J-Hawk Early Bird sprint tri recap

OK, so just got home from the J-Hawk Early Bird tri in Whitewater, and it’s incredible how much difference a year makes. It’s all about perspective, which, as C.S. Lewis wrote, “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” 

Well, I think I know what kind of person I am (let’s not go into that). But, standing on the other side of having done not only my first tri in Pewaukee last summer but also some running races, this morning was a completely different tri than last year. 

I wasn’t anxious about the swim (mainly because it was a pool swim instead of open water). 

I didn’t obsess over nutrition and hydration (I had some GUs ready to go, and electrolyte drink in my water bottle.) After all, it would be less than two hours (hopefully), and that’s less than some of the LD training runs I did for the Brewers 1/2 marathon last fall. 

All in all, it was a great morning. 

For the swim, they started three of us in one lane about seven seconds apart. The first swimmer said she was going to breaststroke the whole way (500 yards, or 10 laps), and the middle person said he would do some free and switch to backstroke when he needed a breather. I knew I would likely do free the whole way and have to pass at some point … and I did. The middle guy and I passed the woman on the first lap, and then I passed him on the second lap. Then I was open for several laps, caught up to the first lady and passed her again, and was free for a couple laps. Then I caught and passed the other guy again, and the first lady one more time just as I started the 10th lap. I powered through that and went out to the bike. 

The bike course was relatively flat, and I made a conscious effort to enjoy it instead of be mad that I didn’t have my new road bike yet (thanks to a screw up at the bike shop … where I won’t be buying now). My poor Trek hybrid was neglected all winter, and wasn’t happy to be out today, so we muddled through together, found a smooth rhythm a few times and like that (it seems) I was back in transition for the run. 

The run I was looking forward to, because it was mainly on a nature preserve. It was hilly, and a few areas were pretty mucky, but it was a nice run (about three miles, I think). I didn’t plan to, but ended up doing a run-walk-run because my quads felt decimated early on from the bike. (That I remember from the last tri and brick trainings last year.) I finished strong and felt good. (Still feel good…)

I’ll add some numbers in my next post when I get my chip times. But my wave started the swim about 10 a.m., and I was through the finish and eating a chocolate chip cookie on my way to the car at 11:37. 

Oh yeah, and today’s race kicks off the 12-week training plan for the Racine 1/2 Ironman in July. Off we go!

Now time for a shower, get dressed and go to have a steak dinner with my parents and older brother. (I think I’ll take a nap over there, because if I nap here I may not make it…)

P.S. And one more note on perspective, from comedian Steven Wright: “Anywhere is walking distance if you have enough time.”