

Post B2B It has been nearly 4 weeks since Beach 2 Battleship ultra distance  triathlon. It has been an even more depressed month than I had  expected. A few days after the event I went for a 10 mile bike ride and felt OK.  The next day I felt a funny feeling in my throat and headed for Minute Clinic at CVS. Prescription for yet more antibiotics filled soon after. Felt terrible for the next week or two. By three weeks I was feeling like I might be getting over the sinus infection (that spread to my lungs). I have done a 22 mile ride a few days ago and I was slow. It felt so  good to be on the bike again plus the day brought temperatures above 70 degrees. I have done so little exercise lately that my fitness has nosedived.   I have began to think of doing a run event in a month or two (or three) so I will have to get back at it. I may choose a new event since my speed will be lower than I'm capable of, just the appeal of a new venue will attract me. What I always want is a faster time. I have not done a 5k event yet so maybe that would be ideal. Been thinking of the whole next year schedule and what weekends I am off work. Miracle hill cycling challenge yet again is possible. Just thinking of it kind of brings me out of this early winter depression.  

B2B percentiles. Look ahead.

B2B percentiles. B2B 2014.  So while my 2013 finish time was the same time (3 seconds faster!) as 2011, my ranking improved a good bit. We were all slower due to lack of tide push. My improvement in the bike and run were the reasons I moved up so well in rankings.  128/500 = top 26% of men full participants. In 2011 186/525 was 35 %tile. So a 9% betterment of ranking.  127 men faster. total of 500  13 women faster, total  200 140. Total faster.       700 141/700 = top 20% of all full  Swim 2011 330/525 = 63%        2013 339/500 = 68% Bike  2011 208/525 = 40%        2013 150/500 = 30% Run   2011 133/525 = 25%        2013  87/500  = 17% —————— For my 45-49 age group men: 16th of 83 or 19 %tile.  If I imagine I was in the 50-54 group I would have been in the top 8. Also, if I was 50 and came in under 11 hours I might have been first in AG.  -------- 2014 goals:  • Swim: Be able to see and sight. If incoming tide: 50 minutes. If no tide add 20 minutes. I know I'm a bad swimmer compared to others. I need to keep working on this.  • T1: 13 minutes. Better prep and practice.  • Bike: No seat or hip pain. Keep warm but layer and shed. Shed shoes pre T2. 5:45 • T2: 9 minutes. Better sock/socks situation. More prep and practice.  • Run: Break 4 hours.  Better endurance. 3:58.  • Overall: 10:55 = Break 11 hours. 

B2B Sunday and review

B2b Sunday Woke up at 9 am Sunday feeling sore but OK. My calves were so tight.  Got out of motel at 10:30 after several trips downstairs and several cups of coffee and packing up.  Headed downtown, but took wrong road and got on I-40 for an embarrassingly long time. Turned around and got to convention center where they were having a brunch and awards ceremony. Great, wonderful breakfast foods. Fancy french toast, scrambled egg "cassarole", bacon, chicken in hollandaise sauce, fruit salad, multilayer vegetable salad, and more. I ate alot.  The winner completed the full in just over 9 hours. Don't know if he is a pro or a guy with a 9-5 job. A guy from Cleveland SC, Reagan Splady, got and age group award. I went up and briefly introduced myself and congratulated him.  Met some ladies from Huntsville Alabama breifly. They were getting up to leave and drive back for 9 hours.  Another lady (of asian descent) at the table was from Geneva, Switzerland. She is an anesthesiologist and did Ironman Texas earlier this year. Truly a worldly athlete.  It ended about 1pm. After that I walked on the Riverwalk. Saw the city of Wilmington Fire boat idling at the city dock. It then powered down river and in the distance I could see it fire it's water cannons. Cool.  Walked down Water street and past craft booths and a guy playing guitar and singing folk music.  Went up to Front street and walked past many bars where people were outside sitting, talking, drinking, and watching football.  It was good to walk easy for something like an hour.  Got back to the truck and at about 2 pm headed to SC. Every time I would get out of vehicle after several hours of sitting I was so stiff.  I am so grateful for the support my family gave me.  Thankful that my truck didn't break down on the trip. that none of my pains became disabling and I was even able to start and finish.  When I committed to doing the event again I had a goal to strive for a 10-1/2 hour finish. After the accident with the dog I was unsure how much time to add assuming that I would heal in time for the swim. I was unable to swim for several weeks leading up to the event die to the open wounds. Training for the bike and run also suffered.  Then Friday when Jeremy announced the tide would not give a push until 8:30 I knew I was going to be alot slower than 2011 in the swim. So about 24 minutes slower. My ranking of 339/525('13) vs 330/500('11) was nearly identical. Better training, technique, vision, and especially tide would have helped. This time I made sure I dressed warm for the bike!  The layering worked well but kept me from being speedier in T1. Maybe a minute faster this year but at almost 15 minutes there is a lot of room to improve.  The pain on the bike slowed me down maybe 20 -30 extra minutes. Siting up all the time and coasting was bad. Perhaps when I lowered the height of my handlebars a good bit after my last tri, I made a mistake that caused the pain. I will need to figure this out. The seat too will need to change.  The constant headwind was against me, but the more aero bike, wheels, helmet etc helped some.  6:02:59 this year vs 6:15:33 was a good improvement, but still not the 5 hours and 30 minutes I wanted. Ranking was 150/500 vs 208/525.  T2 was a different layout than in 2011 so hard to compare. I took about 1-1/2 minutes more than last time, but in 2011 I didn't do a nature break. 11:56 vs 10:17. I ran in my cleated shoes. With the shoe covers I was not able to leave those shoes attached to the bike. Oh I'm thinking of what could have I done differently.  The run course was better without the bridges to cross over. In 2011 I ran it in 4:19  versus 4:07:32 this year. Another good improvement. Ranking was 87/500 vs 133/525. Goal was 3:50.  So overall it was 11:56:04 vs 11:56:07. A huge 3 second improvement!!! Rank 127 of 500 vs 186 of 525 men in 2011.  I think next time I will have a goal just under 11 hours. Wait! Next time? Yes next year even. I will be in a new age group too.  Recovery will be much needed. My lack of sleep and then the event with a burn on thumb will leave me vulnerable to illness.  Won't do much for the next week or two. What? Won't do much for the next week or two? I have to always be training. This will be weird.