Executive Summary (aka ADD version)
1st overall, 1:00:48
750m swim: 1:27/100m
19km bike: 38.4km/h
5km run: 16:47
Full Race Report (requires attention span >5 seconds)
I started to taper rather late in an attempt to carry more fitness through to Muskoka Sprint Tri the following weekend. After a hard training period and a particularly brutal yoga class (poor decision), my body felt quite beat up until the day before the race.
I went through my usual race morning routine: 5:00am wakeup, huge breakfast, tea, nap, tea, snack, nap, registration, coffee, warm-up. The coffee was a really vile sludge that I brewed myself with a coffee press to maximize caffeine. Anyone tried caffeine pills?
My swim was disappointing given all the hours I logged at the pool over the winter and a new wetsuit. I suppose that my 18.4 BMI is not exactly ideal for swimming… If I took a rational approach to improving my performance I would probably gain 15lbs. This is the compromise I make for being a runner for half the year (I run XC at university). I have somewhat of a runner/triathlete identity crisis. Exited the water several spots back.
Following a sloppy T1, I started the bike feeling strong. I quickly passed some of the competitive swimmer types who dominate the swim then turn out to be non-factors. Once I realized that I was gaining on the leader, surprisingly, I began to enjoy myself and to feel in control. In the past, biking has always been my weakness. Sick of getting demolished on the bike, this spring I took a more serious approach to bike training. Some tweaks to my fit and a new aero helmet helped me to a PB on the bike.
Quick digression: I like to think that I’m not a materialistic person (despite owning three bikes…), but wow do I ever covet a set of deep carbon race wheels. Unfortunately, my meagre income does not afford such performance enhancing luxuries. The fact that you can effectively buy speed is an infuriating aspect of this sport!
RUN TIME! This is the only part of the race where a slight build (read: pipe-cleaner arms) doesn’t look so silly anymore. I entered the run in second and passed the leader within 500m. Knowing that I had a couple serious runners breathing down my neck, I pushed hard until the 2.5km turn-around. Seeing my comfortable lead, I cruised in for a 16:47 5km split. This is exactly the same pace I ran for the Guelph Lake 10km on the same course two weeks ago.
My parents made a bit of a scene at the finish line. Honestly, they were more excited than me! The announcer said, “That was Cody Beals… and Cody Beals’s Mom”. At age 21, I thought that I might have outgrown public parental embarrassment. Nope. I still wanted to slink away like a sullen preteen. Some things will never change.
